Kingdom Hearts -- Season of Light
by SoraLego278
Summary: VOL. 2-MS: The Holiday Season is underway when Sora and friends are called for another quest. Maleficent's Council is trying to destroy Christmas and rule all worlds, and only Sora himself can stop them! As his team travels the worlds, secrets are revealed and more questions are found. Can Sora's team achieve victory? Or will Maleficent & the others win? Rated T for Safety.
1. Ch1 - A New Guardian of Light

**_KINGDOM HEARTS - SEASON OF LIGHT  
_****_(The Sequel To "Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams")_**

* * *

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE GENERAL PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE, ONE AND ALL! WELCOME TO "_KINGDOM HEARTS - SEASON OF LIGHT_" - THE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL!**

**Now, I Know I said this story was not going to be posted until May, 2015. It may be April, yet I decided to start now in case anyone was getting TOO Impatient/Anxious for it.**

**So, HERE IT IS!**

**NOTE: THIS Story contains various elements from Kingdom Hearts and several Disney Movies. These belong to BOTH Square Enix and Disney alike.  
In addition, this story was rated "T" due to some serious scenes in some of the Disney-based worlds. After all, This Story is intended to be DARKER than the first one was!**

**In Addition, the Theme Song for This Story is the classic, "'_SIMPLE AND CLEAN_'" by Utada Hikaru! This would be true, given This Story was one of the games in the official "'_Kingdom Hearts_'" Series!**

**Plus, I decided to continue the crossover with the Television Show, _CYBERCHASE_. Unfortunately, it's role is Not as significant as it was in the first story. Yet, it is Still going to continue until The End! I am sure you'll be looking forward to THAT!  
****Why? You shall find out... IF This Story ends up continuing into a SEQUEL!**

**Also (IF I MAY WARN YOU), this story contains plot points built upon what it known from "_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_". If you have not read my first story, I highly recommend you take the time to do so BEFORE reading This Sequel.**

**Do you understand all this? I know it's a LOT of information at once. If you do, then you're ON A ROLL!**

**To start off, here is CHAPTER ONE! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!**

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**CHAPTER 1  
A New Guardian of Light**

Night had finally fallen over the tall, crooked structure known as the **Mysterious Tower**. The stars above were shining brighter than Donald Duck remembered them being in years. Some of the dots of light were twinkling a little while others were brightening and then dimming. His eye were currently focused onto a pair of stars, one was blue and the other was a greenish-purple color. These two seemed to be sparkling gems amidst the vast blackness around them.

A twinkle. Donald stared at the greenish-purple star. Since it was the second star and to the right of the blue star, the duck mage had a feeling this star was very familiar. He just couldn't place when that was.

A deep sigh. It sounded a little like a groan. Gazing to his left, Donald's eyes landed upon Goofy. The knight was lying on his back in the grass at the base of the tower, his legs crossed and his arms tucked behind his head.

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered aloud. "Sora and Violet have been gone less than a day, and _already_ I miss 'em."

Donald shook his head. True, he also missed Sora. Things weren't the same without the brown, spikey-headed sixteen-year-old hanging around. In fact, everything had appeared eerily quiet within minutes of Sora's departure with Violet. Now the sounds of crickets chirping were starting to give the anthropomorphic duck a tiny headache.

Deep, deep down, Donald longed to see Sora return. He knew this time of absence was only temporary; Sora was in school, taking classes, doing homework… he decided to stop there.

If there was _one_ thing Donald _**hated**_ about school, it was homework.

"Well," a deep voice spoke up from Donald's right. "You know what they say. 'School's only for learning.' …Or was it 'School's school'? Maybe it was 'School's for _smart_ students'!"

Donald gave a deep sigh as he caught a small glimpse of the figure leaning against the side of the tower's base. It was a tall, muscular duck with a large orange beak, red hair, and blue eyes. His outfit consisted of a red flight-cap, crimson coat, gray pants, and brown boots. His cream-colored scarf was loosely wrapped around his neck. His legs were crossed like Goofy's and he had his left hand tucked behind his head, the other hand was resting at his side.

Donald didn't need to take a second look to know this was the head of the "_Disney Royal Air Force_", Launchpad McQuack.

"Gee," Goofy said. "Lea sure hurried back to the _**Radiant Garden**_, Master Yen Sid's sent Riku away on some weird, mystery errand, and now he's talkin' with the King and Niccole about some of that there top-secret stuff."

As Donald gave yet another deep sigh, Goofy shifted his eyes over to the two ducks beside him. "Do ya think any of us will ever get to do somethin' important?"

"I dunno," Donald admitted. Of course, he would say _that_! Donald didn't want to confess how he truly felt. More than anything else (except beating his Cousin Gladstone's luck), he wanted to prove what he was made of by accomplishing a major task. After all, Huey, Dewey, and Louie _needed_ a positive role model to follow. Not to mention, Daisy would be favor of such important jobs. Goofy had directly said it once again.

"Aw gee, you guys get _all_ the fun," Launchpad complained. "You've been to many worlds, fought dozens of monsters, and made several new friends."

The pilot sighed. "All I've done is sort papers, watch planes take off and land, fly stunts at air shows, and teach others a crash-course in aviation," he said. "I miss out on everything everyone else does — even the King of the '_Mouse_' _Kingdom_."

"That's the '_Magic_' _Kingdom_!" Donald rapidly corrected.

"Well, it wasn't _always_ funny," Goofy spoke up. "We had to fight all them Heartless and Nobodies and Organization Turkey."

Donald slapped his face. "That's 'Organization _**Thirteen**_'!"

"Oh yeah!" Goofy chuckled. "A-Hyuck! _Now_ I remember!"

Donald rolled his eyes for a moment. How could Goofy have made such a mistake? Sure, the number 'thirteen' and the word 'turkey' _did_ sound similar — but they were certainly _**not**_ the same.

"Say Donald," Goofy added. "Didja ever wonder where Cloud and Sephiroth went?"

Donald shrugged. "Who knows?"

Launchpad looked downright bewildered. "Who's 'Cloud'? Is he from the sky?"

"_No_!" Donald stated, the annoyance starting to flare his temper. "Cloud is our _**friend**_! Sephiroth's the Darkness from Cloud's heart!"

Launchpad still looked puzzled. It didn't help in the least bit when Goofy blurted, "Gawrsh! Maybe Sephiroth _is_ ticklish!"

Donald fainted in an instant. Goofy and Launchpad stared at him for a moment before gazing at each other and turning their eyes back toward the sky. The stars above seemed to be making unusual constellations.

A magical portal opened before the three. They leapt to their feet in surprise. The portal was a silver color with a hint of blue in the middle. Striding out from within was a young man at age seventeen with medium-length silver hair. His outfit primarily consisted of a yellow and white sleeveless jacket, blue T-shirt, long, thick blue jeans, and red and white shoes.

"Oh," Goofy welcomed the young man. "Welcome back, Riku."

Donald gave a wave. "Hi."

Launchpad chuckled. "How's the newest Key blade Mister doing?"

"That's 'Keyblade _Master_'!" Donald corrected in an instant.

Riku had to smile at the sight. Behind him, another figure stepped out of the portal before it sealed up. To Donald's amazement, it was a slender young woman with auburn hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a pink shirt and short, pink skirt with a flowery trim. Her shoes each had a golden daisy on the tongues. She had a necklace bearing a sparkling pearl around her neck and a couple silver bracelets on her right arm.

Goofy stared at the young woman. "Gawrsh," he muttered out loud. "I didn't know _you_ was comin' here."

Launchpad seemed completely perplexed. "I may not have met her, but she reminds me of Webby."

Donald had to admit, this young lady _did_ possess a similar appearance to what his Uncle Scrooge's housekeeper's niece wore. Other than that, there was _nothing_ else he and the pilot agreed on.

* * *

The study was rather quiet. So quiet, it almost seemed you could hear crickets chirping from twenty miles away. As she continued to gaze out the window, Niccole's mind was spinning.

Where _was_ he? It had been just less than five hours since Master Yen Sid had sent Riku on an errand, the details of which were apparently classified. Still, the absence of the silver-haired youth had made her feel nervous. It was something she had never wanted to tell anyone about — not even _him_.

The reflection of her golden hair with its ponytail caught her eye. When Niccole saw her navy-blue eyes full of concern, she had to sigh. "Riku… please hurry back."

This was not uncommon. Ever since she had first encountered him during the symphony in _**Wonderland**_, Niccole had felt a strong sensation of security whenever Riku was around. This had proven to be quite effective when it came to her needing courage. After all, she would _never_ have defeated the powerful Heartless-Nobody in the forest if Riku hadn't been there to encourage her. Not to mention, she would never have seen the outside world and made so many new friends.

Of course, _none_ of that would've been enough to prepare her for the incident at _**Hollow Bastion**_. The moment Maleficent showed up in the bedroom while Niccole was brushing her hair… she had been _extremely_ anxious, knowing Riku wasn't in the room. Later that day, the annoying pirate captain and the blue-skinned man with the fiery hair had showed up and dragged her into the castle's chapel. Niccole remembered pleading for Riku to break out of the witch's spell, but….

She didn't know what had gone wrong. Being locked up in dungeon cell for nearly three months had taken its toll — especially when Riku hadn't shown up. All that time, she'd believed death was in her near future.

Niccole reached her hand to the left side of her cheek. She could feel it. Though the scar had healed, a tiny scratch had been left behind. She could feel the power of Darkness from it, something had longed to get rid of. Now, it seemed impossible — especially after she'd found out Professor Hojo was still around and now allied with Master Xehanort.

There was only one person she now trusted. It wasn't Riku. It was King Mickey… or Michael Mouse as she liked to call him.

"The Keyblade Wars of yore plunged the true _Kingdom Hearts_ into Darkness, and the χ–blade was shattered."

Niccole spun around to see the elderly sorcerer and retired Keyblade Master, Yen Sid, seated at his desk. His long, blue robes seemed a tad too large compared to the throne-designed chair he was seated in. The pointed hat bearing a golden crescent moon and a few matching stars seemed to be tilted slightly to the right. The sorcerer was busy looking into the direction of a short mouse with huge, round ears and wearing casual clothes aside from some white gloves. Even though no crown was visible, this rodent was indeed a kind, caring ruler of an entire world.

"But the Light still shining in the hearts of children rebuilt the world that we know today," Master Yen Sid continued. "And the Light from the broken χ–blade was then divided into seven, to protect the number of pure hearts in the world. These became what we know as the '_Princesses of Heart_'."

The mouse, King Mickey Mouse, had his arms crossed as though thinking very deeply. "Seven pure Lights… they _must_ be the seven '_Princesses of Heart_'. Nothing else has _that_ much Light. It _**must**_ be them!"

"Indeed," Yen Sid confirmed. "Those seven pure hearts form the very source of the majority of all Light in the world. If they are to be lost, the world will mostly give way again to shadow."

Niccole crossed her arms in thought. Although she understood very little about what made up the Light and the Darkness, she had a feeling Master Yen Sid and King Mickey were straight on target. She decided to continue listening.

"Thus," Yen Sid went on. "Even if we deliberately avoid finding our seven Lights to avert another Keyblade War, Xehanort will still target the seven princesses in order to forge the χ–blade. He will stop at nothing to obtain this goal."

Niccole nodded. "He most-certainly sounds like a _real_ Heartless to me," she remarked. She paused. "Are you sure he doesn't have a heart of his own?"

Yen Sid and King Mickey stared at her for a moment. Niccole gave a big smile and returned to gazing out the window. She continued to listen to what the two were discussing.

"So," King Mickey said. "There's gonna be some kinda clash between seven Lights and thirteen Darknesses… "

He gasped. "Does that mean we cannot do _**anything**_ to avoid triggering _another_ Keyblade War?!"

Yen Sid looked down. "I did not say that," he replied. "However, there is still one possible action we can take to prevent this otherwise unstoppable calamity."

Niccole turned away from the window. She knew she _had_ to hear this.

King Mickey looked like he was at a surprise party. "What is it?"

Yen Sid shifted his eyesight back to the King of _**Disney Castle**_. "To protect the seven pure hearts of Light, we will need seven other Lights strong enough to stand against the thirteen Darknesses. Even if their hearts are not pure, they will be suitable for a first line of defense."

King Mickey started counting on his fingers. After reaching the number 3, he sighed. "Then that means… we are missing four Guardians of Light."

Niccole pondered for a moment before opening her mouth. "Could I be one of them?"

Yen Sid and King Mickey turned to face her.

"Maybe," the latter answered. "But you're not a Keyblade Master yet, Niccole. I'll be too busy helpin' Master Yen Sid give directions to whoever the Lights are. Only Riku and Violet are ready to be Lights."

He paused. "So is Master Aqua… wherever she is."

Yen Sid nodded. "However, it appears we might find another one elsewhere."

King Mickey and Niccole both stared at the sorcerer. Yen Sid glanced at the two to ensure he had their undivided attention before proceeding.

"His name is Master Carlos. He was one of the first people Xehanort harmed. When he could not rescue his friends, he resigned from his title and has not been seen since."

"Really?" Niccole complained. "How can you find someone if you have no clue where they are? Sounds to me like this 'Master Carlos' does _not_ want to be found."

Yen Sid shook his head. "That is not like him. Carlos was always willing to protect the Light and prevent the Darkness from upsetting the delicate balance of Light and Darkness. He was a very courageous, intelligent, and confident young man. I know he could be of some 'special assistance'."

"Whelp," King Mickey spoke up. "That makes sense to me. But how do you know if he's still around?"

"Yeah," Niccole added. "This could very well be based on complete assumption. We'll need some facts to prove it's true."

Yen Sid waved his hand across the desk. A scrap of torn paper appeared in a cloud of bluish smoke. He scooped up the paper and extended it outwards. "I found this the other day," he explained. "It was written in Carlos's handwriting."

Niccole reached out and took the torn paper. She turned it until it was right-side-up and started reading aloud.

"_I am not where I used to stay._

_Yet, I am not where I need to be._

_My current location is secret, by the way,_

_In a place where no one can find me._"

She stared at the writing. Despite the style being similar to that of a poem, there was something else about it that stood out. "I may not be excellent when it comes to riddles, but this sounds _very_ suspicious," she concluded. "Seems to me, it states the same claim twice in a row. Why's it redundant?"

"Can I look at?" King Mickey inquired.

Niccole handed him the paper. The mouse read the next part.

"_I can sense trouble is on the way,_

_Even in this world's spooky streets._

_I should be safe, that much I can certainly say,_

_For here, the Light and Darkness peacefully meets._

_This land is one I'd only heard about,_

_One that probably shouldn't exist today._

_Their memories are gone and no one stays out,_

_Even time itself seems to have stopped, no delay._"

"Whelp," King Mickey said once he'd finished reading. "Sounds like there's a strange world out there somewhere."

Yen Sid nodded. "I have a feeling that unknown world is where Carlos has been residing."

"This doesn't make sense," Niccole blurted. "There are no worlds with Light and Darkness mixed _together_!"

"That's not right, Niccole," King Mickey countered. "Haven't you ever been to _**Twilight Town**_? It's in the same realm as this tower. Here, the Light and Darkness are balanced."

"Yes," Yen Sid agreed. "There is also _**Castle Oblivion**_ and _**Midnight Town**_. Not to mention the world of the Nobodies and Organization XIII. There are also more beyond that point, but that is a discussion for another time."

King Mickey nodded. He gazed at the paper. "I wonder what world this paper is from… "

The sound of a door opening and closing grabbed the group's attention. They spun around to see a tall, young man with silver hair standing in the open doorway.

"Riku!" King Mickey said with a smile. "You're back!"

Riku gave a nod. "That's right."

"Riku," Niccole spoke up. "How was it out there?"

Riku had to grin at the young woman. "Same as it's ever been. Sora's still taking classes and Violet's learning how to swim. Sora's mom is helping her."

His grin grew larger as he knelt down next to Mickey. "She's still having trouble keeping her wings dry."

Mickey smiled back. Niccole rolled her eyes. "I suppose this means you were on the islands, again."

Riku shrugged. "What can I say? It's my hometown."

Niccole shook her head. Riku smiled brightly at her before he turned to face Yen Sid. "Master Yen Sid," he announced. "I brought you the 'guest' you asked for, but… you never said why."

Niccole looked suspicious. "What 'guest'?"

Riku stepped to one side as a young woman stepped into the circular chamber. She was slender with auburn hair and bluish eyes. Her outfit consisted of a large pink shirt and short, pink skirt. The skirt had a flowery trim with roses that looked so real, you could almost pick up their scent just by looking. Her shoes each had a golden daisy on the tongues that matched the sun's color perfectly. The sparkling pearl necklace around her neck indicated she was from an island, whereas the silver bracelets on her right arm revealed she was from someplace else.

Mickey nearly leapt into the air. "Huh? _Wow_!"

Niccole crossed her arms. "And who might _this_ be?"

Master Yen Sid nodded at the new arrival. "I have come to learn you, too, can wield a Keyblade. I am very glad you are here. Now you can learn the ways of a true Keyblade wielder."

The young woman reached out her right hand. A large key-shaped weapon appeared in it. It was a mixture of red, yellow, and blue colors with a heart-shaped handle (upside when the blade was pointed up), a collage of flowers on the blade where it was decorated in the form of a fancy, capital letter "E", and a golden, star-shaped fruit trinket at the end of the keychain. A tan-colored vine was wrapped around the shaft leading from the handle to the blade. One side of the handle had a blue extrusion that was shaped like a wave breaking upon the beach.

"I told you before," she declared in a firm voice. "'This time, _I'll_ fight!'"

Seconds later, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad strode into the room. They rushed to the opposite side of the desk from Niccole and Riku. When they reached their places, they halted and saluted.

"Riku's back!" Donald announced.

Goofy nodded. "And he brought Kairi with him."

Launchpad was busy admiring the flowery part of the Keyblade. "Say," he marveled. "This means _anybody_ can get a Keyblade — even _**me**_!"

Donald stared at the pilot before slapping his own face. He muttered a series of illegible garble ending with, "…Aw _phooey_!"

* * *

**A/N: There you have it - THE LONG-AWAITED FIRST CHAPTER OF THE SEQUEL!**

**Of course, I'm sure you know this, but I'll say it anyway: **  
**Launchpad McQuack is from the "_DuckTales_" _-T.V. Series-_.**  
**Niccole, Violet, and any other returning characters from my first KH Story are among My Own Original Characters. This also includes the ones scheduled to appear later in this story, too.**

**So, I'm certain you've noticed much this Chapter resembles the Secret Ending of "_Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream, Drop, Distance_". However, I chose to make it more of a Prologue to the main plot of this story.**  
**In other words, Chapter 2 starts the main story itself. That's why I chose to post Chapter 1 early. Now, you shall have to wait until MAY for the next one!**

**Okay! I know you're probably wondering what happens next and tired of me yakking away. I shall let you go momentarily.**

**Lastly, here's this [important] reminder, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**I shall inform you how many Reviews are required for the Third Story when I post Chapter 2. SEE YOU AGAIN IN MAY, 2015!**

**This is SoraLego278 saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers! Have A Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Day!"**


	2. Ch2 - Sora's Surprise

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: IT IS HERE! CHAPTER 2! YAHOO! YES!**

**I know. I posted this Chapter only about One Week and One Day after Chapter 1.**

**Yet, what can I say? I've been REALLY looking forward to writing This Story! That, and I have Too Much time on my hands at the moment. The semester is winding down and I'm not getting very much challenging homework anymore. I am now focusing more of my time to This story, the computer game "_LEGO Rock Raiders_", the video game ****"_Final Fantasy VIII_" (which I am yet to finish), and my "_Once Upon A Time ~The Darkest Age~_" story.**

**I am certainly thrilled so many of you were also looking forward to this story. That encouragement has also helped me.**

**So, I promised SORA would be in this story, and in it he shalt be. In fact, he first appears HERE - IN CHAPTER 2!**

**To that end, HERE'S CHAPTER 2! READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO!**

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**CHAPTER 2  
Sora's Surprise**

_WHO'S GOT THE SWEETEST DISPOSITION?  
ONE GUESS — THAT'S WHO!_

With a loud groan, Sora snatched his pillow and slammed it over his head. The alarm's lyrics could still be heard.

_WHO ALWAYS, ALWAYS STARTS ARGUMENTS?  
__**WHO?  
**__WHO ALWAYS SHOWS TEMPERMENT?  
__**WINK!**_

Sora sighed deeply. He pulled his dark blue covers over his ears and held the pillow in place with his hands. He could still hear the song playing.

_WHO'S ALWAYS WRONG, AND NEVER RIGHT?  
__**"YEAH?"**__  
WHO'S ALWAYS DREAMED OF STARTING A FIGHT?  
__**"THAT'S SO!"**__  
WHO GETS A TRUCK, AND NO BAD LUCK?_

Sora was starting to feel _very_ irritated. How he longed to return to the dream. The sunset had felt so soothing… the dancing… Kairi's giggles echoing around… the sand crunching under his feet… the warmth he could feel as he wrapped Kairi tightly in his arms… the embrace, and the kiss….

_**Kiss**_?! **NO WAY**! That would _**never**_ happen! True, he _did_ think of Kairi as more than a simple friend. However, that did not mean he was in love, let alone had any romantic interest in her. Then again, perhaps there was something more. He accepted the embrace and the kiss as a symbol of….

_EVERYONE…  
"__**WAAK! WAAK! WAAK! WAAK! WAAK! WAAK!"**__  
…BUT DONALD DUCK!  
__**"YEAH!"**_

Sora had heard enough. He reached over and slapped his hand against the clock's figurine. The alarm stopped moments before it could repeat the song. He sighed, his vision coming into focus to see a smiling figure of Donald Duck standing upon a bluish box with three numbers, a colon, and two letters.

_**7:12 P.M.**_

"_**What**_?!" Sora's eyes grew large. He had set the alarm for 6:30 A.M. Not only was he probably running behind schedule, but his alarm clock had seemingly stopped working.

He threw the covers off his body and leapt onto the floor. He landed so suddenly, his feet slipped on a roller skate and sent him sliding forwards, stumbling backward, and landing onto the floor hard. A few books fell from his bookshelf and landed in his lap.

"Man… " Sora groaned in annoyance. He carefully clambered to his feet. His eyes wandered around the room. Thanks to the morning rays of the sun, he could see his fish-tank near the window was reflecting the light. A bunch of stained, wrinkled, and sand-covered clothes were lumped into a large pile beside his dresser. His pillow was lying on the windowsill. His bright, green bookshelf was situated beside the closed door leading into the hallway with the bed on the other side. His desk was located on the other side of his dresser from his bed and fish-tank.

His mind was reeling, so he swept his eyes around in a counter-clockwise movement. First was the door to his right. Next was the bookshelf, followed by his ruffled bedspread. At the foot of the bed (and in the far left corner) was his fish-tank, where the little goldfish, Herman, continued to swim day and night. His dresser was next in line, followed by his desk. On the far wall from where he stood was his window. Hanging from the ceiling were a few wooden boats, banners, and a baker's-dozen worth of glow-in-the-dark star stickers including a comet.

When his eyes fell upon the shiny, golden roller skate he had slipped on, Sora sighed deeply. This was not his skate.

He grabbed the skate, opened his door and marched across the hallway to a door with a bright yellow smiley face. He knocked on it as loudly as he could.

The door opened. As expected, a girl about fourteen years old was standing there wearing red pajamas. Her long, sandy hair and deep, blue eyes gave away her identity.

"Sora," she yawned. "What're you doing?"

Sora held out the roller skate. "This was in _my_ room."

The girl's eyes stared in alarm. "I'm so sorry!"

Sora tossed the skate past the girl and into the room beyond. The sound of it banging into something echoed through the open doorway. The girl glanced inside the room before she turned back and scowled at the young man.

"You almost hit my lamp!" she snapped.

Sora was not in the mood for such accusations. "Look who's talking! I slipped on your skate, and I could've gotten hurt!"

"That doesn't matter!"

"It _**does**_ matter! Hasn't Mom told you more than once _**not**_ to leave _your_ stuff in _my_ room?!"

"So _**what**_?! It's not like it's against the law!"

"That's not the point, Amy! Stay _**out**_ of my room!"

Amemi slammed the door in her brother's face. Sora turned around and marched back into his own room. He slammed his door so roughly, the hallway shook. A few pictures fell from the wall and shattered. Soon, the walls cracked and the doors splintered. The ceiling caved in, resulting in a big cloud of dust.

Seconds later, the house collapsed. The sun wasn't shining; it had been replaced with an enormous ball of Darkness. Every single building in the town, every last house in the neighborhood was ripped from its foundations and sent spiraling into the sphere above. The trees bent over before they were yanked from their roots and pulled into the abyss.

Within minutes, the island had crumbled apart and disappeared into the Darkness. The star it had once been flickered for a moment before it went out. Several more soon followed. In no time, all the stars had blinked out. All that was left was a cold, strong wind of Darkness, alongside a foul stench. In the emptiness, a deep voice spoke.

"**TIED TO THE DARKNESS."**

"**SOON TO BE COMPLETELY ECLIPSED."**

* * *

Sora woke with a start. His alarm clock was ringing away. The time read _**5:52 A.M.**_ He took a quick look around his room. Everything was where it was like in the dream, only without the sun's rays peeking through the window. He gave a deep sigh of relief and a faint smile.

It was only a dream. How he _hated_ fighting with his sister! Not only was Amemi kind and gentle, she was sweet and sincere. Anyone who spent five seconds talking with her would automatically think positive. It almost felt like she had some type of spell that caused everyone she met to be nice and friendly.

Of course, that was _if_ she ever tried to make friends. Sora had long known about his sister's shyness level and atypical stage fright. These issues had been torturing her for years, and yet, she seemed to refuse to try to overcome them.

Other than that, Amemi's personality stood out to Sora more than anything else; even more than the fact she appeared to be a younger version of his mother. Amemi was always willing to look on the bright side, even if it was difficult to see. She was carefree and almost always happy. Sometimes, he wondered if she had _any_ Darkness in her heart. Though he knew she wasn't a _Princess of Heart_, Sora had a feeling his own sister possessed a heart of pure Light… or ninety-nine point nine percent of it was Light.

Sora gave a loud yawn as he stretched his arms so far out, it looked like they would snap off like a piece of wood being bent too far. He gazed down at the end of his bed. His smile grew. Every morning, there was Herman the goldfish, swimming around in his rectangular tank. Amidst the seaweed and a sunken ship, Herman had a reef all his own. Beside it was some ruins resembling what Sora had learned was the ancient city of Atlantis — a mythical place that had sank beneath the sea by some humungous catastrophe. Of course, Sora didn't _believe_ the myth could be true. He just thought it was a cool story.

Sora pushed his covers away and sat up. A glimmer of light caught his eye. He gazed out the window in time to see the sun' rays peeking out from beyond the horizon. His smile had now almost reached its peak.

Turning to face a nearby calendar, Sora noticed the date on it. Spotting the blue circle and the drawing of a cake beside it, his eyes lit up. He leapt off the bed and rushed to his dresser. He immediately threw on his signature outfit; a navy blue shirt, blue and black jacket with special-designed armor on the shoulders, navy blue shorts with red lining, a black belt, white and blue fighting gloves with red straps on the back, and yellow shoes with navy blue tongues and shoelaces that were two sizes too big.

Once he was dressed, Sora grabbed his silver crown necklace from his desk and carefully placed it around his neck. He took a few moments to observe his appearance in the full-length mirror beside his desk. He then seized the navy-blue-and-black colored, giant shoulder bag and rapidly placed it over his shoulders. He opened his door and raced into the hallway beyond.

Sora was rushing so fast, he stepped on the cat in the hallway. The pain in the animal's tail caused a loud _**MEOW**_! It was followed by a stumble and crash landing. Sora scrambled to his feet and looked back. "Sorry, Yukima."

The black and white striped cat was not amused. Sora shook his head and hurried to the stairs. He peered down to see an older man with slightly-graying hair headed for the door with a briefcase. He smiled, knowing this was dad, Senzu Hikari.

Senzu was busy checking if his tie and navy-blue business suit were neat when he saw Sora at the top of the stairs. He smiled so brightly, his round eyeglasses seemed to reflect the sun's light.

"Good morning, son."

"Hey, Dad!" Sora exclaimed. He hopped onto the railing and slid down to the first floor. "Going to work already?"

"Yes," Senzu admitted. "Don't worry. You can have all the fun in the world once you're done with school today."

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "And I promise to stay out of trouble."

Senzu was stepping out the front door. "Why do I find that so hard to believe?"

Sora crossed his arms in thought. Whatever his dad was telling him, he was completely in the dark about it. He shrugged it off and rounded the post. He started to run, but only got about two feet before he slammed head-first into someone.

After he regained his concentration, Sora saw he had slammed straight into a young woman. Not just any young lady, but one with shoulder-length violet hair and violet eyes. She was wearing a long-sleeved violet dress with silver lining on the cuffs, collar, and bottom trim, as well as violet-colored shoes with pointed toes. She had a pair of dark-violet antennae on her head, each with a scarlet-colored ball on the end. She also possessed violet wings that were each shaped like a paper fan and had a slightly-brighter tint inside the outline. Her entire figure was illuminated by a violet glow.

When Sora saw her new V-shaped necklace and felt the strong radiance of Light she produced, he relaxed. It was Violet — the Angel of Dreams.

"Ouch!" Violet winced upon impact. "Sora, why are you sprinting throughout the house? This is completely out-of-character for you — _especially_ since this is a school day!"

Sora beamed brighter than ever before. "Do you know what _today_ is?" he shouted.

Violet shook her head. "No."

Sora was filled with excitement. "It's my _**birthday**_!"

Before Violet could react, Sora had pulled her into a tight embrace and was swinging around like a toy top. Violet felt herself becoming horizontal and her wings started to feel squished in the brown-haired youth's arms.

After several seconds, Violet finally broke free and landed on the floor before an enthusiastic Sora. "I told you _**not**_ to squeeze me so tightly! I cannot breathe when you do so!"

Sora's smile retained its brightness. "Sorry, Violet."

Violet shook her head. "What is your current age, Sora?"

"I'm seventeen," Sora confirmed. "And I'm _**excited**_!"

Violet had to nod. "_That_ much is clearly obvious."

Sora was speaking a mile a minute. "I'm gonna have a _big_ party, _lots_ of presents, and cake and ice cream, too!"

"Why am I not astonished?"

"And Riku and Kairi'll be here! They've _always_ come to my birthday!"

Now Violet _was_ surprised. "Riku shall be here?"

"Yeah!" Sora affirmed. "He's my best friend. Remember? We met you in the _Realm of Sleep_ a few months ago."

Violet had to nod and smile back. "True enough," she said. "Several things have taken place since then."

Sora looked puzzled. "Like what?"

The angel rolled her eyes and shook her head. Sora often _did_ lose track of their conversations mid-way. "For starters, I met your family. Your mom is so considerate and helpful. Your dad is silly and an excellent joker. Your sister is clearly happy-go-lucky and loves to swim in the ocean. Next, I learned how to swim — without getting my wings soaked. It was _not_ simple! Lastly, I discovered how hyper and carefree you truly are, Sora."

Sora shrugged. "Actually, I never dreamed an angel would be staying at my house. Good thing we've always had the guest room ready."

Violet nodded. "Just out of curiosity, why is that room so well prepared when no one else has ever stayed in it?"

Sora paused in thought. He wasn't sure how to explain the reason to the angel. All he _did_ know was that room belonged to someone "special", someone his mother had once known. Even though she had once told him who it was, he wasn't sure how to explain it now.

"Well," Sora started to say. He glanced around the room and spotted the kitchen table on the other side of a short hall from the front door. "Come on, let's get something to eat."

Before Violet could react, Sora had darted into the kitchen. The former shrugged and followed suit.

Once he was seated at the table, Sora found a cup of orange juice waiting beside a plate of fresh bacon, three scrambled eggs, and two slices of toast with jelly. He instantly started eating away.

Violet strode into the room a moment later. Seeing the brown-headed Keyblade wielder gobbling away reminded her of his lack of manners at the dinner table in _**The Grid**_. When she had demanded to know where his manners were, Sora had been perplexed — almost like he didn't have any. She shook her head.

"Hey, Violet," Sora called with a full mouth. "Come sit and eat!"

Violet winced a little at the sight. "I believe I shall wait until later. I do not possess a decent appetite yet."

Sora shrugged. "Your loss."

'_More like my victory'_ Violet thought to herself.

At a nearby counter was a middle-aged woman sporting long, sandy hair tied into a ponytail by a slightly-faded green ribbon. Her outfit consisted of a red shirt with white spots, a medium-length blue skirt, pink tennis shoes, and a rainbow-colored apron over her entire front side. She was busy cutting some carrots with a sharp knife when a crumb from Sora's toast landed a few inches from her. She rapidly placed her knife onto the cutting board.

"Sora Sky Hikari," the woman scolded the young man. "Haven't you learned _anything_ I taught you about manners?"

Sora stared at his mom with a blank look. "'Manners'? Doesn't ring a bell."

Violet rolled her eyes. "You could at least chew with a sealed mouth," she stated. "No one enjoys viewing microscopic crumbs and other debris from your mouth."

Sora stopped chewing and swallowed everything in his mouth. The noise sounded like a very obnoxious gulp. The woman at the counter sighed as her left hand flew to her forehead.

"I am sincerely sorry, Mrs. Hikari," Violet told her. "I attempted to alter this erratic behavior, but I failed."

"It's not your fault, Violet," the woman reassured her. "Sora's always been like this."

Violet had to smile again. "I can comprehend _that_ much."

"And Violet," the woman spoke again. "You can call me 'Star'. Remember?"

Violet giggled softly. "I shall recollect that, Star."

At that moment, the sound of running footsteps rushed down the stairs. A slender, teenage girl rounded the railing and walked over to the table. She had long, sandy hair with shiny blue eyes and mildly-tanned skin (like Sora's). She was wearing a pink shirt and skirt, red jacket that was zipped up, and blue tennis shoes. A yellow-colored hairband was nestled neatly in her hair and she had a star-shaped necklace around her neck. Around her shoulders was a large, golden shoulder bag with her name written on it.

_Amemi Hikari_.

"Good morning, everyone," Amemi said.

"Hello there," Violet replied.

"Hey, Amy!" Sora added.

"Good morning, Amemi," Star said with a smile. "Glad to see you got up in time."

Amemi gave a small yawn. "I know. I was up late studying from my Biology class final."

"_**School**_?!" Now Sora looked discouraged. "Man, I _forgot_ today was final exams."

Violet shook her head. "I am not taken aback by that," she informed him. "You do not appear to be a well-educated individual. Perhaps Merlin could have taught you well."

Sora shrugged. "Whatever."

Violet shook her head and sat down in a chair diagonal with the spikey, brown-haired young man. Star continued to chop up the carrots before moving on to some mushrooms.

Amemi sat down at the table across from her brother. Star handed her a bowl of cereal and a glass of juice. Five minutes later, she was done eating. Sora was munching on his last piece of bacon when he saw Amemi rising from the table. The latter glanced at her watch and her eyes grew wide.

"On no!" she exclaimed. "Sora, we'd better get going. School starts in _fifteen minutes_!"

Sora sighed after he had finished swallowing the last of his meal. Leaving their dishes on the table, the two rushed for the front door and were outside in a jiffy. Violet rose from her seat and speed-walked to the front of the house. She peered outside. Sora and his sister were already four houses away and running towards the distant town below. The sound of a far-off bell ringing could be heard.

With a smile, Violet waved as she called into the distance, "Happy Birthday, Sora!"

* * *

The clock on the wall read _**11:10 A.M.**_ The hands were ticking slower and slower and slower and slower and slower. Pretty soon, the second hand would freeze and time would remain frozen… forever.

Sora sighed deeply as he returned his eyes to his desk. Placed on it was a packet labelled "_ALGEBRA I: Final Exam_".

He had already written his name and the date. Now he was struggling trying to answer the questions that followed. They were all story problems. When he reached number twelve, he froze and stared in alarm.

"_**If a train carrying 2,028 scoops of ice cream leaves Chicago at 7 A.M. and the freezer stops working, how fast will it have to travel to reach New York City before half the ice cream melts, factoring at a melting rate of six scoops per minute?"**_

He couldn't believe his luck. Not only was he perplexed beyond belief, but the question seemed too complex to answer. That was when his mind started whirling….

* * *

_Sora immediately rushed outside, only to find Donald and Goofy with weapons in hand. To his surprise, a small group of Shadow Heartless were appearing before them. Sora had his Keyb__lade summoned in no time._

_Spotting the young man behind him, __Goofy asked, "Did ya bring the book, Sora?"_

_Realizing he hadn't, __Sora turned __to rush back into the house. Before he could move, three Soldier Heartless marched outside. Trapped in the second one's claws was a book with an orange cover. One look, and it was clear this was the storybook with Pooh and his friends._

"_**Hey**__!" Sora yelled__ at the enemies._

_The Heartless turned toward the three._

_Donald__ pointed his wand at the Heartless. __"Give __**that **_**back**_!" __he __demanded._

_In seconds, Sora, Donald, and Goofy were hacking away at the Heartless. Sora slashed his weapon straight through a Shadow while Donald sent a ball of fire at a Soldier. Goofy spun around and vanquished two Shadows before the town's defense system showed up and stunned the remaining monsters. Sora threw his Keyblade forwards and sent it spinning directly into the last of the creatures. The Heartless were destroyed, leaving the book on the stone plaza._

_Carefully approaching the item, Sora bent down and gently scooped it up. He saw the cover was torn, most-likely by one of the Soldier Heartless's claws. "Think it's okay?"_

"_Gawrsh," a worried Goofy said. "Maybe you'd better go back and make sure Pooh's alright."_

_Donald was hesitant. "But what about Merlin?"_

"_Well," Goofy thought aloud. "I guess we could explain… "_

_Sora nodded quickly. "Great."_

_He handed Donald the book. After a quick glance over it, the duck turned to see the tall dog beside him. Goofy gave a nod, so Donald opened the book and held it out. Sora was rapidly teleported inside._

* * *

"Pencils down."

Sora stared in shock. Rather than answer the exam's last question, he had drawn a picture of himself fighting Heartless with Donald Duck and Goofy. He gave a deep sigh.

"I said, 'pencils down'."

Sora gazed up. He was now face-to-face with Mr. Deid, the school's Algebra teacher. Mr. Deid was a tall man with dark hair and a pair of wireframe glasses. He was always seen wearing a nice, blue suit with a dark-green tie.

"Sorry," Sora apologized. He handed his teacher the test.

The bell rang. Sora was out the door in a hurry.

Shortly after, Mr. Deid looked over the test booklets and saw the illustration Sora had made. With a sigh, the man shook his head. "Alice wouldn't be happy about a make-up day," he muttered to himself. "Valarie's been too excited about the vacation anyway."

Picked up his pen, he took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing."

In one swift movement, he labelled the test a "B+".

* * *

It was a bright, sunny afternoon when the doors to the school burst open. Dozens of teenagers stampeded out of the building with cheers of glee. The semester was finished and winter break had officially started.

The last of the students to leave was Sora. He rushed down the steps and into the late afternoon sunshine. His azure eyes were filled with enthusiasm and anticipation when they met the sun's rays. He smiled so brilliantly, it would seem his teeth were producing light of their own. Tossing a now-broken pencil aside, he raised his arms into the air and dashed down the sidewalk with a cheerful shout.

"_**Yahoo**_!" Sora declared with tons of thrilling emotion. "_**Hooray**_! Finally, school's _**out**_!"

As he was about to rush down the steps, his mom's voice crossed his mind. _"Do not come home without your sister, Sora. She's not ready to walk home by herself."_

Sora sighed at the recollection. True, he _had_ remembered his mother's reminder… but why'd it have to be at the last second? He solemnly strolled up to a nearby swing set and hopped onto one of the swings. Gazing up into the sky, he noticed a few, small clouds had appeared; one of them seemed to resemble Donald Duck yelling at someone. Another appeared to be Goofy slipping on a skateboard.

With his smile returning, Sora had to shake his head. There were five weeks of fun and excitement awaiting across the tropical archipelago called the **Destiny Islands**.

Sora glanced at his watch. Now realizing his last class had ended twenty minutes early, he grabbed the swing's chains and gently swung himself back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, over and over again.

He smiled. For once, he didn't have to worry about anything. Nothing could turn this day into a sour plum.

Several minutes later, the bell rang. Sora watched as several young teenagers sprinted out of the school building at the speed of Light. One of the few who broke free from the main crowd quickly approached the swings. It was a girl with who was at least fifteen years old. Thanks to her shiny, blue eyes and sand-colored hair, Sora immediately recognized her. He knew had to smile every time at her happy-go-lucky personality.

"Sora," Amemi said in her usual excited-sounding voice. "It's time to go home. Do you _want_ to go home?"

"Yeah," Sora replied, leaping from the swing. "Let's go."

Amemi shook her head with her smile showing brighter than before. "Does it have to do with today being such a '_special_' day?" she inquired. "It's only been a few months since you returned from that other exam. Mom, Dad, and I missed you, even more than when we wondered why we had two extra rooms… "

Sora had to agree. Although he had been busy dealing with Maleficent, the Heartless, Nobodies, and Organization XIII, he had always had the feeling he wanted to see his family again, too. Of course, he tended to think of his friends as family, but it just wasn't the same. Nevertheless, that was then. Today was his birthday. And he was going to make it the best day possible — no matter what!

"I missed you guys, too," the spikey, brown-headed Keyblade wielder acknowledged. "From now on, no matter what happens, you can come along."

Amemi's eyes lit up in surprise. "_**Really**_?!" she exclaimed. "I _won't_ bother you? Kairi said you told her she'd get in your way."

"No, no," Sora rushed in his response. "I mean it! Master Yen Sid will probably want me, Donald, and Goofy to do something. If we have to protect the worlds, you can come, too."

Amemi stepped forwards and gave Sora a hug. She squeezed so tight, he had to temporarily gasp for air; now he knew how Violet had felt. A few, tiny tears slid down her cheeks. "Thank you so much!"

Sora had to wait for Amemi to release her grip before he started down the road towards their house. "Don't mention it! Let's get going."

Before long, the two were strolling home; Amemi was skipping along with a bright smile that showed the braces on her upper mouth. Sora smiled brightly as he looked into the sky above. Spotting the two clouds from before still overhead, his smile remained.

The sun was reaching its highest point when Sora and Amemi finally returned home. The house was a two-story, wooden structure with a red roof, white walls, and blue window-frames constructed approximately ten yards from the entrance to the beach. From there, one of the main island's long docks was accessible; Sora often would see fishermen lounging around there on the weekends, hoping for a bite or more than four. With his bedroom window facing the horizon with the smaller, children's play island in view, the sunrise came the quickest for Sora's room. When he was younger, this wasn't much of a problem. Now, it was an annoyance; Sora often had to throw two or more pillows over his face to keep the sunlight out of his eyes and sleep a little longer.

As they approached the front door, a flicker of colorful lights flashed inside the living room window. Wondering what was happening, Sora and Amemi hurried to the door and found it unlocked. This was normal; their mom tended to leave the door unlocked whenever she was expecting someone coming in.

Inside the house, the two found their mother and Violet trying to place a string of lights onto a fluffy, green pine tree in the exact middle of the room. Star's sandy hair was a little tangled up in the electrical cords. The rainbow apron tied around her waist was covered in miniature pine needles, her shirt was stained with butter from popcorn, and her skirt was significantly wrinkled. At once, her feet slipped and the tree toppled over as she landed onto the floor, the blinking lights wrapped around her arms. Violet rushed over to help her up.

Sora had to shake his head. His mom had always been a little clumsy… but _this_ was just plain ridiculous. It strongly reminded him of when Goofy had been bumped on the head by a piece of debris after shoving King Mickey aside. He, Donald, and the King had been convinced the knight was dead after slamming head-first into a stone wall and was not waking back up. Later, when Goofy came marching over in one piece, Donald had slammed his wand onto the former's foot and made him shout in pain; the duck had shown his anger at being worried for nothing by snapping, "Don't you _**ever**_ do that again!"

"Sora, Amemi," his mother said, spotting the two standing in the open doorway. "Could you help me out of this?"

"Please," Violet added. "I cannot lift this foliage all alone."

Amemi rushed over in an instant while Sora slowly stepped over; he was still deep in thought. Even as the pair untangled the middle-aged woman, he was pondering over whether or not anything would make this day seem better. Maybe if he could see Donald and Goofy right now… _that_ would liven the mood in the blink of an eye.

The doorbell rang. Sora finished getting his mom out of the tangled mess of wires and cables as Amemi stepped up to the door. She looked out the still-open doorway and unleashed an audible gasp of excitement. "It's… it's… it's… it's a mouse! And two ducks! And a talking dog with a hopping cricket!"

Sora spun around. Into the house stepped a short mouse with large round ears, a small white duck wearing a blue sailor's uniform, and a tall hunched dog with enormous feet; a tiny cricket with a top hat and umbrella was situated on the dog's shoulder. Behind them, a large, muscular duck with a giant bill stepped in with his hands full of wrapped packages. One look at how the duck was wearing a pilot's uniform, Sora instantly recognized him alongside the others; he remembered the duck-pilot from Master Yen Sid's tower.

"Donald!" Sora declared. "Goofy! Your Majesty! Launchpad! Jiminy!"

Goofy glanced at the teenager as the latter rushed over. "A-Hyuck!" he said to the others. "Here comes Sora."

Sora grabbed his friends in a humongous group hug. He squeezed so hard, Donald turned blue. "I didn't know you were coming!" he said in an enthusiastic-sounding voice.

"Riku and Kairi will be along later," King Mickey told the now-seventeen-year-old. "They need to finish up their training."

"Gotcha," Sora said as he released his grip.

"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked. "We'd never miss Christmas with you, Sora."

Sora was startled. "'Christmas'? Don't you mean 'Happy Birthday, Sora'?"

Goofy looked surprised. "Gee," he said. "It's your birthday?"

"Yeah," Donald agreed, equally baffled. "It's Christmas! Oh _boy_! I can't wait for my presents!"

"Which my hands are full of," Launchpad added. "I can't carry them much longer."

Amemi hurried over as the upper boxes slipped from the pilot's hands. She caught them all one-by-one. "Thank goodness!" she remarked. "That was _way_ too close!"

"Yup!" King Mickey affirmed. "Those are the presents for Christmas."

Sora was downright stunned. Had everyone forgotten today wasn't Christmas? It was his birthday! He had just turned seventeen that morning, and nobody was acknowledging it. 'You mean… you didn't know it was my birthday?"

King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad glanced at each other. That was all Sora needed to see. With a sigh, he strode towards the open doorway. "I'm gonna go for a walk."

"Hey, buddy," Launchpad blurted. "Don't leave yet."

Sora whirled around. "Huh?"

"You haven't met Herbie yet!"

Sora was both startled and mystified. "Who?"

Launchpad ran through the door. He grabbed Sora's arms and pulled him through.

Outside on the driveway, Launchpad gestured to a strange-looking vehicle. It had a curved roof and two doors. There were four windows, two on each side, in addition to the windshield and rear window. The hood was curved, as was the back. Sticking out of the vehicle's rear was a series of rockets and blocks. It also had four wheels with tires and two blocky lasers on either side of the front. A radar-like gizmo was on the roof between a pair of blocky guns. The color of the vehicle was either silver or white (Sora couldn't decide), had red, white, and blue strips running down the middle from front to back, and the number 53 in a circle on each door and the front. The headlights seemed to form eyes.

Sora stared at the vehicle. It strongly resembled a car that had been modified with Gummi blocks and converted into a Gummi Ship. Why this was the case, he wasn't sure and was afraid to ask.

"It's a Gummi Ship," Sora concluded.

"Not just any Gummi Ship," Launchpad declared. "Herbie is _special_! He's a famous racecar. When it was time to retire him, His Majesty saw something different in him and decided to help him. He's now the most-loyal Gummi Ship around, and he isn't even made from Gummi Bears."

"Why?" Sora inquired. "What made him so special?"

He stepped closer and knelt down for a better look. Seeing the headlights moving slightly, Sora nearly tumbled back in surprise. He shifted his focus to Launchpad. "How'd you_ do_ that?"

"I didn't do anything," the pilot replied. "Herbie did."

Sora had to smile as he rose to his feet. "Yeah… Herbie did."

A loud _**BEEP**_ filled the air. Sora jumped back in shock. Perhaps Launchpad was trying to tell him something. He took a moment to knell down and crawled up to the Gummi Ship. He peered into the headlight. It turned to gaze at him. Sora felt a wave of amazement creep over him, now knowing what the pilot had meant.

Herbie was alive. If what Launchpad had claimed was true — and Sora was certain it was — the former racecar had feelings. This meant just one thing… he had a heart.

Herbie was the only car Sora knew who had a heart.

"Right," Sora finally said. His smile returned. "It's nice to meet you, Herbie."

Herbie honked back with what sounded like happiness.

Launchpad chuckled. "I guess Herbie likes you, Sora."

"Yeah," Sora nodded, carefully patting the car's front hood. "And I like Herbie, too."

At once, a shiny ball of light grabbed their attention. It was blue colored and zigzagging around in the sky above. A series of shouts could be heard. The light suddenly shot down to the street and seemingly exploded upon impact. Sora and Launchpad shielded their eyes from the glare.

When they looked again, two people were rising to their feet from the sidewalk. One was a young man with short, silver hair and was wearing a sleeveless jacket, jeans, and tennis shoes. The other was a teenage girl sporting auburn hair and wearing a pink shirt and skirt with a flowery trim, golden shoes, silver bracelets on her right arm, and a sparkling pearl necklace.

"Man," the young man muttered. "I still need to get used to travelling like that."

"Me too," the girl said. "Who knew a star shard could be such a bumpy ride?"

Sora didn't waste any time rushing over to greet the two. "Riku! Kairi! You came!"

Riku had to smile. "You're sure excited about Christmas," he commented. "Don't forget, there's no such thing as Santa."

Sora was shocked. Had Riku also forgotten today was his birthday? Had Kairi forgotten, too? No way! She'd _never_ forget such an important day! She _**wouldn't**_!

"Kairi," Sora said, turning to face her. "Do you know what today is?"

"December 14TH," Kairi replied. A gentle wind started to blow through her auburn hair. "Ten days before Christmas Eve."

"No, no," Sora stated. "I mean, is there anything special about today? Perhaps about _me_?"

"Well," Kairi hesitated in her response. "It _is_ the last day of school. We're on winter break until January 5TH next year."

Sora couldn't believe his ears. Not only had Donald, Goofy and the others in the house forgotten his birthday, but even Kairi had allowed it to slip her mind. He gave an especially deep sigh before letting his head fall and his shoulders to slump.

"Yeah… guess I'll see ya around," Sora added before dragging down the road towards the beach. He didn't bother to turn back and watch the two head into his house. Launchpad was seconds behind them.

* * *

The sun was starting to set as Sora sat down on the beach. He gave another very deep sigh. "How could this have happened? _Why_ did it happen?"

How _had_ it happened? Today was supposed to be a _**very**_ special day — his 17TH Birthday, but nothing seemed to be working out in his favor. His mom was bustling around trying to set up the decorations around the house and his sister was helping her out. Riku and Kairi weren't helping them set up for a birthday party. King Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Jiminy, and Launchpad had travelled all the way from _**Disney Castle**_ to celebrate… celebrate _Christmas_, that is. No one had brought him birthday presents; they were solely for Christmas. Christmas this… Christmas that… was all he had heard lately.

Sora _**hated**_ having his birthday about two weeks before such an important holiday — especially after Riku had convinced him Santa Clause wasn't real. All _that_ had caused was the brown-headed youth not receiving a single present three years in a row. He had longed to get revenge over this for quite some time….

"This isn't fair," Sora sighed once more. He laid onto his back in the sand.

His mind continued to wander. Recalling what he had learned from Young Xehanort (Riku had told him the villain's name), Sora knew trouble was on the way. He just didn't know when. The past few months had been uneasily quiet, almost as though Xehanort had given up for good. Then again, he was probably waiting to make a move.

Sora's mind continued to wander. Maleficent and Pete came to mind. He hadn't seen the two for about a year. Last he recalled, they had charged into a horde of Heartless to allow Sora and his friends the chance to defeat Xemnas. After that, they just… disappeared. He did not know if they ever gained control of the Organization's castle, let alone survived the battle.

Sora wondered if there was so type of connection between Maleficent and Xehanort. After all, the two of them both used the Darkness and were trying to take over the worlds — in different ways, of course. He was wondering if there was a reason why they both had similar goals.

The sun's rays were starting to fade out for the cool night air. He gave a yawn and stretched his arms out. In a matter of minutes, Sora was fast asleep on the beach.

A voice entered his head, one sounding a little like his Nobody, Roxas. "I'm ready for another chance."

* * *

_Sora reopened his eyes. To his surprise, he was standing in the middle of an enormous, circular platform. An image of himself slumped and sleeping was to his right. In several small circles beside it, were the faces of Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Jiminy Cricket, and Launchpad. He noticed two additional circles — one with Roxas, and the other with Violet. He gazed up, seeing nothing but inky Darkness._

"Where… am I?" _he wondered aloud._

_As he took a rapid glance around the immediate area, Sora noticed a young man in a black-hooded coat behind him. Certain this was a member of Xehanort's Organization, Sora instantly summoned his Keyblade and leapt into his battle stance._

_The young man reached up and removed his hood. To Sora's amazement, the figure had light-brown hair with spikes and blue eyes. He could have recognized him from miles away._

"Roxas?" _Sora questioned. His Keyblade disappeared as he stared at his Nobody._ "Did you bring me here?"

_Roxas shook his head and pointed to his right._ "I didn't. _He_ did."

_Sora turned his head to the left. He was now looking at a young man wearing a helmetless suit of armor with greenish colors. Noticing how his head was exactly like Roxas, Sora was blown away._

"Who are you?" _Sora inquired._

_The young man reached out his hand. A Keyblade that looked just like Sora's appeared. Unlike Sora, the young man was wielding his backwards._

"I've been sleeping here for almost thirteen years," _the figure said in a voice identical to Roxas's._ "I came because you, Sora, gave me a second chance. When I had to fall asleep again, you welcomed me in. Now I'm _ready_ to return to my body and awaken."

_As Sora was staring with both wonder and confusion written on his face, he felt a tap on the shoulder. Spinning around, Sora found himself face-to-face with a young woman bearing sandy hair tied by a blue ribbon and deep, azure-blue eyes. Her outfit consisted of a short-sleeved pink jacket, red skirt, blue tennis shoes, and a tiny, seashell necklace. Around her shoulders was a pink handbag._

_One look and Sora was sure he was looking at someone related to his mother. He quickly thought over who he had met with this appearance. His mind stopped on a particular individual._

"I know you," _Sora told the young woman._ "You're Shelly, my mom's older sister. You had a Keyblade and left home to learn how to become a Keyblade Master. You never came home."

_The young woman nodded._ "I can see it," _she replied in a soft voice. _"Your heart already knows the answer."

_Sora gave a nod back._ "Don't worry. Wherever you are, I'll find you. You're still my Aunt Shelly. That makes you family."

_The young woman had to smile. _"I'll be looking forward to seeing you again, 'Nephew Sora'."

_Sora smiled back._ "Yeah, you know it."

* * *

Sora slowly reopened his eyes. The stars were out and a cool wind blew as he gradually sat up. Noticing how it was pitch-dark, he gave another yawn before lying back down. A sandy-haired girl with shiny, blue eyes was peering down at him.

"_**Whoa**_!" he exclaimed, leaping to his feet. He spun around only to see Amemi giggling with her right hand over her mouth. "Give me a break, Amy!"

"Kairi was right," his sister said in turn. "You really _are_ lazy. Sora, why do you always sleep on the beach?"

Sora shrugged. "I don't know," he replied. "I guess… I want to see my friends."

Amemi smiled. "They're all waiting at the house. Come on! We'll be late!"

"Huh?" a surprised Sora said. "Late for what?"

Amemi's smile grew. "You'll see. Race you there!"

Amemi sped off in a hurry. Sora took off after her.

"No fair!" he shouted. "You got a head start!"

"That's life!" Amemi returned. "Come on! Keep up!"

Sora shook his head. This was no different than how Riku and him had used to complete.

* * *

Before ten minutes had passed, the two were at the house. Sora was the first one to arrive, beating his sister by four seconds. Amemi knelt down to catch her breath. Sora reached for the doorknob, turned it, and stepped into a pitch-black room. As he stepped inside, he raised his right hand to his mouth. "Hello?"

A light flipped on to the right. "_**Surprise**_!" a number of familiar voices called out. "_**Happy Birthday, Sora**_!"

Sora whirled his attention to the right. He froze in complete astonishment. Gathered around the dining room table were Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Riku, Kairi, his mom, his dad, and Jiminy; the cricket was hopping up and down on the table. Everyone was wearing pointed party hats; Launchpad and Goofy were blowing party-favors, which seemed to irritate Donald. The table was covered in a stack of clean plates and silverware, a giant, five layer cake with chocolate frosting, and a large stack of presents. A banner above read "_**Happy 17**__**TH**__** B-Day!**_"

Sora's mouth fell open as he gave an amazed grin. He couldn't even find the words to say. "Wha—?"

A sudden pain struck his chin. Feeling something strapped to his head, Sora reached up, only to feel a pointed party hat with a curved peak. He turned to find Amemi standing beside him. "Happy Birthday, Sora!" she said.

Turning to the left, Sora found Violet standing with a navy-blue party hat strapped to head. She held out a large, blue lollipop. Sora accepted it and gave a few licks. His eyes were starting to fill with tears. He rapidly wiped them away and smiled at everyone. "I… I thought you'd all forgotten today was my birthday."

King Mickey chuckled aloud. "We'd _**never**_ forget your birthday, Sora. Ya really are a true friend!"

Sora smiled all the more. It was short-lived. Kairi stepped forwards until she was two feet from the spikey-haired youth. "I think you're now old enough for this," she said.

In one swift movement, the auburn-headed girl leaned in close and pecked Sora on his cheek with her lips. She jumped back in an instant, leaving Sora looking startled. A feeling of uneasiness and humility showed on his face as his cheeks started to turn a faint shade of red.

Donald, Goofy, and Riku started snickering. Riku shook his head and smiled when Donald muttered, "He'll _**never**_ admit he's got a girlfriend."

"A-Hyuck! Yup!" Goofy approved. "That's our Sora!"

Riku had to smile all the more. "Too bad this day only comes _once_ a year."

A loud, excited _**HONK**_ could be heard from outside. Sora smiled out the window. "Thanks, Herbie."

Donald and Goofy rushed forward and gently pushed Sora to the table. They stopped before the cake. "Now make a wish," Donald instructed.

"But don't tell us," Goofy warned. "It needs to come true."

Sora leaned over his cake. The seventeen candles on it were in the shape of a Keyblade. He took a deep breath and blew. Every candle went out in a hurry.

Everyone burst out in applause.

"Hooray!" King Mickey cheered.

"Now it's time for some cake!" Goofy declared, licking his lips.

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "You're right."

This was one birthday he was _**never**_ going to forget!

* * *

**A/N: There it is. Chapter 2 Is Officially Complete! And, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SORA SKY HIKARI!**

**I sincerely hope you enjoyed seeing Sora's 17TH Birthday in there! I wanted to show how excited Sora was about it, which I wonder if you've noticed, is pretty much the same as he was in Chapter 50 of "_Kingdom Hearts: World Unto Dreams_".**

**I wonder how many of you were taken in by the opening of this chapter? That was actually my original draft for the scene when Sora wakes up. Since I didn't want such a "conflicting start" between Sora and his sister, I chose to make it a "dream-state" instead.**  
**I also had a little trouble writing out the "Awakening", so I hope you enjoyed it the way it turned out!**  
**In addition, please let my know what you think of the story problem Sora had on his test! I wanted to make something VERY SILLY!**

**Also, I included Violet \- one of My Original Characters from "_Kingdom Hearts: World Unto Dreams_". Since she was such a popular character, I wanted to bring her back with a new role.**  
**Keep in mind, Sora's family - Amemi, Star, Senzu, and Yukima (the cat) - are among My Original Characters. So is Mr. Deid.**

**Furthermore, Herbie is from "_The Love Bug__ (1968)_". I wanted to include him, so I decided he would work best as a modified Gummi Ship.**  
**Plus, I chose to use a version of the Donald Duck Theme Song I made myself. I Hope you liked it!**

**Let me know what YOU think of Sora's birthday! Don't forget to tell him yourself - He's REALLY looking forward to it!**

**Of course, I am yet to finish Chapter 3, so I'll sign off now. Besides, that was A LOT of details and information!**  
**Therefore, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THIS STORY'S SEQUEL! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" In Addition, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	3. Ch3 - A Meeting With Master Yen Sid

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: I AM BACK - AND AFTER LESS THAN A WEEK! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HUZZAH! HALLELUJAH!**

**Okay... maybe that was a bit TOO Much enthusiasm for Chapter 3.**

**So, I would like to say how EXCITED I was at the reception for Chapter 2. Sora's Birthday was a HUGE Success!  
****I thank you for liking it - and Sora thanks you for attending!**

**Seeing as I don't have much else to say, I'll let you go on reading.**

**PLEASE ENJOY! READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT - AND MORE! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 3  
****A Meeting With Master Yen Sid**

_**CHOMP! SLURP! GULP!**_

Sora scooped another bit of vanilla ice cream out of his bowl and stuffed it into his mouth. He had already finished his slice of chocolate cake and was moving on. He glanced around, noticing everyone else was busy eating their own ice cream sundaes.

Beside him, Amemi was carefully making sure her ice cream didn't drip as she ate. Further down, Donald was frowning at Goofy and Launchpad; his head was against his right hand and his left fingers drummed the table. Sora saw how much larger the pieces of cake Goofy and the pilot had gotten were in comparison to Donald's. He shook his head slightly. Of course, it wouldn't have mattered; Donald usually got jealous over anything.

That, and Sora knew he'd gotten the biggest piece of all.

"Sora?" Amemi asked. "How does it feel to be seventeen?"

Sora relaxed in his chair with his hands behind his head. "I dunno, Amy. It feels like I'm eighteen."

Amemi shook her head. "Maybe _I_ will feel that way in about another four years."

Sora nodded. "True enough."

"You know something," Riku spoke up, drawing everyone's focus. "I used to believe Sora would _never_ get a kiss from Kairi."

"Yeah," Donald agreed.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy added. "Me, too."

Sora was startled. "Aw, cut it out! Forget it _ever_ happened!"

When everyone else snickered out loud, Sora covered his face with his hands. At that moment, Star came marching into the room playing a musical triangle. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to her.

"You know what time it is? Present time!"

In the form of a stampede, everyone rushed from the table and straight into the living room. Sora was the first one there, leaving Donald to gasp and Goofy to chuckle.

Sora was busy looking at all the neatly wrapped packages. He smiled, remembering the time he had helped Jack Skellington retrieve a bunch of Christmas gifts that had been stolen from Santa. After discovering a robotic Heartless was responsible, Sora and the others had dismantled the creature before Santa told them the moving puppet had only wanted a heart of its own. Later, Sora had learned presents were a method to share one's heart, which made him feel bad for the robot. He also learned it's the act that counts, not what's inside the box.

As everyone sang "_How Old Are You?_" Sora sat beside the presents while his mom took several pictures. Next, it was time to open them. Riku handed Sora the first one. Sora tore open the wrapping paper to find a blue skateboard with a Mickey Mouse logo on it. "This'll make you cool," the silver-haired youth said.

Kairi gave hers next, which Sora discovered was a helmet. "It's for the skateboard," she told him. "You can't marry me if you're hurt or in a coma."

Sora shook his head and smiled. "Okay, I'll wear it."

King Mickey's present was next. Sora opened it to find a hand-knitted Mickey Mouse. "It's a Keyblade warmer," the King said. "Your Keyblade needs some love, too."

Sora smiled back. "Yeah, you're right."

Donald's present had a red hammock. "In case you get tired," the duck explained.

Goofy's was a large container of chocolate-chip cookies. "Will you share them with me?" the knight asked.

When Sora opened Launchpad's gift, he found a cardboard box with a half-eaten slice of pepperoni pizza. "Aw gee," the pilot muttered with a hint of humility. "I must've wrapped the wrong box."

Donald glared at Launchpad. "What's the big idea, ya big palooka?! Don't you know _anything_ about presents?!"

Jiminy's present turned out to be a small book with a blue cover. The title read "_How To Listen To Your Conscience_". "Remember," the cricket stated. "Always let your conscience be your guide."

To Sora's shock, there was a present from Herbie. Sora opened it quickly, finding a small horn for a bicycle. He smiled and squeezed it. Herbie honked a reply.

All that was left was Violet's gift. When Sora opened it, he found a necklace bearing a miniature heart. He looked at the charm closely, spotting the words "_**Never Forget Your Dreams**_" written on it. "Never let those words leave your heart," Violet instructed. "There is a super-strong Light within them."

Sora nodded. "Yeah." He immediately put on the necklace. He glanced down, knowing he now had two necklaces. His crown necklace to represent his family, and a heart-shaped necklace to represent his friends.

Sora was busy thanking everyone for the presents when the sound of something ringing filled the air. King Mickey reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, red cellular phone. He answered it. "Hello? Oh, Master Yen Sid! Just a moment."

Mickey looked at everyone. "Sorry, but I gotta take this call. It's _very_ important."

"Okay," Sora acknowledged.

Everyone else simply nodded.

With a grin, Mickey strode into the house's foyer. "What is it? _What_?! A-are you sure? …I see. When should we come? Okay… I understand. So long!"

After hanging up the phone, Mickey placed the device back into his pocket and returned to the group. They were cheering on a blindfolded Goofy as Sora's mom spun him around. A grey tail with a pinkish-purple bow was in his hand. On the nearby wall was a picture Sora had made of his friend, Eeyore.

Mickey smiled a little as he watched his friend wobble around the room, feeling for the picture of the gloomy donkey. Goofy wandered around a little like a blind ghost, causing everyone gathered in the room to step backward. The anthropomorphic dog finally felt something that seemed to be missing a tail. "A-Hyuck!" he called. "Found it!"

Goofy placed the tail onto what he had felt. A deafening "_**WAAK**_!" filled the air as Donald jumped in pain. As the duck noticed he had a donkey tail on his rear end, everyone else burst out in laughter — especially Sora, Riku, and Violet. "What's the big idea?!" Donald scowled, yanking the tail off.

Goofy removed his blindfold. "Oops," he chuckled, seeing the tail in the duck mage's hand. "Sorry."

Mickey shook his head before strolling into the room. This drew the others' attention; everyone noticed the look of fearfulness in his eyes. The room became eerily quiet.

"What happened?" Riku asked.

"That was Master Yen Sid," Mickey answered. "He wants us to return to the tower for an emergency meeting. And he wants us to bring Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Kairi along."

"Aw phooey!" Donald sighed for everyone. "Now I can't have more cake."

Goofy sighed. "And we was havin' so much fun."

Sora had to shake his head. If there was one thing Goofy preferred to do more than anything else, it was have fun whenever he could. It was no surprise why he was so happy — _most_ of the time. The head of _**Disney Castle**_'s Royal Knights had always been quite a natural friend, even in times of trouble and uncertainty.

Sora turned his head around to look at everyone. "Thanks for coming, but now I have to go. This sounds important."

"It does?" Violet asked, clearly interested. "Is it alright if I tag along?"

Mickey nodded. "You _are_ a Keyblade Master, Violet. Of course you can come."

Violet gave a brilliant smile in return.

* * *

A few minutes had passed since King Mickey's phone call. Sora, Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, Riku, Kairi, and Violet had gathered outside on the driveway.

Sora shifted his gaze up, noticing the various constellations in the sky high above. One he quickly recognized as the "_Arrow of Truth_", a shape he had found years ago. He smiled, knowing it was always there for him. Even on his birthday, the stars had never looked more peaceful than they had the night Riku and him had been stargazing and created their own constellations. He could almost hear their voices on one such night nearly ten or eleven years ago.

* * *

"_Here's one," Riku spoke up. He pointed at a bunch of stars shaped like a gigantic square with a line on one end. "I call it, _'The Mighty Flipper'_."_

_Sora shook his head and scanned the sky elsewhere. He spotted a row of three stars in a vertical layout. "Look!" he cried. "It's _'The Abandoned Stoplight'_! Dad told my one was left in the sky so everyone could find it."_

_Riku smirked a small grin. "That's too easy and boring."_

_Sora stared at his friend. "It is not."_

"_Yes, it is."_

"_No it's _**not**_!"_

"_Yes, it _**is**_! Look at my new one — _'The Crooked Kite'_! Now __**there's**__ a real constellation!"_

_Sora saw the diamond Riku was referring to. He sighed, wishing he could make another shape to top it. His eyes searched the sky for several long seconds. Finally, he stopped on a cluster of stars forming what looked like an arrow pointing at the island._

"_There," he called. "I found the_ 'Arrow of Truth'_."_

_Riku also saw the arrow after gazing in Sora's direction for a few minutes. "Why'd you call it __**that**__?"_

"_Because it will keep us friends forever," Sora replied._

_Riku had to smile. If there was something Sora knew a lot about, it was how to make good friends._

* * *

"Launchpad," King Mickey's voice spoke up. "Is he ready?"

Sora whirled his focus towards the others. Launchpad was busy wiping down Herbie's windshield. The modified racecar seemed to be watching him. "Almost," the pilot answered. "Just need to get this windshield cleared for all those meteors we gotta fly through."

Herbie honked in reply. Sora smiled as he watched Launchpad continue to wash the car's windows. Despite how rapidly the pilot was moving his rag in circles, he was barely clearing enough space to consider a passable wash-job.

It took several minutes before the windshield was clear enough to see through. Launchpad opened the door for the driver's seat. "All aboard!" he called to the others. "Even if we're not on a train."

Donald and Goofy raced for the passenger side while Riku, Kairi, King Mickey, and Violet all walked to the backseat area.

Sora was about to follow suit when he saw someone running from the front door to him. If it wasn't for her sand-colored hair, he would've assumed it was a figment rather than his sister. He also took into account she had her purse with her as well as a yellow backpack on her back.

"Sora, are you off on another adventure?" Amemi asked.

Sora shrugged. "I guess so."

Amemi smiled. "Then I'm coming with you."

Sora stared in surprise. "_No_! You can't!"

Amemi crossed her arms. "Why not?"

"Cause it's gonna be dangerous."

Amemi looked hurt. "Sora, you _promised_ I could come."

Sora sighed, suddenly recalling what he had told his sister at the schoolyard earlier that day. Now he felt so stupid making a promise he couldn't keep. Then again, he hadn't been serious when he'd told his sister she could come along. Boy was he in hot water now — even more than the time he'd taunted Sephiroth and was forced to take on the sinister, silver-haired man!

"Look, I'm _really_ sorry," Sora said, trying to sound as apologetic as he could. "It's just… I don't want you to get hurt."

Amemi's disappointment turned into tears. "_Fine_! I'm _**never**_ trusting you again!"

Before Sora could respond, his sister had turned and rushed down the street, sobbing the whole way. He felt a patch of guilt on his heart. _Why didn't I just let her come?_ he thought. _It would've prevented all this._

"Sora?" King Mickey's voice called. "Are ya coming?"

Sora turned his head to the left. The King was waving him over. Donald and Goofy were jumping up and down beside the anthropomorphic mouse. Launchpad was behind the wheel, Riku and Kairi were gathered in the backseat with Violet, and Herbie's headlight eyes seemed to be looking at the seventeen-year-old standing in the driveway.

"Sorry!" Sora shouted back. "I'm coming!"

He rushed down the gradual hill and around Herbie to the right side. He hopped into the front seat. Donald and Goofy climbed in beside him. King Mickey hopped into the back.

"It's too cramped in here," the brown-haired youth exclaimed. He glanced around the interior. Donald and Goofy were piled on top of his lap. Launchpad was buckled in the driver's seat. Riku and Violet were directly behind Sora, Donald, and Goofy. King Mickey was sitting in Kairi's lap.

"No problem-o," Launchpad said. He pushed an orange button on the dashboard and pulled a matching lever. The vehicle's interior expanded so rapidly, Sora only had to blink his eyes to see the result. He was now sitting between Donald and Goofy; Donald on the left and Goofy on the right. Everyone in the back also had their own seats.

Jiminy Cricket hopped out of Goofy's pocket and landed onto the dashboard. "Remember, we're off to see Master Yen Sid," he informed Launchpad. "No crashing, you understand?"

"Aw gee," the pilot grumbled in reply. "Some people get all the luck — I don't."

Sora looked around the cabin once more. He saw some tray tables were located before each seat, except Launchpad's. A few television screens were positioned in the back and one in the front. A series of buttons beside the driver allowed him to choose a type of snack and receive it from a slot at the bottom of the list. Each of the seats had a light that could be switched on at the push of a button. A bunch of CDs were stacked in a case inserted by Donald's feet and a CD player was located with an AM/FM radio on the dashboard. Each seat was equipped with a series of buttons Sora noticed were labelled according to their use: _pillow_… _blanket_… _recline_… the list went on. Spotting a small handset near Goofy, Sora saw it had a list of various movies and T.V. shows one could watch on the television screens; he took note of the show "_Happy Days_" at the top of the list.

"Wow," the spikey, brown-headed Keyblade wielder marveled. "I've never seen anything so… cool!"

"And you can't tell a thing on the outside," King Mickey told him. "If someone walks by, Herbie'll look like any ordinary car."

Sora was beyond impressed. Perhaps he needed to take a robotics class next semester and try these things out for himself.

Launchpad started the engine. "It's take-off time!" he declared. "Fasten your seatbelts!"

Everyone else hurriedly strapped in. Sora was puzzled. Why did they seem so concerned?

He got his answer a moment later. Herbie reared up and shot into the sky with such force, he was thrown back in his seat and his head banged against the ceiling. The force of the speeding Gummi Ship caused Sora to hang on while Donald and Goofy speedily strapped him in place.

"That's why you should always wear your seatbelt," Donald lectured him. "Launchpad's flying is why I joined the navy."

Sora nodded. He knew the duck was telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He leaned in Goofy's direction and saw the clouds rush by. Before long, the dark sky was gone and countless stars amidst blue-green colors could be seen in all directions. Sora smiled, recalling how he'd felt the first time he'd seen all these colors on his first journey through the worlds. He'd always wanted to show this view to both Riku and Kairi… and now the two of them were in the backseat.

He glanced in the rearview mirror; everyone in the back was admiring the view. Violet was beyond amazed; it looked like she'd never seen outer space before. Sora had to smile all the more, certain this was true.

King Mickey pointed out a bright star to Kairi. "…And there's _**Sweethaven**_," he informed her. "The most peaceful place I've been to during my travels. They say 'God will always bless Sweethaven', and I think they're right."

Sora shook his head and turned to face the front. At once, the ship started zigzagging. Everyone leaned this way and that.

"Sorry about that," Launchpad called. "Herbie's tryin' to take control cause the meteor field's up ahead."

Sora stared into the distance. At least twenty if not forty irregularly-shaped rocks were drifting around up ahead. Beyond them, a very bright star could be seen; it was surrounded by a few clumps of reddish clouds.

The ride quickly became turbulent as Herbie zoomed into the field. Launchpad grasped the wheel as tightly as he could, trying to regain control. The movement caused Donald's face to turn green; the duck leaned into a paper bag. Sora looked away and held onto his seat's arms as the vehicle shook.

_Man_ he thought to himself. _I never thought interplanetary travel would be __**this**__ violent!_

Sora suddenly felt a pair of hands grab his neck from behind. When they wouldn't let go. He gasped for breath. "Help! I'm being choked!"

The hands released their grip. "So sorry!" a voice called from the back. "I was not attempting to strangle you, Sora."

Sora glanced back. When he saw Violet's smile, he shook his head and returned with one of his own. The ride continued throughout the entire meteor field and into the distance beyond. Herbie started honking in anger at Launchpad, to which the pilot refused to let go of the steering wheel.

Sora sighed. "This's gonna be a long ride… "

* * *

Sora wobbled as he stepped out of the Gummi Ship. Herbie had landed gently on the ground despite the rickety ride on the way. He saw King Mickey was okay along with Launchpad and Riku. Only Kairi, Violet, Donald, and Sora himself were a little dizzy. Herbie honked angrily at Launchpad. "Geez," the pilot muttered. "Tough crowd."

Sora shook it off and followed the others up to a tall, crooked tower with faded golden walls and peaked, sea-green towers. He smiled at the sight, recalling the various other times he'd been there. One of those times he'd been exploring a series of dreams in the _Realm of Sleep_ with Riku and Violet. The first time had been when he'd come there by train with Donald and Goofy per King Mickey's request. He'd first encountered Pete on the front steps. Inside, he'd met the King's teacher, Master Yen Sid — a powerful sorcerer and former Keyblade Master.

It was here he and Riku had started their last quest during their _Mark of Mastery Exam_. They'd also ended it here with Violet. Riku had become a Keyblade Master alongside Violet.

This was **The Mysterious Tower** — home of Master Yen Sid and the location of the _**Symphony of Sorcery**_.

As everyone strolled inside, Sora spotted a grouping of stones forming a pond beside the front steps. A spout was flowing water into the pond and a pair of wooden buckets were lying beside it. He could almost picture a broom walking to and from the pond carrying those exact buckets.

He smiled, recalling this as the well Mickey had collected water from in the dreams he'd witnessed. That was back when the King had been training to use magic to improve himself as a Keyblade wielder. Of course, he also knew Mickey's plan had been to have a broom carry water for him, only it had ended in disaster — the tower's interior had become flooded.

"At least that'll _never_ happen again," Sora remarked in a soft voice. He was relieved when no one overheard him.

Taking notice everyone was already inside (except Donald and Goofy who were stepping through the open doorway), Sora yelled, "Hey! Wait up for me!"

He hurried into the tower after the others.

* * *

After marching up a long, twisty flight of golden stairs, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku, King Mickey, Kairi, Launchpad, and Violet finally reached the top floor and walked through the doorway. Inside, they all gathered in a circular chamber with green carpet and a moon shaped window and a star one, too. A greenish-blue cuckoo clock was hanging on the wall; the hands were not moving. A chalkboard was upon an easel to the right of the main doorway, and a shelf was positioned on either side of the doorway with a series of books.

In the center of the room was a wooden desk with a candle shaped like a human skull. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and King Mickey stood to the left of the desk while Riku, Kairi, and Violet stood to the right. Being the last one in, Sora found himself in the middle. He noticed the others bowing down (Violet was curtseying) and stared straight ahead.

Seated in a tall chair behind the desk was an older man with a dark-grey beard and eyes that never showed a hint of emotion. He was wearing blue robes and had a pointed hat on top bearing some golden stars and a crescent moon.

Sora felt himself gulp. He was in the presence of Master Yen Sid himself. Recalling how Donald had scolded him for saying "Hey there" before, the seventeen-year-old Keyblader rapidly bowed. He smiled and added, "Hey there, Master Yen Sid!"

Everyone else stared at him in shock. "_**Sora**_!" Donald snapped. "Show some _**respect**_! He's the King's teacher!"

Realizing he'd made the same mistake twice, Sora felt his cheeks turn a faint shade of pink. He hastily covered his face with his hands. The color faded and he removed them.

"So, you all came," Master Yen Sid spoke, turning to see the group on both sides. "Thank goodness. This a very serious matter for which I must inform you about."

King Mickey was the next one to speak. Sora knew this was common with those in authority having top priority. He listened intently as the King of _**Disney Castle**_ discussed with the retired Keyblade Master. What he heard surprised him in more ways than one.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"The stars are not shining down very kindly. I fear something is amiss between the delicate balance of Light and Darkness. Something powerful like… Xehanort, or Maleficent."

"And… you think they're gonna try somethin' _now_ — during the season when the Light's strongest?"

"I sense at least one of them might very well be plotting to take advantage of the Holiday Season to corrupt the places where the Light is most significant."

Sora was startled to hear Goofy's voice next. "But I thought thuh Light was stronger at Christmas time."

"Yes, that is so," Yen Sid agreed. "However, as you all already know, the greater the Light, the even greater the threat of Darkness becomes. I fear someone is planning to disrupt the Light with the stronger Darkness."

He glanced out the window. "If this is true, some of those stars we see twinkling outside at this moment won't be there tomorrow, let alone when the New Year comes."

Sora was shaken. If what Master Yen Sid had just claimed was true (and he had the strongest feeling it was), there were worlds in extreme danger of being consumed by the Darkness as they stood in the tower. For all _he_ knew, this could only allow the Heartless to access additional worlds and destroy them as well. The whole quest he'd been on long ago to stop Ansem — Xehanort's Heartless would've been in vain.

Unlike the first time, _this_ quest might _**not**_ have the safety valve of the _Door To Darkness_ since it had been sealed. He felt a wave of anxiety rush through his body. "This doesn't sound good," he uttered under his breath.

Now King Mickey looked serious. "Yen Sid, this means the _Princesses of Heart_ are in trouble! How many of the Guardians of Light are ready?"

The sorcerer looked down and closed his eyes. "Unfortunately, only you and Riku are set to handle this responsibility. Despite being a Master, Violet needs a little more training before she can join. Kairi is yet to finish her training, as is Niccole, and Lea is working overtime trying to decipher the 'data' you and Sora discovered beneath the mansion in _**Twilight Town**_ _and_ learn how to effectively utilize his own Keyblade."

Sora sighed, certain this meant no one could protect Kairi and the other six princesses from the Heartless, Nobodies, and whatever else was lurking in the shadows. He scanned the group, wondering if anyone else could prove helpful. As his eyes hit Violet, he suddenly remembered her telling him something about seven "Angels of Light". He wasn't sure if she had been serious, but decided it was time to find out for certain.

"Violet," Sora called out. Everyone whirled their attention to the spikey, brown-headed young man. "Are there _really_ any 'Angels of Light'?"

All eyes turned to the angel. Violet shook a little from receiving so much attention at once. "Actually, I have absolutely no clue how many angels exist at this current second," she confessed. "_Except_ for one."

"Gawrsh," Goofy said. "Who's that?"

Violet checked to ensure she had everyone's undivided attention before speaking. "She is my sibling, Indigo — The Angel of Hope."

Everyone stared at her. Sora was both amazed and puzzled. Why hadn't Violet told Riku and him this before? He had seen no evidence prior to now that showed the angel had a sister. He had only assumed she was the only angel, like Tinker Bell was the only fairy he's learned was born from a certain child's laugh. He'd never heard of fairies having brothers or sisters and this had led him to assume the same was for angels.

Now that he knew Violet had a sister, he wondered if fairies also had siblings.

Riku looked shocked beyond belief. "I knew you were hinting at _something_ in the House of Mouse," he told Violet. "I just didn't realize this's what you meant. Why didn't you ever tell Sora and I you had a sister?"

Violet shrugged. "You two never enquired that to me."

"So," Kairi spoke up. "Does this mean I don't have to learn to use my Keyblade after all?"

"Not unless you want _us_ to do all the hard work," Riku smirked. "Besides, I thought you wanted to help."

"I do," Kairi admitted. "I was worried I wouldn't be doing anything because you'd found someone else."

"Well, at least we know angels can be singles or doubles," Launchpad chatted. "Maybe there are triples — like Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Maybe _more_!"

"Yeah!" Goofy agreed. "Maybe all them angels are ticklish, too! A-Hyuck!"

Donald, Kairi, and Riku all rolled their eyes at this random comment. King Mickey looked a little annoyed, Violet crossed her arms and frowned, Sora laughed a little, and Master Yen Sid shook his head. Jiminy hopped onto the desk and sighed. "Perhaps we should get back on topic," the cricket offered. "What're we gonna _do_ about all this?"

"Yeah, Jiminy's right," Donald approved. "What're we gonna do now?" This question resulted in several minutes of complete silence.

Sora's mind started wandering. He knew either Maleficent or Xehanort was probably trying to cause trouble to many worlds as they were gathered together. He was well aware of the dangers and possible risks involved with so many worlds' keyholes having never been sealed with a Keyblade. He realized the seven _Princesses of Heart_ could be in danger now.

Despite all this, he had just _one_ thing repeatedly going through his head.

_**Indigo probably = Violet… Violet = lots of help…**_

_**Indigo probably = lots of help**_

Before Sora could stop them, the words left his mouth. "How about Donald, Goofy, and I go out and find Indigo? We'll tell her what's going on and maybe she'll help us!"

Everyone stared at the young man. "I don't know," Kairi said. "This might be taking too much of a chance."

Riku nodded. "Yeah, I wouldn't get my hopes up. Remember how hard it was getting along with Violet in the Sleeping Worlds, Sora? Indigo might be harder than that."

Master Yen Sid, on the other hand, smiled at the brown-haired youth. "I believe that is an excellent starting strategy."

King Mickey nodded. "Yeah! You'll never know unless you try. You can also defend the worlds while you're at it."

Donald and Goofy quickly huddled together. "This might be our chance to do somethin' important," Goofy whispered.

"Yeah," Donald agreed. "As long as _he_ doesn't ruin it."

The duck was clearly referring to Launchpad. The pilot shrugged, clearly unsure what his role would be.

"If I recollect correctly," Violet thought aloud. "The last time I had contact with Indigo was via telepathy."

"What's 'telephony'?" Goofy asked.

"Telepathy," Kairi corrected. "It's what people refer to as a form of communication without speaking or listening with mouths or ears."

"How does it work?" Donald inquired.

"In various ways," the seventh _Princess of Heart_ answered.

"I sensed her presence in a spooky-sounding world," Violet explained. "She informed me she was attempting to maintain world order there. I lost contact a moment later."

"When was this?" Riku asked.

"Not long before you and Sora entered the _Realm of Sleep_. Indigo and I have kept in contact via our antennae. I temporarily lost mine while in the Sleeping Worlds."

Sora looked puzzled. "Why'd you seem so surprised when Merlin's magic gave you some?"

Violet shrugged. "I suppose it was due to it being so unexpected. Plus, they did not resemble my _real_ antennae."

Sora and Riku exchanged glanced that seemed to read "Huh?" They shrugged it off.

"What kinda world was she in?" Goofy asked.

"Someplace spooky-sounding," Violet told him. "It seemed to resemble the identity of a castle. That is all I could identify."

"Well _that_ helps," Donald stated in a sarcastic tone. This made Sora sigh seeing his friend getting so irritated so easily.

"Perhaps you should just explore the worlds," King Mickey suggested. "And take Launchpad and Herbie with you."

"Yeah! Good idea!" Sora acknowledged.

Donald rolled his eyes at the thought of having Launchpad coming along. Goofy chuckled giving his usual grin. Launchpad looked the happiest of all. "Maybe now I _can_ do something important!" the pilot declared. "Maybe be a hero of my own!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gathered before the desk. Donald hopped onto Sora's shoulders for a moment before Goofy helped him down. They stood at attention before the old sorcerer. Master Yen Sid turned to face the group. "Now, now, just a moment."

Sora and his group slouched. "Aww," Donald sighed.

"I have something for you," Yen Sid revealed. He waved his hand across the desk. A piece of torn paper appeared on it. He scooped it up and held it up for everyone to see. "This is part of a letter written by someone I know. I have a feeling the rest has been scattered around the worlds. Throughout your journey, I request you find as many pieces of this letter as you can. I fear it is important, so it shall be imperative you do not miss one."

"Thanks," Sora said as he strode forwards. Yen Sid handed him the letter fragment. Jiminy hopped off the desk and landed in the young man's hoodie.

"I'll be here every step of the way," the cricket explained. "You'll need _someone_ to chronicle your travels. It's time for the _Jiminy Memo Volume III_."

"Okay," Sora said to the other gathered behind him. "Let's get going."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all nodded in approval. They saluted as a group before running out the door and down the stairs. Since the door had been left open, Riku strode over and closed it.

"Hey!" a voice said from the other side. Riku quickly reopened the door to find Niccole standing there in her normal yellow dress with short sleeves and a blue bandanna tied around her waist. He noticed her bracelet was still on her left arm and she also had a green ribbon in her hair, silver shoes, and a pair of sparkles on her cheeks. She was holding her nose with her left hand. Her Keyblade was in her right hand.

"Sorry," the silver-haired teenager said. He tried not to laugh. It didn't work.

"We need to have a serious talk later," Niccole whispered to him before striding into the room.

Riku felt a sense of uneasiness surge throughout him. Whatever Niccole had meant, he only knew one thing.

It wasn't going to be good news.

* * *

Sora, Donald, and Goofy had been sitting in the backseat of Herbie for almost an hour. The ship hadn't left the ground outside Master Yen Sid's tower yet. Since the Gummi Ship's interior had not altered, they were watching an episode of the older T.V. show, "_The Odd Couple_". Goofy was chuckling at everything Oscar was saying and Donald was laughing away at Felix's excessive neatness. Sora was starting to feel a little impatient.

"Can we go now?" he called. "Other worlds _need_ our help — _**fast**_!"

"Hold on," Launchpad called back. "I'm still finishing my pre-flight check. In case anything goes wrong, we can always have a successful crash-landing."

"Aw phooey," Donald remarked at watching Oscar throw Felix's clean pillows onto the floor and stomp on them. When Felix and Oscar got into another heated argument over "bedbugs" and "cleanliness", both Donald and Goofy burst out laughing. Sora shook his head and retained his famous smile.

He couldn't help noticing how much those two friends on the show resembled him and Riku. If anything, _he_ was Oscar Madison and Riku was Felix Unger. He snickered softly at the thought of Riku and him owning a condo on the beach — _that_ would turn out to be _**disastrous**_!

When the episode ended, Launchpad shouted, "All done! Let's get this racecar airborne!"

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy remarked as everyone strapped in.

Herbie beeped in reply and before long, the group had soared away from the tower and into the space beyond. Sora felt good, knowing they were finally on their way.

More challenges were waiting and he knew they could handle every single one of them together — no matter what! The worlds were counting on him, Sora was _**not**_ about to let them down.

* * *

**A/N: YEESH! TALK ABOUT A DETAILED CHAPTER! Let's recap, shall we?**  
**Sora's birthday continued and we saw ALL the presents he received from his friends. Next, King Mickey gets the phone call and everyone heads to the Mysterious Tower to see Master Yen Sid. Then, while everyone learns trouble is taking place elsewhere in the universe, Sora and his friends learn Violet has a sister. Now, Sora and his team have set out to find Violet's sister and maintain order in the worlds.**  
**See? I Told you it was a lot!**

**So, I hoped you enjoyed all the presents Sora got. I tried to match each of them up with his friends' personalities. Actually, King Mickey's present (the Keyblade Warmer) is a reference to the hand-kitted one Master Yen Sid gives Sora in the "_Kingdom Hearts 2 Manga_". The present Violet gives Sora plays a role later in this story, in case you wanted to keep an eye out later.**

**Poor Amemi... she must be COMPLETELY Disappointed by Sora's decision. For those of you who are upset about this, DON'T WORRY! Amemi WILL be in this story sometime later. I won't say When or How - it would be a Spoiler!**

**Plus, since Violet was such a popular character, I knew I HAD to reveal she's not the Only angel character I've created! Now you know the truth; Violet has a Sister named Indigo. Of course, this also means Indigo is another of My Original Characters.**

**I wonder if any of you noticed the way I wrote this Chapter. I just had fun writing and started to get carried away. Therefore, I had to look over it here and there to ensure I kept the story moving and didn't linger for too long. It wasn't easy - Especially during the flight sequence.**

**I also chose to include some indication of the similarities between the main characters of the older T.V. Sitcom, "_The Odd Couple_" and Sora &amp; Riku. This may have to do with the fact today's Friday, and that show comes on EVERY Friday Night!**

**Finally, I would like to include a HINT for the first world in this story. It's Not a Disney-based one, but it does have Disney characters in it.**  
**HINT: "SORA AND HIS TEAM TRAVEL TO A FAMILIAR WORLD WHERE THE LIGHT IS AT ITS STRONGEST. NEW AND OLD FRIENDS ALIKE ARE WAITING AND THE HEARTLESS ARE NOT FAR BEHIND. DESPITE ALL THEIR EFFORTS IN THE PAST, SORA AND THE OTHERS ARE YET TO REACH THIS WORLD'S DREAM GOAL: COMPLETE PEACE (WHICH IT USED TO HAVE)!"**

**It case you cannot tell, that is a RIDDLE HINT! So, if you think you know which world in the Kingdom Hearts universe I am referring to, please post your answer(s) in the Reviews section for THIS Chapter!**

**In addition, keep an eye on the torn letter Master Yen Sid told Sora about. THAT is one of the Key Plot Points for This Story!**

**Lastly, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	4. Ch4 - The Reconstruction Committee

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE AND WELCOME BACK! YOU'RE JUST IN TIME FOR CHAPTER 4!**

**First off, I wanted to thank all of you who have reviewed so far. I have not yet calculated how many Chapters this story will be, but it looks like it Might be a little longer than "_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_".**

**Also, for those of you who were looking forward to more of "_Once Upon A Time ~The Darkest Age~_", I'm REALLY, TRULY SORRY! I HAD To Remove It Due To Lack Of Views And Also Because The Story Suddenly Exploded Into Something Much Moe INTRICATE Than I Had Initially Imagined.  
****It's Going To Take Some Time, But I Hope To Bring It Back Sometime In The Future.**

**Seeing as this particular Chapter is EXTREMELY LONG in comparison to the previous three, I shall let you go on ahead and read.**

**DON'T FORGET TO PLEASE REVIEW, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 4  
****The Reconstruction Committee**

Time was moving at a snail's pace. Launchpad had finally managed to get Herbie to cooperate with him at the controls, which made the ride much smoother… and duller. Donald and Goofy had switched on a movie about a mouse, duck, and dog as musketeers and were laughing away at every little thing in it. Sora had taken notice of this movie. The animated characters in it — they seemed somewhat familiar…

He shrugged it off and turned his seat to gaze out the window. A piece of paper fell from his pocket. Bending over to pick it up, he saw it was the letter fragment Master Yen Sid had given him. A feeling of curiosity crept into his mind. Who had written this letter? What did it say? He made a decision.

"There's only one way to find out," Sora muttered under his breath. He unfolded the paper and read through the surprisingly neat handwriting.

"_I am not where I used to stay._

_Yet, I am not where I need to be._

_My current location is secret, by the way,_

_In a place where no one can find me._"

_Weird_, Sora thought. _This looks like a riddle… or a poem._ He couldn't decide which one it was, so he ended up with both names for it.

"_I can sense trouble is on the way,_

_Even in this world's spooky streets._

_I should be safe, that much I can certainly say,_

_For here, the Light and Darkness peacefully meets._"

"That world," Sora realized. "Could it be _**Twilight Town**_?" He chose to keep on reading. His eyes grew wide at the last few sentences.

"_This land is one I'd only heard about,_

_One that probably shouldn't exist today._

_Their memories are gone and no one stays out,_

_Even time itself seems to have stopped, no delay._"

"What does this mean?" Sora said in a soft voice. He'd never heard of a world that wasn't supposed to exist. If what was written was true, the unknown world was a place without time and no one knew had any memories. "This's getting to be _too_ weird."

"What is?" a quack-y voice asked.

Sora looked up. He smiled, seeing Donald and Goofy had paused their movie and were giving him puzzled looks. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" Goofy asked. "Maybe it's more than 'nothin'. Maybe somethin'?"

Sora sighed. He'd never been able to argue effectively against Goofy's logic. The anthropomorphic dog always seemed to make even more confusing claims in response. Not even Donald could make sense of it. Knowing not even Jiminy Cricket had been able to comprehend every little thing Goofy claimed, it was clear there was no way to avoid it.

"It's this letter Master Yen Sid gave me," Sora held up the paper for his friends to see. Jiminy hopped over from place upon Donald's hat. "It doesn't make sense."

Jiminy took a moment to examine the writing. "Hmm… it seems to me he said it was written by somebody he knows. The next question should be 'who is it?'"

"Yeah," Donald agreed. "Why else would he have given it to us?"

"Gawrsh," Goofy awed. "Maybe he's givin' us a chance to somethin' important after all."

Jiminy turned to face Sora. "Just maybe we're supposed to _find_ the author of this letter, whoever he is."

"Except for one thing," Sora added. "It might not be a 'he'. It could be a 'her', like when Kairi wrote a letter for me and put it in a bottle in the ocean. Riku and I found it while on the beach in the _Realm of Darkness_. After I read it, the _Door To Light_ opened and we stepped through. Next thing I knew, we were back on the islands and Kairi was waving for us."

Jiminy pointed at the paper's torn edge. "Well, one thing's for sure. The letter has probably been scattered. We'll have to find the other pieces before the message will make any sense."

Sora nodded. He remembered King Mickey's teacher asking the group to track down the missing pieces and put the letter back together. Perhaps there something important about this letter he didn't know — something Master Yen Sid hadn't shared with him.

Whatever it was, he hoped it was not _too_ important.

"That letter's quite a mystery," Launchpad called from the front. He turned to face everyone in the backseat. "I've read about detectives using such letters to catch criminals. I don't know how they do it, seeing as all they've got is some ABCs."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy stared out the windshield. "_**Look out**_!" they screamed.

A confused Launchpad turned back to the wheel in time to see Herbie was racing into an extremely bright star. He tried to swerve, but only caused the modified car to nose-dive towards a small planet with a castle on it. Sora and his team held on as the Gummi Ship spun around and around.

* * *

Sora wobbled a little as he finally stepped out of Herbie's doorway. His feet landed onto a pile of smashed wood and some stone. Behind him, Donald and Goofy emerged with Jiminy and Launchpad.

"Nice going, ya big palooka!" Donald scolded the pilot. "You crushed a building!"

"No problem-o," was all Launchpad could say. He gave the hand sign for O.K.

Sora shook his head in amusement before he saw where they were. He stepped across the debris to a concrete sidewalk and saw several shops with lots of people milling about. Several of them had come over to Herbie in wonder as the vehicle had landed directly on top of one of the abandoned shops. Among them was a young woman Sora thought he recognized; she had long black hair, red eyes, and was wearing black clothing.

He approached a nearby railing and peered into the distance. A giant, silver castle was located at the center of a large town. Several sets of mechanical machinery were scattered about the base and beyond. Tons of constructions vehicles were busy moving supplies around where many buildings were being set up in neighborhoods. Stone walls separated each of the neighborhoods and a thick one curved around the entire area like a perimeter defense. Some of the outer walls towers had water spraying in huge fountains and ivy was growing in other spots.

As he watched a crane lifting a load of metal from the ground to the castle's upper section, Sora's eyes lit up. "Of course!" he declared. "This is _**Hollow Bastion**_!" He paused, realizing his mistake. "I mean… it's the _**Radiant Garden**_."

At that moment, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad strolled over. Jiminy was balancing himself on Donald's hat and quickly leapt into Sora's hoodie. "Well, it sure does look peaceful now," Goofy commented.

"You said it," Donald verified.

Launchpad had his eye on the market stalls. "If it's called the '_**Radiant Garden**_', where's the garden? All I sees some radiant flea market!"

Donald rolled his eyes at the pilot's statement. Sora was about to laugh when he realized Launchpad had a point. He quickly glanced around the landscape below. Other than the ivy, some fountains, and a small flower patch near the castle's entrance, he couldn't see any other indication of foliage, let alone gardens.

_That's weird_, Sora thought. _Where's all the flowers?_

A scream filled the air. The group spun their attention toward the shops. A young woman wearing a blue dress was rushing through the area. Behind her, a handful of shadowy creatures with yellow eyes and antennae were giving chase. Several of the shop owners ducked under their stalls' tables as the monsters hurried by.

Sora could not believe his eyes. "_**Heartless**_!" he cried. His Keyblade had appeared in no time and he sped after the creatures. Donald pulled out his wand and Goofy held out his shield. The two hurried after the brown-headed Keyblader.

Behind the three, Launchpad followed. He huffed for a few seconds before stopping to catch his breath. "Where's DW when you _really_ need him?"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy reached a spot before a larger store. The woman was backed against the wall, surrounded by Heartless. Sora rushed over and shouted, "Take cover! _We'll_ handle this!"

The woman ducked down where she'd been. Sora and his friends started fighting. As he slashed his way through several Heartless at once, Sora saw several more appear from behind. Goofy tossed his shield like a Frisbee and terminated them. "Thanks!" Sora told the knight.

Donald sent three balls of fire magic at three separate Heartless. The creatures burst into flames, but continued to approach. He tried using ice magic, but it melted in the monster's flames. Before he could try using thunder magic, the Heartless had him cornered. "Help!" the duck screamed.

Seeing his friend was in trouble, Sora threw his Keyblade at the enemies. The weapon went spinning past Donald and wiped the Heartless out in a hurry. Sora's Keyblade returned to his hand while Donald smiled. "Thank you, Sora!"

Goofy was busy smashing Heartless with his shield while he continued to rush forward and slam several others senseless. Suddenly, a few large Heartless appeared. Goofy recognized as what Jiminy had nicknamed "Large Bodies". He gulped and spun around like a top. His shield slammed into one of the giant's stomachs and knocked the former off balance. Goofy felt dizzier and dizzier before he finally collapsed.

Seeing the tall dog was losing, Donald raised his wand at the bigger creatures. "Thunder!"

A series of lightning bolts rained down and vaporized the Heartless. Donald slid over and used a healing spell on Goofy; the latter came to and rejoined the battle.

After a couple more swings, a few more spells, and a little more slicing, Sora, Donald, and Goofy felt relieved. The Heartless were gone… or were they? They saw several more appearing from behind. They spun around, taking very deep breaths. Even worse, a little girl had been spotted by the creatures and was screaming for help; she ducked down against the wall.

"Man," Sora sighed deeply. "Where're they coming from?"

The fight had taken its toll and now it seemed endless. Just as Sora was feeling too exhausted to do anything besides throw up a white flag, the sound of gunfire filled the group's ears. Tons of bullets rained down on the Heartless and destroyed them in seconds. Before Sora could wonder what had happened, a large man marched over to the little girl.

Now Sora was sure he'd seen _everything_! The man was huge with lots of muscles, a thick beard, and dark skin. He was wearing a dirty brown vest, green pants, and enormous brown boots. Several bands of metal were around his waist and left arm. There was a tattoo on his left shoulder, three scars on his right cheek, and a dog-tag hanging around his neck.

Yet, what _really_ grabbed Sora's focus was the absence of the man's right arm. In its place was a large gun with an atypical shape. He wondered why someone would have a gun for an arm.

"Marlene," the man said as he hugged the little girl. "Thank goodness you're safe. Are ya hurt?"

"No, daddy," the little girl replied. "They saved me."

"Who?" the man inquired. When the girl pointed in Sora's direction, the man stared at the group for a couple moment. "The heck are _you_ supposed to be?"

Sora hesitated in his reply. "Umm… I'm Sora. He's Donald. That's Goofy, and Launchpad's somewhere around here."

"Hey guys!" The group turned their eyes to the pilot as he strode over. "You should see some of the stuff they've got for sale! I've never seen so _many_ Christmas ornaments in one place!"

He held up a glass ball with a model of the castle in it. "And this's supposed to be there," he pointed at the castle.

The man snorted. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad is it? Don't trust ya."

Sora was shocked. Had this man just jumped to conclusions about him and his team? It didn't seem fair, let alone okay. "Hey!" the spikey-haired youth spoke up. "We just saved your daughter! Give us a _little_ credit."

The man frowned at the group. Before anything could happen, a voice called from inside one of the shops. "Barret? What's going on out there?"

A young woman with long black hair stepped outside. Sora stared, remembering her from two places. First, he'd seen her rummaging through Ansem's study the last time he'd been to this world. Next, he'd watched her looking at Herbie in question. As far as he knew, she was looking for someone. He wasn't sure who it was.

That's when he recalled how she'd took on Sephiroth single-handed and avoided the villain's sword to prove how strong Light was. Sora wondered if she'd _ever_ found who she was looking for.

"Tifa, these guys thought they could trick me," the man snorted. "Think they're so cool and better at fighting than us."

"Hey!" Donald snarled in anger. "That's not fair!"

"Yeah!" Goofy added. "You should give us a chance!"

The woman saw the group and shook her head. She gave smile, which made Sora feel less pugnacious. "It's alright. I know them. Sora, Donald, and Goofy. They're friends of Cloud."

The man spent the next a few seconds glancing back and forth between Sora's team and the woman. He groaned, "'Friends of Cloud', huh? Maybe I _was_ gettin' on their case too soon."

Sora had to smile. "I'm Sora," he introduced before gesturing to each of his teammates. "That's Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. We met Cloud in another world. This guy named Hades tried to use him to kill one of our friends. He told me not to lose sight of my Light."

Sora reached into his left jacket pocket. He could feel Kairi's lucky charm exactly where he'd placed it months ago prior to his journey through the _Realm of Sleep_ with Riku and Violet. "And I never did."

"I'm Tifa. Cloud's been my friend since we were little," the woman said. She looked in the direction of the man. "He's Barret, a good friend of me and Cloud."

"Darn _right_ we are!" Barret approved. "Cloud's always been stickin' his spikey butt into places he shouldn't. But we're always there to pull him out. It's like I always tell him — there ain't no getting' offa this train we're on."

Sora had to shake his head. Although Barret didn't seem like the typical person to be helpful in any circumstance, it was clear his heart was in the correct place. Just like Cloud, even though the spikey-headed young man had seemingly vanished in a flash of light while battling Sephiroth. Goofy had even questioned where the two had ended up, offering the possibility they'd gone back to their home world.

Something about what the knight had said didn't make sense. If the _**Radiant Garden**_ was Cloud's hometown (and Sora was sure it was), what other world could he possibly be from?

The little girl strolled out from behind Barret. Sora could now tell she had brown hair and was wearing a reddish-purple dress and black shoes. "Thank you for saving me," she said in an innocent voice. "My name is Marlene."

"Gawrsh!" Goofy chuckled, bending down to shake Marlene's hand. "It's nice ta meetcha, Marlene!"

"Excuse me," a kind voice said from behind. Sora and his team spun around to see the smiling face of the young woman they'd seen being pursued by the Heartless. She was wearing a blue dress with white sleeves, red shoes with straps, and a yellow jacket that was partly unzipped. She had blonde hair tied into a ponytail, blue eyes, and rather pale skin. "Thank you for rescuing me."

"Don't mention it," Sora answered. "There's no need to thank us."

Donald and Goofy stared at the brown, spikey-haired young man in surprise.

"Yes, there is," the woman stated. "You saved my life. I could've been badly hurt by those monsters."

Sora shrugged. "I guess that makes sense."

The woman extended her left hand. "My name's Jessica. You can call 'Jess'."

"I'm Sora," Sora introduced.

"Hi! I'm Donald!" Donald added.

"And I'm Goofy," Goofy said in turn.

Launchpad marched forwards and started shaking Jessica's hand. "The name's Launchpad McQuack," he declared loudly and proudly. "If it's got wings, I can _crash_ it!"

Jessica smiled at the pilot. Donald rolled his eyes, thinking he saw pink and red hearts in Launchpad's eyes. This seemed to go on forever, even if was only for a few minutes.

"I've got to get going," Jessica finally said. "I'll see you around!"

"Bye!" Sora called as the young lady left.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all waved as Jessica walked off, rounded a corner in the area, and disappeared from view. Once she was gone, Tifa stepped closer. "Um… how about something to drink? It'll be on me."

It was then Sora saw the sign above the shop they were in front of. An enormous sign was in flashing, yellow and green letters. He wondered how he had initially missed it.

_**THE 7**__**TH**__** HEAVEN**_

"Okay, why not?" Sora replied.

With a series of nods in return, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad followed the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder into the shop. Tifa led the way while Barret carried Marlene inside on his shoulder.

* * *

A long counter was waiting inside the restaurant. Sora and his friends took seats at the stools while Tifa strode to the space between them and the machinery behind her. She handed out a few plastic menus and waited for answers.

Sora took his time looking at the typed choices. Everything cost Munny, even the items that were considered free on the _**Destiny Islands**_. Since this was another world, he assumed things would naturally be different — even at an economic standpoint. His eyes went from "_Barley Tea_" to "_Mixed Super-Duper Soda_" to "_Limeade_" to "_Wild Berry Coffee_". The names seemed to get stranger the further along he read.

"Gawrsh," Goofy commented out loud. "I dunno what half these things are, but they sure sound good."

Donald gave the Captain of the _**Disney Castle**_'s Royal Knights an unclear look. "I don't know… "

"Say, _here's_ something tasty," Launchpad perked up. "'_Overly-Caffeinated Super-Cherry Coffee_'!"

While Donald informed the pilot _not_ to shout indoors, Sora shook his head. He'd already read that item on the menu and knew it cost 500 Munny. His mind was about to wander so his eyes started to do the same.

His eyes landed upon a group of three people at a nearby table; all three were dressed in professional black suits Sora expected to be worn by someone who worked for top-secret government stuff. One of them was a young woman sporting short blonde hair and brown eyes. Another was a tall, bald man with a small goatee and wearing a pair of dark sunglasses — even though he was inside a building.

The third member of the small group was who had seized Sora's attention. It was a young man with an awkward body posture, shabby red hair in a long ponytail, and two symmetrical red marks on his cheeks. He also had a set of goggles pushed up onto his forehead.

The three seemed to be chatting away in their own little group. Sora rose from his seat, sensing something familiar about the man with the red hair. Why did he have the feeling he'd seen him before?

As Sora approached, the man in the sunglasses saw him and pointed him out to the other two. The young woman and the other man both turned to face the spikey, brown-headed youth.

The man with the red hair had turn around to face Sora. "Well, well," he smirked. "Look who decided to drop by."

Sora froze, unsure what to say next. The man had spoken with the same pitch, tone, and accent Lea did. Could there possibly be a connection? "Uh… Hi?"

"Is something wrong?" the young woman asked in what sounded like a higher-pitched voice.

Sora stared at the man wearing the goggles. He decided to see what was going on. "Lea?" he inquired. "How'd you get here? Where've you been?"

The man shook his head. "Lea is my twin brother," he corrected. He pointed his left index finger to his head. "The name's '_Reno_' — Commit it to memory!"

Sora stared in surprise. No wonder this guy had seemed so much like Lea. He was a twin. Until now, Sora had never known Lea _had_ a twin. Of course, he also hadn't known Violet had a sister either. He had even learned his Aunt Shelly was a Keyblade wielder who gone missing, and he had even met her in person (in a matter of speaking) while exploring the dreams of the now-awakened _**Country of The Musketeers**_. What else did he _not_ know? He needed to find out. If not now, very, very, _very_ soon.

Reno pointed behind him to the others at his table. "That's my partner, Rude. The loud one's Elena."

"_Reno_!" Elena exclaimed. "_Don't_ be so reckless!"

"Relax, Elena!" Reno quipped. "I haven't done anything stupid — lately."

Rude sighed and shook his head. Sora noticed the man was focused more on the drink in his hand than the conversation. The seventeen-year-old turned back to face Reno. "How come you're all dressed up? Do you work for the government?"

"I guess you could put it that way," Reno grinned. "We're members of a super-secret organization called '_The Underground Radiant Klass_'. We also go by the '_TURK _(s)'. Our mission is simple — to defend the _**Radiant Garden**_ and terminate everyone who gets in our way."

"_**Reno**_!" Elena snapped. She jumped from her chair so rapidly, it fell backwards onto the floor. "You _**shouldn't**_ be giving away sensitive information!"

Reno gave the young woman a stern gaze. "Give it a break! It's okay. We're off-duty."

Elena crossed her arms; her scowl was evident upon her face. "Tseng will be hearing about _this_."

Without another word, she stormed outside. Reno shrugged. "She'll get over it," he told Sora. "After all, it's not every day I meet a friend of my brother. Most people tend to forget him."

Sora hesitated in his response. "We're not exactly 'friends'," he explained. "More like… acquaintances."

Now Reno was the one with the startled look. "Oh, is that right? Perhaps you can fill me in one of these days. Rude and I have stuff to take care of so we're gonna be busy the next few hours."

He glanced at a clock on the shop's wall. "Our break's just about up."

Reno rose to his feet. Sora could now see the young man was wearing wrinkled clothing. He could almost picture Lea in the same outfit — it would have worked perfectly.

Rude turned towards Tifa; the latter was working behind the counter. "Put it on our tab," he called to her before following Reno towards the shop's entrance.

"Tell Lea I said 'Hi'," Sora called after them.

Reno stopped and turned to face the brown-headed youth. He gave a friendly grin. "I'll tell him when I see him," he replied. "After all, you, him, and I are friends now. Make sure it's committed to your memory."

Sora beamed. "I will, Reno. So long!"

With that, Reno and Rude walked briskly out of the shop and out of sight. Sora took a seat in the chair Reno had been in and shifted his eyes over to his teammates. Donald was relaxing over a nice cup of hot chocolate with marsh-mellows. Goofy had a plate of twenty hamburgers and two cups of water; he was scarfing it down so quickly, Sora wondered how he didn't choke.

On the floor nearby, he found Launchpad playing with Marlene and some dolls. The pilot pretended to crash a toy van until the little girl took it away from him. After she told him _not_ to break things, Launchpad nodded and the two proceeded to play.

Sora smiled, recalling how often he'd been forced to play with Amemi per his Mom's request. He'd dreaded playing with dolls — especially whenever doll houses were involved. He couldn't imagine why _anyone_ would want to play games like "house" or "showroom stage" or "beach trip". It just felt so boring to him. He needed action — not romance.

Sora had leaned back and placed his hands behind his head. It was then he saw Barret walking quickly to where Tifa was wiping down the counter. She turned to him as he approached. "Tifa," Sora heard the man say. "We gotta close the store early. This's important business and it's happenin' at the castle."

Tifa looked concerned. "You sure? Okay, Barret, I get the message. We'll close up now."

Sora was puzzled. What was so important the two had to close up the shop earlier than they wanted? He had a feeling it had something to do with Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, Cid, Merlin, and the others involved with the reconstruction of the town.

"Excuse me," Tifa called out, ringing a little bell. "Something has come up and we're going to have to close up early. Sorry about any inconvenience."

Sora shook his head. This was no inconvenience. It was probably normal. Having noticed the amount of Heartless in the market, he wondered if perhaps the Heartless population had started to grow since the last time he'd been there. Although he'd helped Tron defeat the MCP and free the computer system, it was clear the _**Radiant Garden**_ was far from peaceful.

He sighed. He had a feeling this was just the start of a long journey.

Donald and Goofy had already finished their food and Launchpad had helped Marlene clean up her dolls and their clothes and accessories. Barret picked up his daughter and strolled for the door. Tifa held the door open for him followed by Goofy, Donald, Launchpad, and finally Sora.

As Tifa shut the door and locked it, Sora turned to her. "Say, did you ever find who it was you were looking for?"

Tifa sighed. "No, not yet," she admitted. She turned to face the young man. "But it's no hurry. I know he'd closer to finding his Light — now more than ever. And part of it is thanks to you."

When he saw Tifa's smile, Sora felt dumbfounded. "Wait. When did I help _you_ out?"

Tifa didn't answer and instead continued to smile as she and Barret headed down the street and into the distance. Sora was more confused due to the lack of an answer. He'd never helped Tifa. Well… maybe the time he'd told her he didn't know which "guy with spikey hair" she was looking for. It probably helped narrow down the possibilities… or not.

He shrugged it off. There was no sense in worrying about something he had little to no control over.

As he turned back to his friends, Sora saw a sight he didn't expect. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were chatting amongst each other while ten feet away an older man with a cane was being surrounded by Heartless made of metal (maybe tin). He stared in alarm. "C'mon," he declared, grabbing his friends' attention. "We've _gotta_ help him!"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were shocked at the incident taking place less than a mile from their position. The magician and knight pulled out their weapons and rushed forward. They joined Sora as the latter summoned his Keyblade.

They jumped between the man and the Heartless. "Get to safety!" Sora instructed. "_We'll_ handle this!"

The man nodded and walked briskly away. Sora, Donald, and Goofy glared at the Heartless. One of the creatures lurched forward. Sora sliced his Keyblade through and destroyed them. Donald sent clumps of ice raining down on some other enemies and turned them into blocks of ice. Goofy smashed his shield though a handful of Heartless before crushing the ice blocks Donald had made. Before two minutes had passed, the Heartless had been eliminated.

Sora took a moment to catch his breath. He smiled, knowing the monsters he'd faced many times over were no more. He and his friends put their weapons away when the man approached them; a grateful smile on his face. He had black skin and was half bald with a greyish beard and brown eyes. He was wearing a tan shirt, matching fisherman hat, and a black coat (though without a hood). His cane turned out to be a walking stick.

"Thank you so much," the man said with a deep voice. "I wasn't expecting those critters to come running around me. I have never had so much trouble getting to and from this market."

"We're just glad you're okay," Goofy replied.

Sora smiled at the man. "Sounds like you've been through a lot today. Mind if we help you home?"

The man chuckled. "Not at all. The name's Remus, but ya'll can call me 'Uncle Remus'."

"I'm Sora," Sora said.

"Donald," Donald added. "I'm an uncle, too."

"My name's Goofy," Goofy introduced. "I've got a son named Maxie."

Launchpad smiled. "Name's Launchpad. I'm the head of His Majesty's Air Force."

Donald whispered something into the pilot's ear. "Geez," Launchpad muttered, crossing his arms. "You didn't have to be so critical about it."

While Donald gave the pilot a stern look, Remus shook his head. "You can come along if you want," he said. "But I'll tell you what. I ain't afraid of no 'Heartless'. The folks 'round here'll tell you they ain't got no hearts, but that don't scare me."

"Why?" Sora inquired. He was surprised. Why wasn't Remus afraid of the Heartless? Whatever the reason, he _had_ to know what it was. Perhaps it was the same reason why he himself wasn't afraid of them. The same would probably be for Donald and Goofy, too.

"Why's that?" Goofy repeated for the Keyblade wielder.

Remus smiled. "Cause it's one of them '_**Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah**_' Days," he informed them. "Now, that's the kind of day when you can't open your mouth without a song jumpin' right out of it."

As Remus spoke, the town's dull color suddenly jumped into a bright sunny day. Sora and his friends stared in surprise. They hadn't expected something like this to happen. Remus started walking along, so the group followed him.

"_Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-A-Dee-Ay_," the older man chanted. "_My, oh my, what a wonderful day. Plenty of sunshine headin' my way. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-A-Dee-Day_!"

A cheerful, bluebird wearing a top hat swooped into view. Sora thought it looked a little like a bird version of Jiminy Cricket. The bluebird landed onto Remus's right shoulder. The latter smiled at it in return.

"Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder," he said. The bluebird chirped in reply. "It's the truth, it's actual."

"What is?" Sora inquired, eager to find out.

Remus smiled brightly at the young man. "Everything is Satisfactual," he answered. "_Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-A-Dee-Ay. Wonderful feeling, wonderful day_!"

"Yeah," Goofy agreed. "A-Hyuck!"

"Yessir!" Remus declared in turn. "_Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-A-Dee-Ay. My, oh my, what a wonderful day._"

A group of seven butterflies flew in close. Sora took note of how each one was a different color of the rainbow. "_Plenty of sunshine headin' our way_," the butterflies sang together. "_Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-A-Dee-Day_!"

Remus gestured to his shoulder. "Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder," he declared. The butterflies nodded in agreement. "It's the truth, it's actual."

Sora and his team pointed to the older man. When Remus saw they had puzzled eyes, he glanced at his shoulder and then around. The bluebird was nowhere to be found. "Why is that bluebird?" he inquired.

A loud chirping grabbed everyone's attention. Remus shook his head with a smile, seeing the bird had landed upon its perch. "Everything is Satisfactual," he continued. "_Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-A-Dee-Ay. Wonderful feeling, wonderful __**day**_!"

Remus strolled up to a colorful building with some umbrella-shaped gizmos on the roof. He opened the door and stepped inside. The bluebird fluttered in as the older man closed the door gently behind.

The colors vanished and Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad now saw they were standing in the middle of a neighborhood. Taking a closer look at the building before them, Sora quickly realized it was the home of Merlin the Wizard.

"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked. "I was havin' so much fun, I didn't know we was approachin' Merlin's house."

"Yeah," Sora agreed. He glanced around, equally baffled by the sudden change of scenery. "It's like we were wandering around in a dream."

"Well, what now?" an impatient Donald asked.

Sora paused in thought. Knowing they were in the _**Radiant Garden**_, and it was the home world of Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid there, he decided to see them.

"Let's go see Leon," the spikey, brown-haired teenager suggested. "Maybe he can give us some clues to why the Heartless are back."

"But where will we find him?" Donald spoke up.

"Yeah," Goofy added. "He could be anywhere."

Launchpad looked around the immediate area. "He's not here, and _this_ is somewhere within 'anywhere'."

Donald rolled his eyes at the pilot's comment. As the group were trying to think about where to look, they head a deep voice chanting from above. Sora listened for a moment; the voice seemed to have a Cockney accent.

"Wonder who's singin'," Goofy inquired.

"Well," Donald said. "There's only one way to find out."

Sora nodded. He led the group past a few houses. The voice got louder. Now they could make out some words, if you could call them "words".

"_Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey, chim chim cher-ee! A sweep is as lucky, as lucky can be_!"

They finally reached a small two-story house with a wooden ladder beside it. Gazing up at the roof, Sora's team found a young man up there hammering some shingles into place. He was slender with black hair and blue eyes. His dark clothes were worn-out and he had a black cap on his head. A red scarf was around his neck.

Sora was taken by surprise. He didn't recall this man being here the last time. Then again, he didn't remember Barret, Marlene, Reno, Rude, Elena, or Uncle Remus either. Chances were, everyone he was meeting were among the residents who'd been scattered when the world had been attacked by the Heartless long ago.

"Hey mister," Sora called up. "We're looking for somebody. Have you seen them?"

The man on the roof stopped hammering and turned around to see the group below. With a smile, he replied, "I be comin' down in a minute."

As he climbed down the ladder, the man continued to chant away. "_Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey, chim chim cher-oo! Good luck will rub off when I shakes 'ands with you_."

When he reached the street, the man extended his right hand. One by one, he shook Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad's hands. He waved to a young woman passing by. Sora recognized her as Jessica — the same young lady his team had rescued from the Heartless earlier.

"_Or blow me a kiss_," the man called. When Jessica blew a kiss in his direction, the man took a cheerful double-take. "_And that's lucky too_."

Sora shook his head slightly. He could this young man was a friendly, happy-go-lucky one. He reminded Sora of his sister, Amemi. He knew how much she tended to be content and lived happily one day at a time. It was a wonderful characteristic Sora wished he'd developed himself.

"'Ello, art lovers!" the man said to the group. "Why, you look like nice chaps to me. 'Ow are you? Enjoying the sights of the city?"

"Kind of," Sora replied. He pointed to himself. "I'm Sora." He gestured to the other three behind him. "He's Donald, that's Goofy, and the last one's Launchpad."

"Bert's the name," the man introduced in return. He tipped his hat at them. "I am what they call a 'jack-of-all-trades'. I 'ave been a sweep, artist, musician, carpenter, and plumber."

"That explains why he's on the roof," Donald whispered to Sora. The latter nodded in understanding.

"I 'ave been 'elping the _Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_ for well over two years," Bert went on. "They seem to know 'ow to solve anyone's problem."

Sora's ears perked up to the name he'd heard. "Wait," the brown-headed young man spoke up. "What's the '_Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_'?"

"Yeah," Donald stated. "We're members of something else."

Goofy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small purple and red card. He read the writing on it. "'_Hollow Bastion Ray-store-ay-tion Honor-air-y Member_'. A-Hyuck!"

Launchpad took a moment to glance over the knight's card. "I never had one of those. How do you get one?"

Donald tried to explain to the pilot how they'd already had the cards for more than a year. Sora turned to face Bert and proceeded to ask a different question.

"Is a guy named Leon a member of it?" the spikey, brown-haired seventeen-year-old asked.

"Why, yes. 'E is," Bert answered. "'E's one of the leaders. So is Aerith, Yuffie, Cid, and Chelsy. I 'ave been good friends with them since my world disappeared and I ended up in a place they called '_**Traverse Town**_'. Now I 'ave been 'elping them rebuild theirs."

He looked up into the sky above with a brilliant smile. "Who knows? Maybe I will stay 'ere in the City of Light."

Sora crossed his arms, trying absorb all this information. It sounded to him like Bert was among several others helping Leon and the gang restore the city back to its original self. As far as he could tell, the organization called the '_Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_' was really the '_Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee_' — just with a different name.

Sora had the feeling this was partially due to the world's true name being recollected shortly after he had helped Tron defeat the MCP. The program had presented his friends with a gift — a view of the town's early days, which helped Leon and the others remember. Sora had been taken by complete surprise when Aerith had informed him the town had once been referred to by another name. He had then realized the world had probably been renamed by Maleficent when she'd used the Heartless to take it over roughly eleven years ago. Nowadays, the town seemed to be in better shape, though the Heartless were _still_ on the loose.

"Say Bert," Sora finally said. "Could you please lead us to where the _Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_ meets? I want to ask Leon some things."

"Sure thing," Bert replied. "Just follow me."

The young man picked up the ladder and the toolbox from beside the house and carried them along. He led the way down the street. As the group followed behind, Goofy asked why the seemingly-homeless man was so cheerful. Bert's response sounded a little like a chant. "Now, as the ladder of life 'as been strung, you might think a sweep's on the bottommost rung."

Sora and Donald both nodded. Back on the islands, Sora had seen a few chimney sweeps in the older buildings. No one really paid those workers any mind and they didn't seem to acknowledge the public either.

"Though I spends me time in the ashes and smoke," Bert continued. "In this 'ole wide world there's no 'appier bloke."

Now Sora was sure he understood. After seeing how free-spirited Uncle Remus and Bert were, he was certain such a quality also contained a strong Light. He smiled, knowing the two were happy the way they were. He also knew his sister was no different. Amemi had also possessed the same characteristic for years and he knew it was so.

Overall, Sora had to admit, all there of those individuals — Amemi, Bert, and Uncle Remus — were happy-go-lucky, content, and ready to face the challenges the world gave them with a smile.

As the group proceeded down the road, Bert started to skip along as he chanted. Sora smiled, knowing _this_ was also something he sometimes saw Amemi do — at least when she was younger. Every now and then, he still caught a glimpse of her jumping rope outside in the backyard.

"_Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey, chim chim cher-ee_!" Bert chanted aloud. "_A sweep is as lucky, as lucky can be! Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey, chim chim cher-oo! Good luck will rub __**off**__ when I shakes 'ands with you_!"

Before long, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were chanting along. Sora found himself joining them. "_Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey! Chim chim cher-ee! A sweep is as lucky, as lucky can be! Chim chim-in-ey, chim chim-in-ey! Chim chim cher-oo! Good luck will rub off when I shakes 'ands with __**you**_!"

After this continued for a few minutes, the group stopped at the edge of a dirt hill. Bert gazed to the right. Sora's team did the same. The dirt road before them led down the incline and through a plain filled with construction vehicles, workers, and various supplies. On the other side of the field was a short flight of stone steps leading up to the entrance of the castle.

Sora almost wanted to cover his ears. The moving vehicles, the hammering, the sawing, the shouts from one worker to another all created so much noise, it appeared to be nearly deafening. He decided to simply grin and bear it.

"That is the way into the castle," Bert explained, pointing at the enormous structure at the center of the town. "Watch out for construction. Those workers can be real feisty. I 'ave also 'eard sometimes 'eartless roam around there. Be careful."

Sora nodded. "Got it. Thanks, Bert!"

Bert tipped his hat towards the young man. "Don't mention it," he said with a smile. "Just willing to 'elp. G'day, guvnuh!"

After Bert left, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad headed onto the plain. They had to zigzag their way past the busy workers and moving machinery. At one point, Goofy was nearly run over by a large cement mixer; the driver yelled at him, even though there was still too much noise to understand what he'd said.

The further they went, the thicker the building crews seemed to become. By the time they were almost to the stone steps, mobile cranes were off to their right. The crews were busy building a series of houses for a neighborhood. The wooden framework for the houses was done and the walls were now being lifted into place. Hammering and sawing could be heard from that direction as the workers pieced the whole thing together.

Sora finally decided it was time to cover his ears. He had taken note of how the workers all had oversized earmuffs, which allowed them to keep working without damaging their ears. He'd seen similar things to the workmen who repaired the roads and paved streets on the _**Destiny Islands**_, except they didn't have such fancy technology at their disposal.

He stopped suddenly. A sensation of Light and Darkness mixed together filled his mind. Sora turned his eyes into the direction of the castle's foundation. All he saw were several piles of wood boards, dozens of bags of concrete, and multitudes of pipes among other things.

_Weird,_ Sora thought to himself. _What_ was_ that?_

"Sora? Are ya comin'?"

Sora snapped to attention to see Goofy waving him over to the reddish stone steps. "Yeah!" he replied, quickly following his friends.

The feeling rapidly disappeared. "What was _that_ about?" he muttered softly. No one heard him.

* * *

As Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were marching up the steps, a translucent cylinder appeared out of the middle of nowhere and startled them.

"_Whoa_!" Sora exclaimed as he jumped back as the cylinder disappeared. It returned a moment later a few feet away before disappearing again. It was quickly followed by three others of the same exact design.

"Ain't that thuh town's defense system?" Goofy asked.

"Yeah," Sora verified. "I don't get it. Why's the defense system around here? I don't see any Heartless or Nobodies… "

At that moment, the brown, spikey-headed youth's eyes fell upon two figures standing by the doorway into the castle. They were both men wearing dark-grey uniforms bearing a curled heart symbol with white gloves and black boots. The two men were standing on either side of the doorway.

One of them had black hair mainly tied into a low ponytail and thick sideburns, and violet eyes. He was wielding a silver lance with a blue head, a violet handle, and a curled heart symbol in its point. The other man sported auburn hair slicked back into messy spikes, blue eyes, and small eyebrows. He had a massive axe-shaped sword in his hand.

Sora was alarmed. He had instantly recognized one of the men as a member of Organization XIII he'd defeated almost a year before while in another world. Yet, he wondered why this same man was only wielding only _one_ lance when before he had been controlling _six_ of them.

"_**Xaldin**_?!" he declared. His Keyblade immediately appeared in his hand. His eyebrows furrowed and he charged at the doorway.

"_Sora_!" Donald and Goofy both shouted. They were beyond shocked. Why was Sora going after perfect strangers?

Launchpad looked confused. "What's gotten into _him_? He's acting a little like D.W. when trying to beat Negaduck."

Sora didn't hear his friends. He was only focused on taking out the villain he had previously prevented from turning one of his friends into a Heartless. He raised his Keyblade and was about to strike when the two men saw him and raised their own weapons.

_**CLANG!**_

The weapons collided. "Hold on!" the man with the lance said. He was barely able to keep Sora at bay.

"The castle's _only_ open to VIPs," the other man stated. "And medical emergencies."

Sora's eyes were filled with fury. He was about to push forwards when the man with the lance did the same. Sora wobbled back several feet and landed on his back. His Keyblade went flying and clattered onto the reddish-purple stone beside him.

Donald and Goofy rushed over, Launchpad directly behind. The former cast a recovery spell before Sora came to. Goofy and the pilot helped him to his feet. "What… happened?" the young man inquired. He looked like he was in a daze.

"Gee, Sora," Goofy said, noticing Sora's half-shut eyes. "Maybe some of Xehanort's Darkness is still in ya."

"Yeah," Donald nodded, realizing the knight had a valid point. "Perhaps you should rest for a while."

Before Sora could reply, a few dozen Heartless appeared in the plaza. The brown-haired Keyblade wielder was on his feet in seconds, Keyblade in hand. He charged into the horde of creatures and started slashing, slicing, and blocking and countering. Donald and Goofy pulled out their own weapons and joined the frenzy.

Launchpad was staring in both alarm and worry when he saw the two men from the doorway rush forward and started vanquishing the Heartless this way and that. "_**Radiant Garden**_ shall _**not**_ fall again to the likes of you!" the man with the spear declared.

With Sora and his friends working as a team, the Heartless were hastily thinning. When he saw the two men wiping out the monsters as well, Sora realized neither one of them were Nobodies. In fact, they both seemed to be as much in danger as he himself was. He knew this meant they both had hearts, which meant they somehow had come back — just like Lea had.

Once the Heartless were gone, Sora's team relaxed and put their weapons away. Sora turned to the man with the spear and said, "You're really good. I remember you tried to turn Beast into a Heartless, but now there's something different."

"I'm no longer with the Organization," the man informed the seventeen-year-old. "And my name's Dilan. I still have my memories of a Nobody and apologize for trying to harm your friend."

Sora placed his hands behind his head. "So, you must've appeared here, like Lea said."

"Lea, Aeleus, Even, and Ienzo," Dilan explained. "We all awakened downstairs — Even and I were among the last up. After joining forces with the _Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_, Aeleus and I resumed our former posts as guards for the castle."

He snorted at a few stray Heartless in the distance. "I will _not_ allow those Heartless to plunge this world into Darkness again."

Sora had to nod in agreement. He had learned from Lea just after the _Mark of Mastery Exam_ how the first six ranks of the original Organization XIII had been students of the late Ansem the Wise — the _real_ Ansem and King Mickey's friend. According to the tale, Ansem's pupils had stolen his research and banished him into the _Realm of Darkness_. Sometime after, Xehanort and the other five got carried away with some "unethical experiments" and transformed into Heartless. This had led to the world's attack by the Heartless and Maleficent's arrival into the ruins of the town, which she had called "_**Hollow Bastion**_".

Through it all, Sora had listened intently. Of course, he was well aware how all this had happened long ago, a little over a decade before now. He was also certain Leon and the gang were going to try extremely hard to rebuild their world and restore it back to its former self.

Sora's head whirled back. He had just about forgotten he wanted to see Leon! He turned and hurried over to his teammates. "C'mon," he said, gesturing for them to follow. "Let's go see Leon."

The other three nodded. The group dashed to the doorway. As they were about to reach it, Aeleus' weapon blocked them.

"The castle is _only_ open to VIPs and emergency personnel," Aeleus stated in a firm voice.

Dilan glanced at his fellow guard. "Allow them to enter. They are friends of the committee's founders and current leaders."

A startled Aeleus removed his weapon. Dilan opened the door. With friendly smiles on their faces, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad strolled inside. The pilot reached behind them and closed the door. He shut it so hard, the noise echoed about and made the others jump a few inches from the floor.

"Stop causing trouble!" an annoyed Donald scolded.

Sora paid no attention to the incident. His mind was on what he was seeing. The interior of the castle's entrance looked largely the same as it had when he'd been roughly two years before. The greenish carpet was still on the second floor and the bluish tile was on the first. The fountain with the monster-looking design was still situated between the curved staircases leading to the next floor. The door to the library was still in its place, and the platform hanging above was still there. One of the exceptions was a door on the opposite side of the foyer from the library.

Sora felt curious. Where did this door lead? Why hadn't he noticed it before? His mind continued to question these things. He didn't see someone rushing towards him until a few moments before it was too late.

_**BAM!**_

Sora was on his back. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gently helped him to his feet. He rubbed his head, relieved it wasn't bleeding. As he looked ahead, Sora was taken in with delight.

Before him was a teenage girl — the same one who had slammed into him. She had short black hair tied in the black with a green band around her forehead. Her outfit consisted of a black shirt with a yellow scarf, black shorts, and grey boots. She was rubbing her head as she sat up.

"Yuffie!" Sora declared happily.

Yuffie was bewildered for a second before her vision came into focus. Seeing Sora and the others before her she gave such a bright smile, it nearly made the sunlight useless. "Hey, you guys!" she said in her usual high-spirited style. "Good to see you again!"

"Same here," Sora approved. "Sounds like you're never gonna change."

"What did you expect?" Yuffie kidded. "Welcome back, Sora, Ronald, and Zoofy!"

"That's _Donald_ and _Goofy_!" Donald insisted.

Launchpad strode forwards. "Any friend of mine's a friend of theirs," he said shaking the ninja girl's hand. "The name's Launchpad McQuack. If it's got wings, I can crash it!"

Yuffie broke free and shook her head so slightly, no one could tell she had. She turned to Sora. "What brings you back here? Is this about the trouble in town? Are the worlds having problems? How's the King doing? What've you guys been up to? Is there anything _we_ can do to help?"

Sora cut her off by waving his hands in front of his face. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down! _One_ question at a time, Yuffie!"

Yuffie stopped speaking and nodded. Sora started to speak. "First, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and I are looking for someone," he explained. "We have to find them before anything happens. It seems the Heartless might be up to no good again. We saw them in the market and just outside. I thought things were finally under control here."

Yuffie sighed. "Yeah, they were — for a while. Then they started reappearing in the canyon just outside of town. Now the whole area is almost filled."

She titled her head up at the ceiling. "It's getting serious."

Sora crossed his arms. He remembered having to fight his way through a thousand Heartless in a single battle somewhere outside of the town. Was the canyon Yuffie mentioned the same one he recalled? Or was there another one? If it _was_ the same, perhaps that meant whatever was causing the Heartless problem to return was lurking someplace near that canyon.

And _he_ needed to find out why.

Sora uncrossed his arms. He was about to speak when the door to the library burst open and a teenager a few years older than Yuffie rushed out and headed for the stairs.

Sora and his team looked at her in surprise; it was someone they hadn't met before. The young woman had golden hair that flowed gently down to her shoulders and pale skin. She was wearing a red dress with short sleeves that was decorated with lots of yellow daisies, blue boots, and had a green ribbon in her hair. She also had a shadowing on the upper part of her green eyes; it made her eyelids look a little closed.

The unknown girl rushed into the room and straight down the stairs two steps at a time. She tripped suddenly and lost her balance. In a flash, Launchpad darted over and caught her in his arms. The girl smiled at him. "Thank you," she smiled.

"No problem-o!" the pilot replied. "It was a piece o' cake!"

The girl giggled a little at Launchpad's remark. She leaned in close and gave him a small peck on the cheek. Donald and Goofy started chuckling while Sora laughed a little. Launchpad shook his head and quickly helped the girl to her feet. It was then Sora saw the girl had a couple sparkles on each of her cheeks. He initially assumed it was the sunlight playing tricks on him until he remembered there weren't any windows in the room.

"Hi," the young woman said to the group. "Nice to meet you."

"This is Myrna," Yuffie explained. "She's been a big help around here."

"I _**love**_ flowers," Myrna admitted. "I also have some medical experience from my hometown. Good thing since we needed one with it in this world."

"Does that mean you're helpin' Aerith?" Goofy inquired.

Myrna nodded. "Yes," she said. "Aerith's my best friend. We're like sisters from another life."

She sighed happily. "She's the only _true_ friend I've really had… "

Sora tried to take in everything he'd just heard. Perhaps Myrna was not just some random girl Leon and the others had taken in to help rebuild the town. It sounded like she was a loyal friend — just he was. He had learned Bert was a member of the committee as well and wondered who else there was he still didn't know. He decided to push the contemplation aside and get back to the task at hand.

"Here's the thing," Sora started. "Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and I are trying to find someone. The worlds are in trouble. Something dark's happening and we need to find out what. I thought maybe Leon could give us a hint."

"Yeah," Yuffie said in response. "Leon's been very busy trying to contact the King about what's been going on. Perhaps now _something_ can be done."

"What is happening?" Donald inquired.

"Heartless trouble," Myrna informed the duck mage. "_That's_ what! We thought the fortress outside of town was empty, but those monsters keep coming from it."

Yuffie turned to the young woman. "I already told them that."

"Oh! I see," a startled Myrna acknowledged. Her cheeks failed to turn pink or red, even though it was still clear to Sora she was feeling a little embarrassed. He shook his head very slightly. "Perhaps you should go see Leon. We can use all the help we can get."

Sora placed his hands behind his head and gave his famous grin. "I agree, but there's one problem."

"What?" Myrna asked. Yuffie nodded, clearly confused.

The spikey-haired young man swept his eyes around the room. "I have a feeling this place isn't like it was before. I don't know where Leon and the others are."

"No problem!" Yuffie perked up. "Myrna'll take you there!"

Myrna looked a bit stunned. "Are you sure? Why can't _you_ lead them?"

"I have to go outside. Those Heartless are starting to fill the new gatehouse."

"Okay. Please be _very_ cautious!"

Yuffie nodded before she rushed to the door, opened it, and hurried out. When the door closed behind her, Sora and his team turned to face the golden-haired young woman.

"Well, I suppose you've heard the news," Myrna said. Sora thought she looked a little hesitant. "I shall be your guide to the computer room."

She turned towards the doorway at the top of the stairs. "Follow me!"

As Myrna started walking, Sora followed. Donald was next, then Goofy, and finally Launchpad. When the leader picked up the pace, Sora and his friends had to do the same.

The group proceeded through a short corridor and into a large room Sora remembered from his first visit there. A series of golden, cage-like lifts were positioned throughout the building. Myrna led the group onto one of them and they descended a few floors. Gazing up, they could see the stained glass window above. Sora smiled, recalling how this very sight had given him hope — hope he would find Kairi in this very castle.

When the lift stopped, everyone stepped off and followed Myrna quickly through a darker corridor and down a short flight of stairs. A series of lights were hanging from the ceiling at regular intervals as the group proceeded down a red hallway and around a couple zig-zaggy corners.

"Gawrsh!" Goofy marveled at the layout of the underground passage. "Sure glad there ain't no Heartless down here."

Everyone halted in their tracks. Goofy covered his mouth, now realizing his voice had echoed around.

"There _used_ to be some Heartless," Myrna told the four. "Leon, Yuffie, and the _TURK_(s) wiped them out during the early remodeling of this area. It isn't finished yet, but I hope it will look just like the hall up ahead."

Before Sora could question what the girl had meant, the group reached a large door. Myrna pushed it open. A bright light shone through, causing Sora and the others to shield their eyes for a couple seconds as they stepped through. On the other side, Sora, Donald, and Goofy stared in awe. They had walked along an interior passage down to the corridors leading to the wrecked study of Ansem the Wise.

"_Wow_!" Donald said, his voice no longer containing an echo.

"Say Myrna," Sora started to say. "Are there any other passages like that around here?"

"Yes," Myrna answered, not taking her eyes off the path they were all walking along. "Most of them we've found. I stumbled upon a trapdoor in the castle's chapel the other day and it led to the dungeon. Good thing Bert was working down there. He let me out. Aerith, Zell, and I sealed it up after that."

Sora was taken in by curiosity. He'd always wondered why the castle had contained such unusual lifts. Now there were secret passages leading this way and that. He recalled seeing a bookshelf in the library that opened to a short hallway and an elevator. He also remembered a tiny lift leading between the first and second floors of the entrance hall. Other than that, nothing else had really seemed so out of the ordinary.

Within minutes, the group reached a large door with a crown design. Myrna calmly opened it. On the other side, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were in for a surprise.

The room neat and tidy (for once). The books were back on their shelves. The broken glass had been removed. Even the abandoned spider-webs had been cleared. Sora also took note of how the portrait of Xehanort had been replaced with one of a man with long, blonde hair, a matching a mustache and beard, and blue eyes. The diagrams on the walls and floor were gone and replaced by various monitors showing information about the town, its defenses, and various other things.

A group of people were gathered in the circular study. One of them was a young man sporting long, black hair and a scar on his forehead. He was wearing a white shirt under a black jacket, long black pants with matching shoes, and three different-colored belts around his waist. Thanks to his necklace bearing a charm resembling a roaring lion, Sora knew this was his friend, Leon; he was leaning against the wall.

Seated at a computer placed on the curved desk at the center of the room was an older man with short, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a very, very thin goatee on his chin. His outfit was made of a white T-shirt, baggy blue pants with a very wide, orange waistband, grey socks, and black shoes. He had a necklace with a rectangular charm, reddish-brown goggles and matching gloves. Even if Sora hadn't missed the toothpick the man was constantly chewing on, he would still had known this was the pilot and computer expert, Cid.

Behind Cid was a young woman about twenty-four years old. She had long, brown hair styled into a braid with curls on either side of her face, and green eyes. She was wearing a pink dress, a red skirt showing underneath, a short overcoat with a faded-blue color, coiled-wire wristbands, and brown boots. There was also a pink ribbon tied in her hair. Sora smiled, knowing this was Aerith.

There was also a young man leaning against the wall opposite Leon. He was short with uniquely-styled spikey blonde hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a black vest with a red decor along the zipper, a black jacket, baggy denim shorts, and black-and-red tennis shoes. Sora was puzzled, not recognized _this_ guy — especially not when he saw the irregularly-shaped black tattoo on the young man's left cheek.

A tall man was also standing behind the computer. He had long blonde hair with a shorter (though still long) bang on either side of his face, and bright, light-green eyes. He was wearing a long white lab coat, grey vest, white collared shirt, black pants, silver-lined boots, and a purple ascot. Sora was thinking deeply; had a tiny feeling he'd seen this man before….

"Hi, everyone!" Myrna called, trying to grab the others' attention. "Sora and his friends are here."

Leon, Aerith, Cid, and the two other men both turned to see the group gathered in the doorway. They smiled.

"Good to see you again," Aerith said.

"Well now, if it ain't Launchpad," Cid smirked, shifting his eyes to the pilot. "Heard you're the head of the _Disney Royal Air Force_. Not every day we meet another pilot."

"I'm glad to see my message got through," Leon said with a grin.

"Now we can kick those Heartless _**outta**_ here!" the other young man with the tattoo declared. He started punching the air. "I have been waiting _weeks_ for this!"

Sora's own smile faded. "Not exactly," he confessed. "You see, the King and his teacher wanted us to find someone. The worlds are in danger again and this angel's probably the only one who can help."

The young man stopped punching the air and sighed deeply. "_Man_! I was all fired up to go kick some Heartless behind!"

Leon shook his head. "It means you'll get some more time to practice, Zell."

The tall man with the blonde hair strode forwards. "You say you're looking for an angel?" he inquired.

Sora nodded. The man sounded like a curious scientist. Judging from the lab coat, Sora had a feeling that was the case.

"Yeah," the brown-haired Keyblader finally said. "Her name's Indigo. Have any of you seen her?"

When everyone in the room shook their heads. Sora nodded. "Right. I should've expected that by now."

"So sorry about this," Myrna apologized.

Aerith said. "But let us know if we can help. Okay?"

"If it's an angel you're looking for, perhaps Ienzo and I could provide some in-depth research," the blonde-haired man said. "We might uncover some clue to this peculiar creature's whereabouts."

"She's _not_ a 'creature'!" Sora snapped in anger. "She's a _**person**_ — just like us! She _has_ a heart of her own!"

"Sorry," the man replied. "I didn't know you felt so strongly about her."

Sora was both shocked and dismayed. Not only was he not getting his point across, but now this guy assumed he _liked_ Violet's sister. He hadn't even _met_ her yet! How could he care about someone he didn't know other than by name? That didn't make any sense.

At that moment, a young man rushed into the room from a bluish-grey hallway. He was nearly out of breath. Sora stared at this guy for a moment, not recognizing him. Maybe it was because of his steel-blue hair that was styled into long bangs that covered the right side of his face? Or was it his white lab coat, purple ascot, black V-neck shirt, and large silver-trimmed boots? Perhaps it was the fact only one of his bright blue eyes were visible.

"_**Even**_!" he called to the tall, blonde-haired man. "Come quick! I discovered someone living _inside_ the computer!"

Sora had to smile. "That 'someone' is Tron," he said, trying to hold back his urge to laugh. "He's a friend of me, Donald, and Goofy."

"Ienzo," Even scolded the blue-haired young man. "Have you forgotten Lord Ansem's security program?"

Ienzo seemed to blush a little. "Sorry about it," he told the others. "I guess I forgot while in the Organization."

Sora was stunned. "_You_ were in Organization XIII?!"

Even turned to face the seventeen-year-old. "Yes, we _both_ were," he explained. "I recall trying to warn you, Sora, about Marluxia's treachery and his plans to make you Naminé's puppet so he and Larxene could overthrow the Organization. If it wasn't for that Axel, I would've gotten through."

At that moment, a tall young man with fiery red hair that was spiked and donning the black-hooded coat of Organization XIII stepped into the room from the blue-grey corridor. "Heh! You ever seen someone run away from a computer?" he chuckled, clearly glancing at Ienzo. "Try asking _this_ guy."

"That wasn't funny, Lea," Ienzo snorted. "Why don't _you_ do the examining from here on out?"

"Lea!" Sora called from across the room. "Man, where've you been?"

Lea grinned at the Keyblade wielder. "I've been right here. It's not easy trying to make sense of that 'data' Riku and Violet found inside of you. Too many interrupting cartoons."

Sora shook his head. He had learned from Violet how an entire nightclub had been located inside his heart — one where King Mickey was the host, Donald was his assistant, and Goofy was the head-waiter. He had also learned Queen Minnie was the schedule-keeper, Daisy (Donald's "_very_ special sweetheart" as Goofy had put it) was the one in charge of guest relations, and Pluto was their mascot. It sounded like everyone Sora's heart was connected with had been inside that place. If only _he_ could've seen it for himself — _**especially**_ the various cartoons his friends had witnessed.

Before anyone else could speak, a young woman walked in through the doorway and clear past Sora's team. Sora was both startled and perplexed; he hadn't seen this woman before either. He assumed it was partly due to her outfit consisting of a long, sleeveless, blue sweater, a pair of matching arm warmers, a black tank-top, a denim skirt, a black ribbon on her left arm, black shorts, and a pair of silver-buckled black boots — something he'd never seen _anyone else_ where until now. When he saw she had shoulder-length black hair, dark-brown eyes, and a necklace with a ring, Sora had a feeling this young lady resembled someone he knew.

"I am here to see Squall," the woman announced in a voice Sora thought sounded a little like Kairi's. Unless it was his imagination.

The spikey, brown-headed seventeen-year-old noticed Leon frowning at the young woman. "That's '**_Leon_**'," he stated in a very firm voice. "You _know_ why I changed it, Rinoa."

Rinoa seemed unamused and a little offended. "You were supposed to pick up an important delivery from Mike," she told Leon. "Because you didn't, we can't finish building the new wing's walls. This castle's not going to build itself."

"I have been too busy," Leon argued. "Perhaps you should've asked Zell to get it."

The young man with the tattoo marched over. "I've got everything taken care of!" he declared loudly and proudly. "I will be _back_ with those supplies before you can say 'Zell, you did again' three times!"

"'Zell, you did it again'. 'Zell, you did it again'. 'Zell, you did it again'," Leon teased.

Zell stared at the young man with his mouth wide open. "Can't you give a _chance_?" he demanded. "I haven't left the castle yet!"

Sora shook his head. This was getting to be a problem with no solution. Then again, perhaps it was time for _him_ to step in and resolve it. "Hey!" he blurted. "How about letting Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and I pick them up for you?"

Everyone else stared at him. It didn't make Sora feel any better when Jiminy emerged from the former's hood and whispered into his ear. "Remember to 'think _before_ acting'! It can help in the long run."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Sora apologized with his grin showing up again. "Guess I got a little carried away."

Aerith giggled a little. "Maybe Leon's right. We forgot who we were dealing with."

"Hey, ya big palooka," a suspicious, unimpressed Donald spoke up. "What do you mean by _that_?"

Myrna smiled at the duck. "Maybe you should consider it an 'Aerith remark'."

Sora looked a bit puzzled. He'd never heard of an "Aerith remark" before. Maybe a "Leon compliment", but never anything else. "Okay… "

Leon crossed his arms and shook his head. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, perhaps you four can help us here."

Sora slapped his chest with his right fist. "Like we were gonna say 'no'?"

Leon had to smile. He handed Sora a folded piece of parchment. "We have some supplies waiting at a carpentry shop on the edge of town," he explained. "The owner is Mike Millard, he's a friend of ours."

Sora unfolded the paper. It was a black-and-white drawing of the town from overhead. Just as Leon had said, a carpentry shop was labelled on the edge of the town near the outlying stone wall. "Got it," he said. "Thanks!"

"Oh!" Aerith exclaimed in surprise before Sora and his team could leave. She turned to Cid. "Are they ready?"

"Give me a chance," the pilot/computer expert complained. He pressed a few more keys. "Gotta print 'em in the next room."

Cid hopped from his workstation and darted down the blue-grey hall. He returned a few moments later with a handful of small cards. "Here ya are," he said, handing them out to Sora and his teammates. "Enough for each of ya and two extra. Without 'em, Dilan and Aeleus'll throw you out."

"Yeah," Sora acknowledged. He took a moment to glance over the red card. On one side was a picture of the castle surrounded by fountains. On the other was a line of text. He read through it aloud. "'_**Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee **_**Very Important Person**_** Member**_'!"

"More membership cards!" Donald exclaimed happily.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy chuckled, pointing at the picture of the castle. "How Pretty!"

Launchpad could not take his eyes off the card. "And now _I_ have one of my own!"

Sora smiled at his friends. "Thanks a lot! We'll be back with those supplies. See ya!"

Leon saluted while everyone else smiled. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad rushed out of the room and down the corridor.

* * *

Sora and his friends had just reached the castle's foyer when they heard someone running up from behind. Certain this meant they had forgotten something, the group spun around. There stood Rinoa, panting to catch her breath.

"What's up?" Sora inquired.

"I had to apologize for yelling," the young woman said. "Squall — I mean Leon's been on edge since he never received a reply from the King."

"He sure was mean to ya," Goofy indicated.

"Yeah," Donald agreed. "Like Daisy's been on our last few dates."

Rinoa shook her head. Sora saw a look of concern in her eyes. "Is there something else?" he asked.

She pointed at his necklace — the one with the miniature heart. Sora glanced down and his eyes lit up. The charm had sprouted wings like Violet. He had the feeling this new necklace was magical. He smiled and nodded.

"I was wondering where you got that," Rinoa said.

"A friend of mine gave to me for my birthday," Sora admitted. "She's an angel — the kind with wings. She's also a '_**True**__ Friend_'."

Rinoa crossed her arms. "It looks a lot like the one my cousin used to have."

"Gee, who's your cousin?" Goofy asked.

Rinoa sighed. "I don't remember."

Sora was more puzzled now. "You don't remember your own cousin?"

"It's been years since I last saw her," the young woman told them. "She's probably the only family I have left."

Sora crossed his arms in thought. "Perhaps I could help you find her?"

Rinoa didn't respond. Now Sora wondered _who_ her cousin was. Could it be someone else in town? That didn't make sense as Rinoa would have found them by now. Unless her memory was almost a blank and she didn't recognize them.

He knew such a thing was possible as he lacked any memories of almost a year of his own lifetime. How was that possible? Could there be a connection between these two scenarios?

Rinoa stepped away. As she headed further into the castle, she called back, "I cannot remember who she is… I can only sense she's still alive."

Now Sora was as confused as ever. He decided to shove the coming contemplation aside for a later date and led his friends out of the castle. Just outside, they found Yuffie helping Dilan and Aeleus clearing away some Heartless. Sora's team didn't pay them any mind as they rushed through and hurried down the steps and into the construction zone beyond.

Sora had the feeling there was something about Rinoa's cousin from which he could help her find the latter.

* * *

**A/N: So, how was THAT for a detailed Chapter? For those of you who remember my earlier story, "_Kingdom Hearts - The Phantom Threat_", you probably noticed how I brought back many of the quotations from That story for This one. These include things like Launchpad's "where's the gardens?" joke, and such.**

**That aside, where shall I start? Perhaps with the fact I was imagining _Midgar_ and "_Kingdom Hearts 2_" while writing this Chapter. That's why it turned out so well in my opinion. After all, I wouldn't be surprise if _Midgar_ was the original inspiration for the _Radiant Garden_!**

**Yes, yes... Tifa, Barret, Marlene, Reno, Rude, and Elena are all from "_Final Fantasy VII_". I certainly Hope I managed to keep them in character enough for all of you who really enjoy that series, too! I also wanted to include the _TURK_(s) organization, so I created an anagram for it. I think it works well, but please let me know what YOU think!**

**I decided to make Reno and Lea twins. Why? Simple! They are Both voiced by Quinton Flynn and have almost the exact same characterization (Lea is a little more laid-back than Reno in my opinion).**  
**I also decided to give some of the "_Final Fantasy VII_" Characters who we know already from the "_Kingdom Hearts_" games new outfits. After all, that Is what they've done in the games, too!**

**Plus, Rinoa and Zell are both from "_Final Fantasy VIII_". I Hope they are in character enough for you. I haven't finished playing that game yet and decided to incorporate them in the way I have seen them portrayed so far. Rinoa was a much harder one to work with. Any feedback you can give me in regards to them would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!**

**I had fun including the songs "_Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah_" and "_Chim Chim Cheree_" in there, and I Hope all of you enjoyed them, too! There are more such "Musical Segments" to come later!**

**Of course, I HAVE to say these: **  
**Uncle Remus is from "_Song of The South (1946)_".**  
**Bert is from "_Mary Poppins (1964)_".**

**Plus, Jessica and Myrna are My Original Characters. There are others including one who was mentioned towards the end, but I haven't revealed them Directly yet!**

**Continuing on, I want you to GUESS who Rinoa's cousin is! Here's a Hint - she's in This Story somewhere! Maybe she's ALREADY appeared, or maybe she is YET to appear - I won't say either way!**

**Furthermore, "_VIP_" DOES stand for "_Very Important Person_". I just wanted to spell it out on the membership cards.**

**SHEESH! THAT WAS QUITE A BIT OF DETAIL AND EXPLANATION, WASN'T IT?**  
**I'll just say this Now, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus Remember To, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	5. Ch5 - The Carpenter And His Niece

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE! YOU'VE COME JUST IN TIME TO SEE CHAPTER 5! IT'S JUST ARRIVED!**

**So, I wanted to thank you for all those Reviews so far. It has shown me how much you all Enjoy This Story! This makes me have more fun writing it, knowing you'll be there to enjoy it - Especially when some Chapters are NOT so easy to write!**

**Furthermore, unlike the first four Chapters, I Already had This One pre-written for the most part. I was so excited while preparing this story, I wrote a few parts ahead of time, and the majority of this Chapter is one of those parts. There are two or three others, so I shall inform you when they come - in case you're interested.**  
**I thought it was important to point this out since my writing style is not to be exactly the same as the rest of the story because of I wrote them earlier on. Of course, there's still the possibility there'll be More Humor involved as well!**

**Plus, I wanted to inform you, I'll need to take a temporary break from This Story so I can prepare for exams. Once they're out of the way, I'll resume and post Chapter 6 as rapidly as possible.**

**Since this Chapter introduces three more of my Original Characters, I shall let you go on to read it.**  
**GO AHEAD! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW ALIKE! DON'T FORGET TO THANK _SORA_ AND _SQUARE ENIX_ AND _DISNEY_, TOO (THEY CREATED THE _KINGDOM HEARTS_ UNIVERSE)!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 5  
****The Carpenter And His Niece**

The workshop was located on a side street close to the outer stone wall. As Sora and the others approached, it became clear the building was fairly new in comparison to the rest of the town. It was made of wood on all sides with one section clearly crafted from concrete. The walls were a bright yellow, which stood out. At the top of the concrete walls was a section with glass windows and a peaked roof of the same design. It was attached to the building on the opposite end from where the front door was. The roof of the shop was also peaked and covered with brown shingles.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad followed Sora as they neared the shop's entrance. A forest-green awning sheltered the doorway from the bright sun overhead. There was a large, rectangular window to the right of the door. Some words were painted onto a sign mounted above it. In neat, golden letters, the sign read,

**MILLARD'S CARPENTRY SHOP**

"This must be it," Sora concluded, observing the front of the workshop. Recalling how Geppetto's shop had looked in the dreams of _**Rascal's Dreamland**_, he realized the one before his eyes was much larger and modern in comparison. He was sure this was most-likely due to the difference of technology between the two worlds. Still, that did not explain why the building was so huge.

Goofy looked around the area. All around them were houses that appeared to have been thrown together in a hurry. The entire region gave the unnerving sensation of being in a run-down village — or the "slums" as some people tended to refer to such places.

"This here place sure don't look safe," the knight remarked, his right hand held up to his face. "Hope we ain't sittin' ducks."

Donald gave the Captain of the Guard a stern look. "Hey! What do mean by _that_?"

"If there's supposed to be a delivery here," Launchpad spoke up for the first time in a while. "It must be from a ghost living in this ghost town."

Donald nearly fainted from shock at the pilot's statement.

Sora turned his eyes to the left; they fell onto a couple of houses with some lights on inside. He relaxed, knowing the community was _anything_ but a deserted ghost town.

"Come on," he announced, stepping up to the workshop's entrance. "Let's get that delivery."

Donald and Launchpad followed the brown-haired Keyblader into the workshop. Goofy took one last look around the vicinity before walking to the entrance. He thought he heard a strange noise and swung his head at the last second.

_**BAM!**_ Goofy rubbed his nose after stepping back from the wall beside the doorframe. "A-Hyuck!" was all he could say as he strolled through the actual doorway.

* * *

The inside of the shop wasn't in the best condition, nor in the worst shape. When Sora had stepped through the entrance, he stopped and turned his head to gaze around the room. A bunch of paint cans were piled up in one corner with a ladder set-up beside them. The floor was covered by several bright-grey tarps and a few paintbrushes were laid out. The air smelled like the fresh coat of white paint that had recently been applied to the lower half of the walls; the upper halves were still blank and drywall could be seen.

Sora was so caught up in taking in the area, he didn't see Donald and Launchpad coming in from behind. Goofy strolled in a second later, got distracted by the unfinished interior, and stepped into an open can of paint sitting next to the door. As the knight hastily shook his leg to kick off the unwanted container, he bumped into Launchpad, who in turn collided with Donald followed by Sora. The group fell to the floor like dominos. Jiminy leapt from Sora's pocket and shook his head at the sight.

As they all scrambled back to their feet, Donald glared at Goofy. "What's the big idea?!" the duck magician snapped.

Everyone else whirled their attention to Goofy. The latter was pointing at the can stuck on his foot. "I didn't touch nothin'!" he told them. "This here paint can got stuck on muh foot, and I can't get it off!"

Sora shook his head before hurrying over to where Goofy's leg was raised. Launchpad was about to do the same, until Donald put his hand up and blocked the way. "Not you," the stubborn duck said. "You're a walking disaster!"

Launchpad's sigh would've sounded very dramatic. "Aw gee… "

Sora placed his hands around the container and started to pull. The can didn't budge. He tugged a little harder; same result. Sora sighed. "It's no use," he finally concluded. "It's stuck like glue."

"Pull _harder_!" Donald stated. "That's what the King and I did the last time this happened!"

Rubbing his hands together, Sora placed them onto the top rim of the can. As he yanked with all his might, the brown-haired teenager counted, "One… _Two_… _**Three**_!"

At the count of "Three", the container popped off with such force, Sora went flying backward and banged into a shelf. It collapsed, sending tiny pieces of wood falling onto the floor. Other than a few tiny splinters, Sora was uninjured; he was used to at least a few cuts and bruises here and there. Looking back at Goofy's foot, Sora took note of how the former's huge, long shoe was completely covered in dripping, bright-yellow paint. He shook his head and smiled.

At that moment, a dark shadow covered part of the room. Judging from the shape, Sora thought it looked like a tall man. He noticed Donald cowering behind Launchpad; the pair of ducks were behaving very anxious. Goofy covered his mouth with one hand while the other continued to wipe his shoe clean with one of the tarps from the floor. Jiminy hopped back into Sora's pocket as a very deep voice spoke. "…May I help you?"

Sora turned his eyes upward and saw what happened to be a tall, bald-headed man with dark skin and a clean-shaven chin. He was wearing a pair of long black overalls, brown boots, and an orange shirt. His hands were folded across his chest, although it was still clear they were covered by a pair of yellow working gloves. A transparent set of safety goggles covered his eyes, and he had a pair of round eyeglasses underneath. Around his waist was a yellow tool-belt carrying a variety of different tools such as a screwdriver, monkey-wrench, and hammer.

"Huh?" was Sora's initially reply. He rose to his feet and turned to face the man a moment later. "Oh yeah!"

Sora's enormous grin only seemed to make the man more suspicious. The spikey-headed youth rapidly decided to introduce the group. "I'm Sora," he gestured at himself. His hand indicated each of the others. "That's Donald, Goofy, and… "

"The name's Launchpad McQuack!" Launchpad proclaimed as he took a giant step forward. "If it's got wings, I can _crash_ it!"

The man furrowed his brow, causing Donald slap himself in the face; Launchpad's intro had only made the man question the group all the more. "What is your _purpose_ in coming here?" the man demanded, his voice showing signs of someone about to call "9-1-1". This made Sora gulp.

"Leon sent us," Sora explained with a nervous smile. "He said 'Mr. Millard' had a delivery ready for him and we offered to pick it up."

The man's suspicion faded away for a friendly smile. He extended his hand. "_I'm_ Mike Millard, but you can call me Mike."

Sora accept Mike's hand. "Nice to meet you, Mike!"

"Gawrsh," Goofy said with a chuckle. "Leon never said you was so friendly, Mike Mill-err-d."

Launchpad shrugged his shoulders. "He must've _assumed_ it!"

Donald rolled his eyes at the pair's statements. Mike shook his head. "It's pronounced 'Mill-_lar_-d'! With a _long_ "A"." he corrected.

This made Goofy stare for a moment before saying, "A-Hyuck!"

Sora glanced around the room. "So, where's the delivery?"

"Sorry," Mike apologized. "I haven't finished preparing _everything_ Leon requested. You're all welcome to stick around and watch if you'd like."

"Yeah!" Sora instantly nodded. He turned to face the others. "How 'bout it? Want to see a _real_ carpenter at work?"

Donald crossed his arms and looked down. "I don't know… "

"Sure," Goofy said, rubbing his nose. "I've always been curious about 'car-pen-tree'!"

"That's '_carpentry_'!" Donald corrected in irritation.

Goofy nodded in acknowledgement. "Oh yeah! A-Hyuck!"

Launchpad shrugged. "Why not?"

Sora turned back to face Mike. "Okay," he finished. "Let's go."

Mike nodded in agreement before turning toward a door at the back of the shop and gesturing for the others to follow. Sora, Donald, and Launchpad nodded in agreement before doing so. Goofy finished wiping the last spot of bright-yellow paint from his shoe before catching up with the others.

They stepped into a large room on the other side of the doorway. A few bright light-bulbs and a tinted window on the far wall (that was partly covered by curtains) lit up the nearly-empty chamber. A large workbench was located to the left. On the far left side of the room, a staircase led to the second floor. Sora gazed at it for a moment; he wondered what was up there. Mike handed each of them a pair of safety goggles. He and Sora strode up to the workbench. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad took the opportunity to sit down on a faded couch covered in a white sheet.

"So," Sora started to say. "What did Leon ask for?"

Mike's focus remained glued to the power-saw he was using. "He needs ten four-by-six boards, eighteen twelve-by-five boards, a couple ladders, and a dozen cans of yellow, white, and green paint apiece."

Sora crossed his arms. "Sounds like a lot of stuff," he muttered. As far as he could understand, the entire description sounded much like a shopping list of things he had never heard of before.

Mike gave what sounded like a small chuckle. "It'll be worth it. Once the town is rebuilt, everything will be perfect."

Through the corner of his eye, Sora saw an irritated Donald squished between a half-dozing Goofy and bored Launchpad. He shook his head before turning back to Mike. "What do you mean?"

"It's really quite simple," Mike explained. "Many years ago, this town was once referred to as the 'City of Light' for its peaceful state. It was truly no wonder why it was named the '_**Radiant Garden**_'. It was more than perfect; the streets, the fountains, the houses — _everything_. Its appearance was _worthy_ of its name. When those Heartless attacked, I was one of the few who made it as far as _**Traverse Town**_. There, I met an old friend, Cid, who had rescued three youngsters in the chaos; you probably know them as Leon, Aerith, and Yuffie. Ever since we returned here, I've resumed my career as a carpenter and provided much-needed supplies to the reconstruction and restoration of this city. The '_Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_' is an _excellent_ organization to be a member of, which I am sure you're well aware."

Sora listened intently, trying to take all this information in. It sounded like Mike Millard had been a resident of the _**Radiant Garden**_ long before the Heartless had taken over it. The description of the city's former self sounded like the world had once been filled with Light and there wasn't anything to prevent its tranquility from being sustained.

Nothing, that is, except the Heartless… Sora had learned from Leon nearly two years ago how the Heartless had taken over this same land roughly ten years before. Apparently, Maleficent had travelled from her home world and unleashed an immense amount of Heartless all over the "City of Light". Though the evil fairy was no longer in control, the town was still plagued by continuous raids from the Heartless roaming the streets. Even now, the world was not as peaceful as it once was approximately twelve years ago.

"Is that why you're helping Leon and the others?" Sora inquired.

Mike gave a nod. "Yes, I am helping them rebuild this city. If we all pitch in a little at a time, the 'City of Light' will be restored to its former glory. I for one am looking forward to the day when we all can safely stroll through the marble streets of a completed city full of Light."

He gave a deep sigh. "That's one thing I wish I could've shown her… "

"Who?" Sora questioned.

Mike didn't answer and instead proceeded to saw another wooden board. Deep down inside, Sora wondered if the carpenter had lost someone in the chaos when the Heartless had first invaded the town.

A series of footsteps filled his ears. Whirling his head to the right, Sora stared in surprise. Coming down the stairs was a girl of about age fifteen. Her pale skin, long dark-green hair reaching down to just below her shoulders, and sky-blue eyes indicated she was probably _not_ related to Mike Millard. She was slender and had a blue ribbon tied in a bow in her hair like Minnie Mouse. Her green dress with short sleeves reached down to a few inches below her knees and was secured in place by a yellow strap around her waist. A few patches of her dress were darker and others were lighter. On each of her wrists was a red bracelet and a matching chain was around her neck. Her feet were covered by a pair of dark-blue shoes.

When Launchpad saw her, his mouth fell open. The pilot nudged Donald, who stared before waking Goofy. All three of them stared in amazement.

"She sure looks lovely," Goofy awed.

"You could say _that_ again," Donald added.

"Of course," Launchpad nodded. "She sure looks lovely… "

Donald glared at the pilot. "I didn't mean _literally_!"

The girl caught a glimpse of the three, shook her head, and turned away. She marched up to where Sora and Mike were standing at the workbench. "_**Excuse me**_!" she shouted with such volume, Sora had to cover his ears. "_**Hello**_?"

Mike switched off the power-saw and turned to look at the girl. "What is it now?" he grumbled.

The girl crossed her arms. "You got a call from Barret! He said to meet him and Tifa at the castle around four o'clock!"

Mike looked annoyed. "Don't tell me they've changed their minds _again_! How many times do I have to tell them they need to agree on the design _**before**_ the addition can be built?!"

"Why should I care?" the girl snapped. "It's not like there's going to be _flowers_ in it! Why don't you build another conservatory instead?"

Mike slammed his fist onto the workbench in anger. "That _**doesn't**_ apply here!"

"It does _**so**_!" the girl countered. "What's the _point_ in rebuilding this city unless it has some gardens?!"

Sora stared in alarm, wondering if he should get involved in their dispute. He recalled how many times he had ultimately caused fights to break out between himself and at least one other person because he interrupted an argument. Before he could restrain them, the words left his mouth in a hurry.

"_**Hey**_!" the brown, spikey-haired Keyblader shouted at the two. "Cut it out! Leon _needs_ those supplies, right? And my friends and I aren't leaving _**without**_ them!"

Donald was astonished. "We _aren't_?!"

Goofy and Launchpad nodded at him. Donald noticed them and said, "I wasn't asking _you_!"

Mike and the girl stared at the young man for a second. The girl spun around and ran back up the stairs. With an especially deep sigh, Mike returned to what he had been doing. Donald jumped from the couch and approached Sora.

"What're you _**thinking**_, ya big palooka?!" the duck snarled at the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder. His right finger was pointed threateningly at the young man's face. "That _**wasn't**_ your fight!"

Sora crossed his arms. "Look who's talking!" he retaliated. "You've caused _**more**_ fights than me!"

Donald hesitated for a full minute before shouting, "You're _**wrong**_! I'm _smarter_, _kinder_, and _more_ handsome than you!"

The irony in the duck's words made Launchpad and Goofy turn away to prevent the former from overhearing their snickering. Sora shook his head and smiled.

"Sorry you had to see that," Mike sighed. Sora and the other three turned their attention over to the carpenter. "Lately, people have been sending me loads of requests for certain projects they want done, and I haven't been able to keep up. Some keep changing their mind about different aspects of the project and still expect it to be built quickly."

He sighed once more. "That's part of the reason why you've had to wait for the delivery to be finished."

Sora nodded in understanding. "Yeah," he said aloud. "I know the feeling. Sometimes people expect me to do a bunch of stuff at once, but I can't. I guess it comes with trying to help too many at the same time."

Through the corner of his eye, Sora thought he could see Donald giving a nod of approval. He smiled back.

Goofy was still staring at the staircase. "Say," he called out. "Who was that lady anyway?"

"I may not know her name," Launchpad added. "But she sure was _lovely_… "

Sora could tell Donald had ignored the pilot's comment, though it was still obvious the duck wizard was getting more and more impatient — like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.

"That was Phoebe," Mike informed them. "My niece."

Sora swung his head back and forth between the stairs and the carpenter busy sawing another piece of wood. "You're… _niece_?"

Mike nodded. "'We've' been looking after her since her parents died during the last plague."

Sora looked shocked. "Wait! What… 'plague'?"

"It ended about fourteen years ago," Mike went on to say. "Many people were inflected by a new type of illness Lord Ansem came to refer to as 'Villa-pox'. It was said to have been transmitted by a flock of strange insects that had originated through one of many experiments conducted by the city's leading scientist. The plague remained until a cure was finally developed. By then, many people — including Phoebe's parents — had died."

"What happened to thuh scientist?" Goofy inquired, indicating he had been listening to at least part of the story.

Mike shook his head. "He was banished into another dimension for conducting several other unethical experiments, although many citizens insisted on his execution. I recall hearing rumors from some of my neighbors that he was actually considering something called '_Project C_', but no one was ever able to discover what it was."

Sora crossed his arms and started to ponder deeply. Based on the account, it sounded like the _**Radiant Garden**_ had once been plagued by an illness thanks to a high-ranking scientist's experiment. Although the scientist had been banished, the disease had continued to take people's lives; Mike's niece, Phoebe had lost her parents, too. It had remained until someone created a cure. Ever since, Mike had been the guardian of Phoebe.

His thoughts switched over to the identity of the unknown scientist. Since the scientist had been banished into another dimension, he could've been one of the members of Organization XIII. Then again, he might just be lurking in another world somewhere and continuing his experiments. Whatever "_Project C_" was supposed to be, Sora didn't know, and chances were the answer would remain a mystery forever. Unless… perhaps the information was locked away inside Ansem's computer. If so, maybe Tron would be able to access those files and reveal what the scientist had been up to.

Sora glanced at the staircase. Until Mike was done, he needed something to do to keep himself from becoming too impatient. "Is it okay if we go talk to your niece?"

Mike shrugged. "Go ahead! It'll be a little longer before this shipment is ready to go. Phoebe's probably in her bedroom. It's the first door on the right."

Sora nodded. "Got it!"

Goofy and Launchpad hopped off the couch and joined Donald as they followed Sora up the stairs.

* * *

The second floor was in the same condition as the shop's main entrance. A short hallway was at the top of the stairs, leading to the left. At the end was a small, curtained window. To the left and right of the window were brown, wooden doors. A ladder was located about halfway down the hall. Tarps were spread out along the entire length of the corridor while paint cans and brushes alike were situated beside the ladder.

Sora gazed to his right. Another wooden door was located a few inches away. The main difference between this door and the others was how it was a forest-green color and had the words "**STAY OUT!**" painted on it in bright-yellow letters.

"That must be her room," Sora murmured to himself.

He led the others up to the door and started knocking. From the other side, a voice yelled, "Stay _out_ of my room!"

"Maybe we should go," Donald suggested.

Goofy strode up to the door and reached for the doorknob. It turned without a sound. The knight gave another "A-Hyuck!" when the door suddenly flew open. Goofy landed onto a pink carpeted floor covered by a few yellow pillows. As he tried to look up, another pillow slammed into his face. "Gawrsh… "

Sora took a speedy glance around the chamber. The walls were painted just like a forest with lots and lots of leaves and trees. A soft, blue bean-bag chair was situated in one corner with a matching dresser in another. A ceiling fan with a light was located on the ceiling amongst what appeared to be glow-in-the-dark star stickers (including a comet). A floor lamp was located to the left of a dark-green bed on the far end of the room. A light-green nightstand was situated on the other side of the bed.

Sitting on the bed with her legs outstretched was the same dark-green-haired girl they had seen earlier. Her face was full of anger as she continued to throw pillows at the group standing in the doorway. "I told you to _stay __**out**_!"

A blue pillow hit Donald in the face. "What's the big _idea_?!" he snapped in annoyance. His fingers clutched the pillow tightly.

The girl threw another pillow. It bumped into Sora's arms as he braced for it. He'd had enough. With an annoyed glare on his face, the seventeen-year-old Keyblader marched inside and straight to the bed. He grabbed the girl's wrists and refused to let go when she started to struggle. She kicked his knee, but Sora wouldn't let her break free.

"_**Hey**_!" Sora demanded. "_**Stop**_ it! We just want to _**talk**_!"

The girl stared at the spikey, brown-haired young man in surprise. Sora released his grip and stepped back a few paces. The girl gave a relieved sigh followed by a shy smile. "So _sorry_! I… I didn't know."

"It's okay," Sora reassured her. His hands flew behind his head. "This isn't the first time I've been hit by pillows."

The girl covered her mouth to conceal her soft giggles. In the open doorway, Donald dropped the pillow in his hands and gave an uneasy grin, though his cheeks failed to turn red. Launchpad and Goofy nodded at each other.

"I'm Sora," Sora said a second later. He gestured at the three gathered in the doorway. "That's Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad."

After checking to make sure she had the group's full attention, the girl spoke. "My name is Phoebe Forest," she introduced. "I noticed you've already met my Uncle Mike."

"Yeah," Donald agreed.

"He sure seems awful busy," Goofy remarked.

Launchpad paused for a few moments. "Like a busy bee?"

Donald rolled his eyes at the pilot's random statement. No one noticed Jiminy hopping out of the former's pocket and landing onto his shoulder. The cricket cleared his throat, startling everyone.

"Hmm," Jiminy began, gazing at Phoebe. "Seems to me, you and your uncle don't see things eye-to-eye. Do you?"

Phoebe sighed and looked down at her covers. "No, we don't. Uncle Mike is convinced this city will be completed once all of the buildings have been rebuilt."

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "Everywhere you look out there, there's something going on. This place has become one big construction zone."

"Exactly my _point_," Phoebe stated. She looked at everyone. "They're spending so much time laying out where it is believed the original neighborhoods were located and building newer sections where they are certain there wasn't."

Phoebe slid to the other side of her bed and set her feet on the floor. She stood and walked up to a small, circular window partly-shrouded by some navy-blue curtains. "But I can tell you _one_ thing for sure," she emphasized. "This city is _not_ named '_**Radiant Garden**_' for its buildings! The word 'garden' does _not_ mean an industrialized society!"

She spun around, taking account of how she still had everyone's undivided attention — including Goofy and Launchpad. "It means a place of beauty! A land where flowers blossom and parks full of green grass are abundant. Where peace reigns supreme and a rainbow can be seen every day."

"I thought it was funny how this place is called the '_**Radiant Garden**_' when there isn't any garden," Launchpad blurted. "All I've seen-s a flea market, bunch of sliding houses, and piles of junk."

Donald slapped himself in the face when he realized the pilot had taken note of something important the others hadn't. This was just like when Goofy had noticed Ping was a girl pretending to be a boy when Sora, Donald, and Goofy had travelled to the _**Land of The Dragons**_ over a year and a half ago. Both Goofy and Launchpad had proved they were smart in their own way — but Donald would _**never**_ admit it.

Sora crossed his arms. "You mean this town will not be the same until there are some gardens in it?"

"That's part of it," Phoebe clarified. "Let me show you."

After walking around her bed, Phoebe approached a dark-green curtain on the wall to the left of the floor-lamp. She pushed it to one side, revealing a transparent glass door. After punching in a five-digit code into a small, black panel to the left of the door, Phoebe pushed the door open and gestured for the others to follow. Sora was the first one through with Jiminy still perched on his shoulder. Donald was next, followed by Goofy and then Launchpad.

* * *

Sora gazed around the immediate area on the other side of the doorway. The ceiling was peaked and full of glass windows. The walls were white and also contained windows. Rows of plants had been placed in the middle of the room upon long, metal tables while the majority of the perimeter had plants hanging from the ceiling. The only section without any plants was the far wall where a glass doorway led onto a curved balcony. In each of the corners was a giant sunflower in an orange flowerpot. Most of the plants were flowers and a few contained bulbs getting ready to bloom. The petals had such a variety of colors, they resembled a rainbow.

"Wow," Sora marveled at the sight of all the colorful plants.

He walked around for a minute, admiring the various aromas. His nose suddenly detected an especially bad odor. He, Phoebe, Donald, Jiminy, and Launchpad all glanced at Goofy, who reached into one of his vest's pockets and pulled out a moldy peanut-butter and jelly sandwich.

"It was a snack," the knight said, a sad look on his face.

Phoebe crossed her arms with a shy smile. "Sorry," she apologized. "I forgot to say the air's very, very humid in here."

Donald held his nose, noticing the greenish color forming on the bread. "_**Eww**_! Get _rid_ of it — _**now**_!"

Spotting a nearby metal cylinder with a lid, Goofy stumbled over, lifted the lid and dropped the moldy sandwich inside. Before he could close the container, a small, black cat with yellowish eyes poked its head out. Everyone stared at it in surprise; the animal was chewing on a fish-bone the same way a dog would.

Phoebe's arms flew to her sides as she glared at the feline. "_Rachel_!" she scolded. "You know you're not supposed to be in there!"

The cat dropped the bone from its mouth and leaped out of the can and onto Donald's hat. The duck started quivering with panic and reached for the animal ferociously. "_**Help**_!" he screamed. "That darn cat will bring me _bad_ luck — _**again**_!"

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered aloud. "I thought you _always_ had bad luck, Donald."

While the duck mage glared at the knight, the cat jumped off the former's hat and bounced onto Sora's shoulder. The brown-haired Keyblader was so startled, he nearly leapt back several feet. The cat hopped off his shoulder less than a second after and landed into Phoebe's open arms. Donald flinched as Phoebe knelt down, placed the cat onto the floor, and started to stroke the animal's fur. The cat gave a friendly purr.

Sora smiled, taken note of how the young woman seemed to care for her pet like he cared about Kairi — only different. "You sure are great with animals," he remarked, placing his hands behind his head.

Phoebe turned her gaze up to him. Her small smile made Donald and Goofy turn to keep the spikey-headed seventeen-year-old from hearing their snickering. "Thank you," she replied. "Rachel was a rescue. She was abandoned in _**Traverse Town**_, so Uncle Mike let me adopt her."

Phoebe turned away and gave a deep sigh. Sora paused, wondering if the girl had lost a pet she really cared for. "What's wrong?" he inquired.

Phoebe swerved her focus back at the brown, spikey-headed youth. "Oh!" she said with a hint of someone being startled. "It's _nothing_ important!"

She returned to her feet. "So," the dark-green-haired girl said, seeing she had the group's full attention. "Can I show you around?"

Sora nodded before following her down the nearest aisle in the room. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were moments behind.

All the while, Sora was still pondering whether or not Phoebe was hiding something. Deep down inside, he wondered if she had been through some type of ordeal before.

When they reached the end of the aisle, Phoebe made a left and approached the large, glass doorway leading to the balcony. Sora and the others watched as she typed a few numbers into an electronic lock on the door before pushing it open. All five of them stepped out onto the stone porch, which happened to be shaped like a half-circle. It had a marble railing running along the outside perimeter that was as smooth as a mirror.

"Whoa," Sora awed softly as he peered into the distance.

At the peak of a steady-rising hilltop near the center of the town was the enormous, gadget-covered castle with a few cranes positioned at the base. The outside walls were just as silver as they had appeared from the town's marketplace except for a slight shade of pinkish-red coating along the foundation. He could _now_ see the top of the structure was largely finished and even bore some bright yellow paint at the upper half of the tallest tower. A second tower was leaning out from the other side and the framework for two additional towers were jutting out from either side of the castle a few stories above the base.

Remembering what he'd seen the last time he'd come to this world, he had the feeling the building would soon be finished. The concept of seeing the _Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_'s tireless effort paying off made Sora give a smile. It wouldn't have _ever_ been possible if he hadn't forced Maleficent out of that castle and stopped Organization XIII's plans with the Heartless. However long it would take, one thing was clear — the "City of Light" would soon be restored… wouldn't it?

Through his peripheral vision, Sora caught a glimpse of Goofy and Launchpad taking turns peering through a long, black telescope on a tripod near the railing. Donald kept hopping up and down to get their attention, but the pair paid him no mind. Sora shook his head.

Turning his eyesight to the right, Sora found Phoebe leaning on the railing with her left arm tucked underneath. She turned her head as the spikey, brown-headed Keyblade wielder approached. The young woman moved her gaze out towards the horizon and pointed with her right index finger. "Take a look and let me know what you see," she said in a calm voice.

Sora carefully swept his eyes around the landscape. Noticing how nothing had really changed, he muttered, "Just the usual. Cranes… workers… pillars of smoke… a few dust clouds… nothing out of the ordinary."

Phoebe nodded as she placed her head onto her right palm. "That's the problem," she explained. "Imagine what this view will be once all the construction is completed. Houses… stores… people milling about… noise… pollution… nothing colorful or pretty."

With a sigh, Phoebe rose to her feet. "Some '_paradise_'!" she added. "This town would be better known as '_**Hollow Bastion**_' than '_**Radiant Garden**_'. It wouldn't matter if Maleficent was still here."

Sora stared in surprise. Not once since his previous adventures had ended had anyone claimed Maleficent should've remained in control of _any_ particular world. Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, Cid, and all the others he had met from this world had been extremely grateful once Sora and his friends had evicted the witch and her council from the castle. No one had… until now of course.

"What do you _**mean**_?!" he exclaimed in alarm, inadvertently seizing Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad's focus in the process. Phoebe sighed as she turned to face him. He somehow took into account how her right hand was placed on the railing; he didn't know why he was noticing such unneeded information.

"It's really simple," she stated. "Unless this town has at least two or three gardens and a city park or two, it will be _impossible_ to restore the _**Radiant Garden**_ to its former self — let alone anything better! It'll be no different than if Maleficent had rebuilt it while in control!"

As Phoebe strolled back into the peaked greenhouse, she left the door slightly cracked open. Sora turned to face his team as the three anthropomorphic animals stepped closer. "I get it," he admitted. "Phoebe and Mike don't see eye-to-eye. He's trying to rebuild all the town's buildings… "

"And Mister McDee's funding it!" Launchpad interrupted. Donald put his finger to the pilot's face. The latter sighed and crossed his arms.

"Like I was saying," Sora continued. "Mike wants to rebuild all the buildings so this place will look like a city again. But Phoebe's trying to persuade everyone to plant some gardens because the town is called '_**Radiant Garden**_'. She believes it doesn't make sense to have the world's name reflect something it isn't."

"Yeah," Goofy agreed once Sora had finished his explanation. "This place sure could use some gardens. I'd love to get Sylvia a flower or two for Christmas. Maybe even a bouquet — I _always_ wanted one! A-Hyuck!"

Donald slapped his face after hearing Goofy's comment.

Launchpad started staring across the town. "I _still_ don't see any garden," he indicated. "Perhaps the flowers were all buried under the flea market."

Donald rolled his eyes and gently placed his hand onto his head.

"If you ask me," Sora went on, crossing his arms. "They should work together; rebuild the town _and_ plant flowers. That way, no one can say this isn't the '_**Radiant Garden**_' and it will be a city."

"Yeah," Donald approved. "I'd like to buy some flowers for Daisy! Where can I get them?"

Goofy paused in thought. "Gawrsh, perhaps your uncle has some, Donald. Why don't ya ask him?"

Launchpad switched his eyes back and forth between the two. "I'm totally lost, but I don't recall Mister McDee having _any_ flowers! He said they were too expensive!"

As Donald sighed at the pilot's claim, Sora uncrossed his arms. He was about to speak when he spotted something approaching him from the left. He turned his gaze towards the greenhouse; Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad did the same. Their eyes all fell upon the black cat — "_Rachel_" — from before. As he took a moment to analyze the animal, Sora noticed a light-blue collar around the cat's neck.

"Hey, Rachel," he smiled, kneeling down to be closer to the cat.

Rachel gazed into the brown-haired teen's eyes. She blinked once… twice… before letting out an audible "Meow!"

As Goofy knelt down to pet her, Rachel spun around and jogged back inside. He started to follow and slammed straight into the window to the right of the door. Everyone else was completely taken by surprise while the knight remained in a daze for a couple seconds. "A-Hyuck!"

"I _told_ you that cat was 'bad luck'!" Donald firmly stated.

Sora shook his head and rose to his feet. His eyes lingered on the inside of the greenhouse. "C'mon," he said to the others. "Let's see what Phoebe's up to."

Following a series of nods in return, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad trailed Sora back into the greenhouse.

* * *

Once they had re-entered the humid air of the greenhouse, Goofy closed the door leading out onto the balcony. Well… not exactly "closed". Being the last one in, he pulled it with such strength, it slammed behind. The glass frame vibrated for a few seconds before giving a small crack near the handle.

Donald glared at Goofy. "Nice going, ya big palooka," the duck scolded. "You _broke_ the door!"

All Goofy could say was, "A-Hyuck!"

Sora gave a deep sigh before he led the others toward the middle of the room. There was Phoebe, checking the lush, green leaves of several different flowers in one of the rows. When the group approached, she turned to them in surprise.

"Oh, I thought you were downstairs," she admitted. "Uncle Mike just called from below to let you know the supplies are ready to deliver."

"Already?" Donald questioned, a look of shock on his face.

Goofy checked his digital, and only, watch. "Gawrsh," he said. "Looks like we've been here for twenty-three minutes."

Launchpad was startled. "How come twenty-three minutes lasts longer than twenty-four hours?"

With a slap on his face, Donald mumbled a series of completely illegible, garbled words that ended with "…Aw _phooey_!"

Despite the constant reactions of silliness and annoyance between his friends, Sora nodded to Phoebe. "Okay," he confirmed. "Then we'd better get going. Leon's counting on us for that delivery."

Although Donald would have preferred to be leading the others back downstairs, Goofy and Launchpad had dashed out the door two seconds before he realized they were gone. "Wait for _me_!" he exclaimed, hurrying out the door after them.

As he strode for the doorway leading to the bedroom and the hallway beyond, Sora paused long enough to gaze back into the greenhouse. There was Phoebe, inspecting the leaves of a long vine hanging from the ceiling. He smiled, knowing she was no different than how he viewed Kairi.

Sora stepped through the doorway. A picture hanging on the wall to his right caught his eye. He turned his head as he approached it. It was photograph of a teenage girl and two animals on a stone balcony lit up by some candles. Noticing how the curved railing on the left end of the image was curved in a strange way, Sora realized the location was on the second floor of an outdoor restaurant he'd seen in _**Traverse Town**_'s shopping district.

His eyes shifted to the girl. She was wearing a tan-colored dress with two shoulder straps and a red-orange feather in her dark-green hair helped him identify her as Phoebe, only a little bit younger. She was sitting on the balcony, smiling at the camera. One of the animals was in her arms; it was a light-grey furred raccoon with a puzzled look on its face. The other was a small, green hummingbird scowling at the camera.

His mind started to move. Why was she dressed as a Native American? Had she been to another world where such tribes still existed? What about these animals? Sora had the feeling those questions would _always_ be questions.

He shrugged the contemplation aside and proceeded out of the room and down the stairs.

* * *

Donald was standing in the workshop waiting for him when he came down the stairs. "Sora? What took you so long?"

Sora rubbed the back of his head and smiled a little. He glanced around the workshop, seeing Mike and the others weren't around. "Nothing… where's Goofy and Launchpad?"

Donald pointed at an open door on the other side of the room. "They're waiting for us."

Sora nodded before marching to the doorway. Donald was directly behind him. They strode through into a room large enough to fit two full-size automobiles. An enormous garage door had been opened and the sunlight was streaming through on the other side. The walls of the room were a white color and various boxes and crates were stacked in two neat piles on the far wall.

In the middle of the room, Mike, Goofy, and Launchpad were standing beside a flatbed cart with a rusty handle. A large pile of wooden boards, a few ladders, and a small mound of paint cans were secured on the cart by some strong straps.

"Hey, what's going on?" Sora asked as he neared the others.

Everyone else turned and smiled at him. "I was worried you'd gotten lost in the house," Mike joked with a grin. "The shipment is ready to go. All you've got to do is push it to the castle."

Sora and his teammates' eyes landed upon the cart. The objects on it didn't look unbreakable, but not smash-able either. Sora turned to Mike. "You sure we can take all this at once?" he inquired.

Mike nodded. "It's best to take one trip with this much supplies," he told the group. "Keep in mind, they're going to be heavy, so you'll need to proceed with caution to get them all to the castle without losing anything."

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered. "Ain't the road to thuh castle somewhat steep?"

Mike gave another nod. "True, so you're going to need to be extra careful in case any of the Heartless appear on your way. This trip's not going to be an easy one."

Sora gave a nod of his own. "No sweat!" he announced. "We'll get these supplies to Leon — ASAP!"

Launchpad was both shocked and perplexed. "I know it'd be a nice crash," he spoke up. "But wouldn't everything break if we went as stupid as possible?"

"'As _**soon**_ as possible'!" Donald corrected in irritation.

All Goofy did was mutter, "A-Hyuck!"

Sora shook his head and turned to Mike. "Thanks a lot, Mike," he said. "We'll take it from here."

Mike had to grin all the more. "Alright! Just tell Leon he can order more in case that's not enough."

Sora nodded. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and the young man all rushed behind the cart. At the count of three, they pushed and the cart easily moved along the garage floor. The cheerfully waved goodbye to Mike as they proceeded out of the garage and down the road beyond.

Sora had to admit, perhaps this quest was not going to be a challenging as he had dreaded it would. At this rate, he might be back home on the islands by December 22ND.

* * *

**A/N: If only Sora knew how long it WOULD take!**

**So, what did you think of THAT Chapter? Quite detailed in its own way, huh? You also saw the way I view the Radiant Garden from "_Kingdom Hearts 2_". After they revealed its true identity, I was Always questioning, "Where's the gardens?", so I chose to make that a major point in the world's story here.**

**Also, the design for the greenhouse is based on a real one I've been to before. Of course, the flowers themselves aren't real, just fictional.**

**So, I Hope you enjoyed Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad's comical sides in there! I think I nailed their characters EXACTLY!**

**Plus, Mike Millard, Phoebe Forest, and Rachel the cat are among My Original Characters.**

**In addition, try to GUESS who the Scientist mentioned in there was! He MIGHT appear somewhere in this story!**  
**Try to figure out who the two animals in the photograph are!**

**All that said and done, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	6. Ch6 - The Committee's New Leader

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: I'M BACK! CHAPTER 6 HAS ARRIVED! THIS MARKS THE SECOND CHAPTER TO BE POSTED SINCE MAY, 2015 STARTED!**

**So, I need to point out how I did NOT receive a single review on Chapter 5! I certainly Hope this is not for the same reasons why no one reviewed several of the chapters in "_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_" - (The ones surrounding "The 100-Acre Wood" and "The Grid" in particular).**

**Whatever the case, I think it's necessary to say this: MORE REVIEWS ARE NEEDED! THE GOAL FOR THE NEXT STORY STILL STANDS AT 214 REVIEWS!**

**Plus, the number of Required Reviews for the Sequel is much less than the amount needed for THIS Story's Secret Ending. It's just like unlocking the Secret Ending to each of the _Kingdom Hearts_ games - you have to complete certain tasks to get it! In THIS case, it is determined by the number of Reviews!**  
**So, KEEP THOSE REVIEWS COMING! I HAVE A GREAT, TWISTY-PLOT-BASED STORY IN MIND FOR THE NEXT ONE!**  
**REMEMBER - 214 REVIEWS ARE NEEDED FOR THE SEQUEL AND 240 ARE NEEDED FOR THE SECRET ENDING!**

**In addition, I Hope you are all enjoying This Story! I spent MONTHS to plan it out! Let me know which parts YOU LIKE THE BEST and what YOU WOULD LIKE to see happen up ahead and in the next Story!**

**Seeing as I've covered everything I needed to say, I'll let you go now. I MEAN IT!  
****PLEASE ENJOY! READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT - AND MORE! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 6  
****The Committee's New Leader**

Sora was feeling _very_ exhausted. He grunted once again before pausing to gasp for breath. His hand wiped away some dripping sweat from his forehead. He couldn't believe his luck.

The cart weighed about as much as the largest ship in the world. It took Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and him to push it. To make matters worse, the group was trying to move the supplies up the slope leading to the castle. All the construction workers stopped their projects to allow the group to pass through the area.

Sora sighed. This was nowhere near how he had wanted to spend his time off from school. He turned to gaze at his friends. Goofy was barely keeping his feet in place as he pushed. Launchpad was on the verge of losing his balance. Donald's feet were about to slip and he grunted loudly. All three had their eyes closed and teeth clenched.

Sora shook his head. "Remind me _never_ to accept any favors from Leon without knowing what they are," he told the others.

Donald and Goofy both gave slight nods. They continued to shove the cart's handles.

"I can't believe this!" Donald complained. "It's _too_ heavy!"

"It's worse than Mr. McDee's money bin!" Launchpad added. The pilot was starting to huff and puff.

Goofy gasped for breath. "Phew!" he gasped, wiping his forehead. "This stuff sure is extra-heavy, ain't it?"

Sora gave a small grin. "Look on the bright side! At least there's no Heartless giving us trouble."

The sound of something appearing up ahead caused the group to swerve their focus to the road ahead. They stared in alarm. A large group of creatures with blue and orange armor were running about less than five feet away. If he hadn't seen the yellow, glowing eyes shining through their helmets, Sora wouldn't have recognized them so easily. "_**Heartless**_!" he declared.

Donald scowled at the brown-headed seventeen-year-old. "What's the big idea?!"

Goofy gave what looked like a simple shrug. "Donald's got a point, Sora. Didja call 'em over?"

Sora stared at his friends. "What're you guys talking about?! Of _course_ I didn't call those Heartless!"

Donald still had doubt evident on his face. "I don't know… "

"I'll _**prove**_ it!" Sora announced. He let go of the cart's handle and leapt over the supplies to the front. His Keyblade appeared in his right hand. "_I'll_ take care of these guys!"

He glanced back. "Keep pushing that thing! I'll hold 'em off!"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad exchanged glances between one another.

"If it'll make this trek easier," Launchpad said. He released his grip to shrug. "Why not?"

"Keep pushing!" Donald snapped, his face turning red. "This thing's getting _heavier_!"

The pilot rapidly grasped the handles again. Goofy didn't speak. He was too busy pushing the cart slowly up the incline.

Sora was already tired from pushing the supply cart _this_ far. Now he had to maintain control of his Keyblade as he slashed, sliced, and smacked it around the Heartless. The creatures kept coming. As he continued to fight, Sora's head started to spin. The exhaustion was taking over.

_No way!_ He thought. _I _must_ get this stuff to Leon!_

The sounds of panting, huffing, and puffing soon followed. Sora's weapon felt heavy. His arms became weak. His feet seemed to be moving at a snail's pace. He barely had the strength to keep the Heartless at bay.

Before five minutes had passed, he was surrounded by the enemies. Sora gasped for breath and fell to his knees. He clutched his chest with his left hand. His heart was racing faster and faster. He looked back, seeing the Heartless had moved toward the cart.

"No… way," Sora panted. "This… isn't… good."

He got to his feet as swiftly as possible. He suddenly felt a second wind coming. His Keyblade glowing a strange neon color. Sora stared at it in surprise. "Huh?"

Realizing he was feeling better, Sora quickly decided to take advantage of the situation. He charged into the last of the Heartless. His weapon sliced, slashed, and smashed the creatures into oblivion. A series of reddish-pink hearts drifted into the sky and vanished from view.

Sora smiled before noticing how his friends were staring at him in complete shock; they'd also stopped pushing the cart. "What's everyone staring at?" he inquired.

"That _wasn't_ good," Donald gulped.

Goofy's eyes were filled with anxiety. "That was Darkness," he told the young man with the Keyblade. "You glowed with thuh power of Darkness, Sora. Your Keyblade looked kinda funny, too."

All Launchpad did was stare with perplexity.

Sora was puzzled. What were his teammates talking about? Darkness? _**No way**_! _Couldn't_ be! He had beaten Xehanort's Heartless and Nobody without such powers. Not mention, only Riku had really struggled with the Darkness as far as he knew (which wasn't too much).

Then again, Goofy _had_ said something about "Xehanort's Darkness" when he'd gone after Dilan at the castle's entrance. Perhaps he needed to think ahead so more. But that would delay getting the supplies to the castle. He could not let _that_ happen. Sora'd promised Leon (in a way) — and he _never_ had broken a single promise!

…Except for one. Sora's mind was now shifting back to the time he'd made a promise to his mom to keep his room clean. Of course, he had been just six year old at the time. Maybe such promises then weren't so important after all. Were they?

Sora shrugged the deep pondering aside and rushed behind the cart. He grabbed the handle and helped the others push the supply cart up the hill.

* * *

The sun was still high in the sky when Sora and his friends reached the castle. They stopped for a moment to wipe some sweat from their faces. Goofy collapsed onto the stone plaza while Donald stumbled about like he was in a daze. Launchpad leaned against the cart's handle and wiped his cheeks with his scarf. Sora bent over and placed his hands on his knees. All four of them panted more than they had ever dreamed they would.

"Next time," Sora finally said. "Let's let Leon do this."

The other three nodded. Donald had regained his steady balance. Goofy was risen to his feet. Launchpad was still leaning against the cart.

Sora shook his head and turned into the direction of the castle's entrance. As expected, Dilan and Aeleus were still standing guard. There weren't any Heartless in sight. "Come on," he said. "Let's get this stuff inside. Then we can take a break."

The group shoved the cart to the doorway. Dilan and Aeleus didn't block the entrance and instead inquired why the four had the supplies. "We're bringing this stuff to Leon," Goofy explained. "Sora offered to help out."

"As usual," Donald muttered softly.

"Good," Aeleus affirmed. "The committee has already informed us about you. We just need to see your VIP cards."

Sora reached into his jacket pocket and held out his red card. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad each retrieved their own. Dilan marched closer and took a couple seconds to glance over them. He nodded. "Sora, Donald Duck, Goofy, Launchpad. You may pass," he announced.

Aeleus opened the door. Sora nodded in return before putting his card away; his friends did the same. They carefully pushed the cart through the open doorway. Dilan and Aeleus quietly closed it behind.

"Phew," Sora gasped as he had everyone stop just inside the entrance hall. "Glad that's over."

As his teammates each wiped the sweat from their faces, Sora gazed towards the now-closed doorway. He recalled how determined he'd been to defeat Xaldin just over a year ago. The Organization member had been causing trouble in another world and had even tried to turn one of the Keyblade wielder's friends into a Heartless. Sora had felt so much anger against Organization XIII when he'd watched Xaldin steal a magical rose and kidnap his friend, Belle. With the help from his friend, the Beast, Sora had succeeded in eliminating Xaldin.

Now, as he looked at the door, Sora's thoughts were focused on the guard outside. Dilan no longer was as vicious and troublesome as his Nobody had been. He had even apologized for trying to harm the Beast. Sora felt a smile forming on his face. He knew this meant one thing.

Dilan was no longer the member of Organization XIII Sora had previously encountered.

As he turned back to his teammates, Sora heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He turned to the nearby staircase. Leon and Rinoa were hurrying over. They stopped before the group.

"Looks like the supplies made it," Rinoa approved. She turned to look at Leon. "I wanted it to be you, Squall."

Leon looked irritated. "I told you _five_ times in the last hour. It's '_**Leon**_' now!"

Rinoa shook her head and strode up to the cart. "I can take it from here."

Sora's team nodded and released their grips. Rinoa grasped the cart and started off. As she approached the stairs, she stopped and flipped a tiny lever Sora hadn't seen earlier. The steps flattened out and formed a makeshift ramp. Rinoa grabbed the cart's handles with both hands before she raced up the ramp and across the upper floor. She pushed the doorway open with the cart's end and zoomed down the hallway beyond.

"Man," Sora marveled. "How can she go so fast with that stuff?"

"She must've been stronger than she looks," Goofy suggested.

Launchpad nodded. "Mister McDee's cane is stronger than it looks, too."

Through his peripheral vision, Sora saw Donald rolling his eyes at the pilot's remark. He shook his head and shrugged the whole thing off. After all, it wasn't a major issue anyway.

"Donald, Goofy, Launchpad," Leon addressed the three. "Cid has something he wants to show you. He's in the research study downstairs."

"Wow," Launchpad remarked.

"Wonder what it could be?" Goofy wondered aloud.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Donald said, marching up the curved stairs to the next floor. He dashed down the corridor beyond. Goofy and Launchpad were seconds behind the duck magician.

Leon gave a hint of a grin as he watched the trio leave. "That should keep them occupied for a little while."

Sora looked puzzled. "Why?"

Leon turned to the young man. "I wanted to ask you something, but I didn't want anyone else to know about it."

Sora nodded.

"I know how you felt," Leon continued. "It can be hard losing a friend and then having to save them. But when you finally find them, everything's not the same as before. You know what I mean?"

Sora stared with total uncertainty. What was Leon talking about? "Not really," was all he could think of saying.

"What I mean is," Leon added. "I understand how desperate you were to find Kairi. Once you did, I guess everything worked out. Am I right?"

Sora felt hesitation coming over him. True, he _had_ saved Kairi more than once. First, it was Maleficent and the Heartless. Later, Axel had kidnapped her from the islands and she'd ended up in the hands of Organization XIII. Through it all, he hadn't told anybody how he truly felt about the auburn-haired girl. Besides, she was a princess — with a heart of pure Light. Why would _he_ want to get mixed up with someone like _that_?

Then again, Kairi _had_ given him a kiss less than five days ago. Of course, that was because it was his seventeenth birthday. Wasn't that the real reason she'd done that? Or was Leon trying to tell him something else?

Either way, Sora refused to accept the fact he and Kairi could _ever_ end up anything beyond friends. Chances are, it wouldn't work out… at least not at the current moment. Maybe someday… but that was something he didn't want to worry about.

"What're you getting at?" the brown, spikey-headed youth inquired.

Leon turned away. "Never mind," he replied. "You wouldn't understand."

Sora wanted to shout out one question — "why did you lead me on like that?!" But no words came to his mouth. He wasn't sure what Leon had been leading up to in the first place. Now, it appeared it wouldn't have mattered… whatever it was.

Leon strolled away. He marched up the stairs and disappeared down the hallway. Sora shook his head. "That was weird," he commented to nobody in particular.

"Hmm… maybe Leon was hinting at something personal."

Sora swung his head to the right. He relaxed, seeing Jiminy standing on his right shoulder. He had to smile. Somehow, he'd forgotten the little cricket was still there.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Jiminy hopped to the floor and turned to face the young man. "Something tells me Leon has a friend who reminds him of Kairi. He was comparing himself to you, Sora. It might be possible, he likes her and thinks you also like Kairi."

Sora shook his head and waved his arms around in an "X"-style. "_**No way**_!" he shouted. "It's _**not**_ like that! It never was, and it never will!"

Jiminy looked doubtful. "Are you sure?"

"_**Yes**_!" Sora declared. "I do _**not**_ have a girlfriend!"

"You don't?" a kind voice perked up.

Sora spun around. His lit up, spotting a young woman with long, golden hair standing at the top of the staircase nearest the library. He relaxed a little, knowing it was Myrna. The only notable difference was she was wearing a long, white dress with long sleeves that had a red First-Aid cross on the left side of her chest and the right sleeve. A white cap was placed on her head, also bearing a red cross. Her shoes were the same ones she'd had earlier and her red dress was showing from underneath.

Sora didn't know what to say. How much had this kind girl overheard? Hopefully not _too_ much! He wasn't sure and probably would never know.

"Hi, Myrna," Sora said with a hint of anxiety in his voice. Jiminy hopped back into the young man's hood.

Myrna came speed-walking down the steps and over to him. "Is that true?" she asked. "You _don't_ have a girlfriend?"

Sora hesitated in his response. "Well… you see… it's just that… I… um… uh… " How could he tell _**her**_ anything?

Myrna fluttered her eyes a little. Sora felt a bit uncomfortable. He must have been showing it as well; the young woman placed a hand over her mouth to keep herself from giggling.

"That's alright," she said. "You don't have to say so if you don't want to."

Sora felt relieved. At least he would not have to tell anyone _else_ about it! …Whatever "it" was. He placed his hands behind his head. "So, what's up?"

Myrna's left hand flew to her face. "Oh yeah! I nearly forgot what I was going to tell you. Aerith and I have something to show you. Come to the library."

Sora looked at her funny. "Did you just say that backwards?"

Myrna rolled her eyes. "That's _not_ what I was intending to hear… " she muttered in such a soft voice, Sora barely heard her.

The young woman turned around and started towards the library's doorway. "Come along when you're ready. We'll be waiting for you."

Sora nodded before following along. Whatever the two girls wanted to show him, it sounded very exciting. Maybe they'd found something Xehanort's Heartless or Nobody had left behind. Better yet, perhaps a clue as to why the Heartless were growing in number again. Yes — it _**had**_ to be the latter! No question about it!

He felt his heart beating quicker. A smile formed on his face. Sora knew this meant his entire body was feeling the same expectation. Unless it was Roxas's heart inside him.  
His mind started to move. Hadn't Roxas been in him all this time? Why hadn't he noticed such a reaction since the fall of Organization XIII — until now? Sometimes things never made any sense. Sora knew this was true without any doubt.

* * *

Sora stepped through the doorway as Myrna pushed the door itself open. His eyes widened in recognition. The library looked identical to how it had the last he'd been in the castle almost two years before. The shelves were still in their proper places since he'd reorganized the books to open pathways around the room. Some of the shelves still had the colored volume sets on them.

As he followed the golden-haired girl around, Sora's eyes landed upon a book with a lacey cover. The name "_Schoolwork V.S. Homework_" was clearly visible on it. He had to shake his head and smile. After all, school was over for the semester. He would not have to worry about a thing… until the break was over.

But that was something that could wait for quite some time.

Another book caught his eye; "_Once Upon A Time_". He saw another one called "_Classifications of Munny &amp; Hunny_". There was another one with the name "_Violets Have Sugar Plum Fairies_" written across it. He also noticed another book called "_The Land To Come… Someday_". Beside it was one bearing the title "_Zoology, Laughology, Mathology, &amp; Dustology For Dummies_". The next one he saw was a large book with the name "_How To Be A Heartless &amp; Nobody_".

_Strange titles,_ Sora thought to himself. _What do they all mean? Why did Xehanort, Ansem, and the others __**have**__ these?_

He decided such things were very _un_-important to his current quest. He shrugged and continued to follow Myrna to a desk near the curved staircase. Aerith was seated there with her eyes glued to a book lying open on the desk. Her left hand was positioned against her cheek and her other hand was clutching the edge of the page. To Sora, she looked like she was concentrating. He assumed this was so since he'd already seen his mom in a similar manner many times before.

"Aerith, Sora's here," Myrna announced.

Aerith looked over her shoulder and smiled at the brown-haired young man. "I'm glad you're here," she said. "This book's something you should see."

Sora felt a sensation of concern in the air. Despite the young woman's smile, he could tell something wasn't correct. In fact, it seemed to be going from bad to worse to impossible — if such a thing was possible. "What's wrong?" he inquired. "I can tell _something's_ up."

"You're right," Aerith confessed. She spun the book before her around for the spikey-headed young man to see. "See?"

All Sora could see was a series of torn paper fragments in the middle of the book's binding. For some reason, he had the feeling these tears looks familiar. In fact, they had a curve in them, almost like a sharp claw from an animal had done the ripping.

"So?" he said. "Some pages are missing." He counted the number of torn lines. "Looks like about five of them. What book is this?"

"That's the problem," Myrna said, a grave look on her face.

Aerith nodded. "Please don't tell anyone," she pleaded.

Sora gave a nod. The woman gave a short sigh before reaching for the front cover and gently closing it. One look at the cover and Sora's eyes lit up and his mouth opened in alarm.

On the brown cover was an illustration of a young man with brown, spikey hair relaxing on a hillside at night. A golden-furred bear was sitting beside him; the animal was wearing a red shirt. Up above, a series of twinkling stars and a crescent moon could be seen. The words written above the colorful drawing revealed the book's title — _**that's**_ what had seized Sora's attention so rapidly.

**WINNIE THE POOH**

"_**No way**_!" Sora exclaimed.

He could _**not**_ believe his eyes. This was not just any old book. It was the world of _**The 100-Acre Wood**_ — the same world he had ventured into with Riku and Violet while in the _Realm of Sleep_. Of course, _that_ had been an illusion created when the Heartless had torn out several pages about a year before. Now, it seemed something else had happened to it.

"_**How**_ did this happen?!" he demanded to know.

Myrna gave a shrug. "I'm not sure," she explained. "I just found it on one of these bookshelves. Aerith was the one who found there were pages missing. She said she remembered how you'd put the book back together once before."

"Twice," Sora corrected. "I've had to fix it twice."

Aerith and Myrna stared at him. "I mean it!" Sora hastily added. "First, Merlin asked me to put the pages back in once I'd found them. Later, the Heartless tore out several pages and I went all over the place to find them."

He paused, seeing the girls' confused looks. "Oh yeah," he remarked. "I forgot. Merlin wanted Donald, Goofy, and me to keep it a secret." He nearly blushed and scratched the back of his head. "I guess he did it very well."

"That does make some sense," Myrna thought aloud. "It explains why the pages are torn like this. Maybe these ones were also removed by the same Heartless you mentioned."

"Really?" Sora asked.

Aerith gave a slight nod. "That's all I can understand of this," she admitted. "You'll have to go out there and find those pages. They're probably scattered among the worlds."

"In _other_ worlds," Myrna added in turn. "You'll have to search everywhere. They could be anywhere."

Sora gave another nod. Despite how annoyed he felt about seeing his quest from before was only half-finished, he knew his friends came first. Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, and the others were depending on him. He could _not_ let them down! He would recover those last five pages — no matter _**what**_ it took!

"No sweat!" he declared. "I'll find those pages and put the book back the way it's _supposed_ to be!"

Aerith and Myrna both smiled. Sora acknowledged them with a grin of his own. A series of rushing footsteps grabbed the group's attention. Hurrying down the stairs near the desk was a rather large man sporting long, dark-red hair, a short red goatee, long angular mustache, and thick red eyebrows. He was wearing a purple suit, plum-colored pants, a white shirt complete with a collar and cuffs, white gloves, and black shoes. A purple top hat was on his head, black glasses were on his face, and a black cane was in his hand; it had a gold, hooked head.

Sora stared at this man in surprise. Not only did he looked completely unfamiliar, but his outfit suggested he was quite wealthy — but still _not_ as wealthy as Donald's uncle.

"Excuse me," the man said to the group. "There's going to be a meeting in the grand hall upstairs in ten minutes. I heard it's important."

"Okay," Aerith nodded. "Thanks, Mr. O'Del."

"Anytime," the man returned before heading back the way he'd come. Once he was gone, Sora turned to Aerith.

"Who _was_ that?" the young man asked.

"Yancy O'Del," the brown-haired woman informed him. "He's another member of the _Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_. He and Scrooge McDuck fund many of the projects to help rebuild the town."

Sora nodded, though he quickly found himself looking in the direction Yancy had gone. _There was something dark about him,_ he pondered deeply.

He had the slightest sensation Yancy wasn't who he claimed to be. Sora hoped he was wrong. It would be terrible to discover someone working for Xehanort or Maleficent and Pete inside this castle. Even worse if they had only joined the committee to be a spy. Hopefully, none of that was the case.

"Let's go," Myrna said. "There must another strategy meeting on the schedule."

Aerith nodded. "Maybe so."

Sora gave a nod of his own. "C'mon. Let's get going."

* * *

The castle's Grand Hall was both wide and high. The ceilings were so high, all that could be seen above was darkness. The only indication they were there was the glow of hanging chandeliers. The walls were spaced far enough apart for the room to be considered a perfect rectangle.

As he walked into the chamber, Sora instantly took note of how different the room's appearance was. All the yellow pipes leaking steam were gone. The steps leading up had been removed and a giant screen had been placed into the far wall. Rows of seats were laid out in the room near the screen like a movie theater. The seating area and screen only took half the room.

Beyond the display and audience section was a bunch of tables and chairs. Boxes of electronic equipment were placed in one corner. A projection booth was situated on the wall near the audience area; he noticed Cid seated at it. The pilot was impatiently chewing on a toothpick.

He chose to stop there. Everything else was stuff Sora wasn't sure how to describe. He was largely computer-illiterate and had no clue what they were supposed to do.

As Sora approached the audience, he spotted Donald and Goofy waving him over from the other side. Sora acknowledged with a wave of his own. As he walked over, the spikey-headed seventeen-year-old Keyblader saw the seats were mostly filled up. He recognized several of the people in them. He recognized Yuffie, Aerith, Tifa, Barret, Rinoa, Zell, Myrna, a green-haired teenager he knew was Phoebe, Bert, Yancy, and an old wizard in a blue gown. Seeing the round eyeglasses and pointed blue hat on the man's head, Sora smiled. He knew this wizard was none other than Merlin.

As he sat down at the end of a row beside Donald, Sora looked out across the others there. He saw a handful of individuals he didn't recognize.

One of them was a teenage girl sporting long, blonde hair and blue eyes. Her outfit consisted of a white shirt with a red stripe, a pink skirt, and red-and-white tennis shoes. She had an earring shaped like the moon on her right ear and a star-shaped one on her left ear. She also had what looked like a pink clip in her hair.

Two mice were seated in the audience, even though they were the same size as Donald. One was a large, gray mouse wearing a red sweater and brown cap. The other was a slender white mouse wearing a purple or pink cap and kerchief with bow.

A young woman with reddish hair and yellow eyes was sitting in the front row on the far end. She was wearing a yellow shirt, green skirt, and black rain-boots. An orange belt was fastened around her waist and she had silver-colored gloves. A sky-blue archer's bow was in her lap and she had a matching quiver of violet-tipped arrows.

Beside her was a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties and wearing a pilot's uniform complete with a brown coat and matching pants. His boots were a light-brown color and he also had a navy-blue helmet on his head along with matching goggles. He also had a pair of gloves that were a greenish color.

"Aw phooey… "

Sora whirled his focus to his left. Donald was slouched down in his seat. He was looking at an advertisement currently displayed on the screen. It showed an image of an older duck with a top hat, blue outfit, and red spats. A cane was in his hand and he was happily gesturing at a pile of golden diamonds. A section of text read: "_**BE A SPONSOR OF THE RADIANT GARDEN RECONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE! A DOLLAR GIVEN IS A DOLLAR WELL-SPENT!**_"

"I'm a miserable failure," Donald grumbled to himself. "Always have been, always will be."

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered at the duck. "May-bee you just started at thuh bottom and felt comfortable down there."

Donald started scolding the knight for "such a statement". Sora shook his head and turned to the front when he saw Leon, Even, and Ienzo approaching a podium with a microphone.

"May we have your attention?" Leon called out.

The chatter of the crowd ceased and everyone turned their focus to the front. The display on the screen changed to a photograph showing the town. "Remember," Leon continued. "Our goal is to restore the _**Radiant Garden**_ to what it used to be — maybe something better."

The audience all nodded in return. Even took the podium next. "However," the scientist began. "We have a serious problem happening on the outskirts of our community."

The screen's image switched to one of the valley where Sora recalled eliminating a thousand Heartless in a single battle. Only now, the picture was of a lake of Darkness. Some members of the audience let out short gasps and few had their eyes glow large with concern. Sora had to admit, he knew this meant nothing but trouble.

"To further explain the current situation," Even went on. "Here is Tseng, the leader of _The Underground Radiant Klass_."

As Even stepped away, a tall man strode to the microphone. This man had dark brown eyes and shoulder-length, black hair in a ponytail. His outfit consisted of a dark-blue suit.

"Everyone," the man said into the microphone. "The situation in the gorge beyond the town has grown more serious each passing day. The Heartless population has increased in number, and it is now believed the source is the infamous fort near the horizon."

The image on the screen changed to a photograph of a tall fortress consisting of several golden-brown, thin, crooked towers topped with black, cone-shaped towers. The ruins of a small village of ramshackle stone buildings was strewn about its base. A gigantic symbol Sora recognized as the Heartless emblem was evident on the tallest, central tower. The whole building was on a wide plateau in the middle of a large canyon of blue stone. In the picture, several Heartless could be seen wandering around valley's floor. A few white creatures resembling misshapen Nobodies were among the Heartless.

One look at the structure and Sora remembered seeing it more than once the last time he'd been to this world. It was the infamous fortress of _**Villain's Vale**_ — that was the name Leon and the others had given it. As far as _he_ was concerned, that fortress had seemed to produce Heartless after Heartless around the clock.

"I can tell you this much," Tseng added. "Any attempt to resolve this problem could result in calamitous consequences. Any suggestions?"

"I got one!" Barret announced, leaping from his seat in the front row. He turned around to face everyone behind. "I'm gonna blow _**all**_ those dang Heartless outta here! We're gonna have one heck of a Holiday Season 'til the job's done! This town ain't gonna safe for nobody until this is taken care of. Who wants to help?"

"I do!" Zell declared. "I'm gonna kick them beyond the horizon! No one else is doing anything about it."

"Wait!" Tifa spoke up. "This isn't the time to rush in. We need to plan ahead. Maybe the Heartless _are_ coming from that fort. But it's not going to be safe."

"She's right," Cid called from the back. "It ain't nothin' nobody can take care of so quickly. I've seen those Heartless creeps shut down entire businesses within minutes."

"But we _can't_ stand around!" Zell shouted. "We need to get going! I'm _**not**_ gonna lose my room to some stupid monsters!"

"I think we need more 'elpful information," Bert spoke up. "These 'eartless fellows are not very open to reasoning."

"Who the heck asked _you_?!" Barret snapped. "We need to move — _**now**_!"

Merlin rose from his seat and marched to the large man with the gun in his arm. "Perhaps _some_ of us could learn some manners," he scolded.

"Not now, old man!" Barret snarled. "The entire fate of this town depends on us. I ain't lettin' no Heartless take it away again. We need to _**fight**_!"

"And _**now**_!" Yuffie yelled in agreement. "I want this place to be just as peaceful as everyone else does!"

Sora had a sense of shock combined with puzzlement. Were the members of the reconstruction committee arguing with each other? This was how he had assumed Organization XIII was after hearing from Saïxhow Axel had betrayed them. All he could think of saying was, "Some organized committee _this_ is… "

He finally decided there was no point in just sitting around listening to all the heated debating. "_**Hey**_!" he hollered over the others bickering. "_**I'll**_ take care of this! _**I've**_ defeated Ansem… Xehanort's Heartless — the _**leader**_ of the Heartless! This should be a _**simple**_ job for me!"

The arguing ceased so suddenly, the room was eerily quiet. The sound of Jiminy leaping onto Sora's shoulder echoed about. "Hmm," the cricket said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "I think Sora's got a point. Since all of you can't decide what to do without quarreling, maybe it's time someone else does the work. You need an effective leader. Right?"

"Yeah!" Yuffie declared. "Sora and Jiminy are right! _Someone_ needs to take charge of this operation."

"An' the only one to be leader should be _me_," Barret boasted.

"Actually, I think it should be Sora," the young woman with the archer's bow spoke up. "He's clearly self-determined. Anyone with that much courage can handle any number of Heartless — regardless of the danger."

Sora smiled at the woman for standing up for him. "Thanks!" he called. He paused. "Who're you again?"

"Chelsy," the woman replied. "That's my name."

Sora nodded. He remembered Bert saying how someone named Chelsy was a leader of the committee. Now he knew he'd met the correct person.

"She's right," Rinoa approved. "Sora will be an _invaluable_ helper in the battles to come."

Sora relaxed a little more. He realized this meant Rinoa had faith in his abilities to defeat Heartless. Somehow he had shown this to her, although he was unsure how.

Barret was scowling. "_**No way**_! I ain't takin' orders from no kid — unless that kid's Cloud! I don't care what he's capable of. No one's the boss of me… except Cloud!"

Sora smirked. "Maybe I _am_ Cloud — in disguise!"

Barret now looked shocked. "_**Huh**_?!"

Donald and Goofy burst out laughing. Sora rubbed his nose comically to show off. Barret waved his right arm at them.

"That ain't funny!" he shouted. "You guys don't know nothin' 'bout nothin'! You probably never been to _Stalag 13_ neither!"

"Whatever," Sora teased. He was starting to enjoy this moment. "I've been everywhere you haven't."

Barret was about to yell in anger when Tifa grabbed his arm. The former gradually started to cool off. Aerith rose to her feet and turned to face everyone. "He can do," she said. "Sora has done so much for us already."

"Yes," Myrna agreed. "And he can _still_ do more."

"And I am willing to bet 'e'll be so much 'elp in the near future," Bert added. "Anyone else want to say 'ow 'elpful 'e's gonna be?"

At the podium, Leon, Even, and Ienzo all nodded. Tseng spoke into the microphone, "Looks like your decision is final. Sora shall be the official leader of the committee during times of trouble like this one."

The remainder of the audience nodded. Sora felt a surge of awe rush through himself. This was first time he'd been almost-unanimously chosen as the leader of a group. Of course, he also knew he couldn't be there _all_ the time, so he needed to choose someone to take his place in the meantime.

Sora swept his eyes around the group. He smiled. "And I want Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, Cid, Merlin, and Chelsy to be in charge while I'm away."

"Sure thing!" Yuffie agreed.

"You can count on us," Aerith said.

Leon nodded. "Sora, I think you've made a wise choice."

"Indeed," Merlin approved. "Remember, wisdom comes from experience. And lots of experience comes to practice and age. In your case, keep practicing — _especially_ with your magic. You can _never_ have too much magic."

Sora nodded. "Thanks, Merlin."

"Heck, it was bound to happen," Cid called from the back. "That kid was gonna be our leader sooner or later. I foresaw it comin' when I first met him in _**Traverse Town**_ two years ago."

"I can tell he's going to be a great leader," Chelsy added. "With his guidance, the Heartless won't be here to celebrate the New Year."

Sora beamed. He was glad and grateful to know his friends all had confidence in him. After all, not everyone seemed to acknowledge him _all_ of the time. Then again, that was primarily back on the islands.

All at once, a chair in the room started glowing. Everyone stared at it in surprise. It sent a beam of Light into the air. Next, a bright Light came shining down from above. Sora and the others gazed up at the ceiling. A glowing, transparent keyhole could be seen. Sora's Keyblade appeared in his hand. He pointed the weapon at the keyhole. A beam of Light shot out from the Keyblade and struck the keyhole. The Keyhole unlocked and Light shimmered around the room for several seconds before it faded from view.

"Oh!" Sora declared in realization. "_I_ get it! This must be one those gates from before. I guess its déjà vu all over."

"Oh boy!" Donald said.

"Gee," Goofy said, glancing around. "Where's Launchpad?"

Everyone swept their eyes around the room. The sudden sound of a snore forced them to swing their eyes to the back of the room. There was Launchpad, reclined in a chair at one of the tables in the back. His legs were crossed, his hands were placed behind his head, and his eyes were closed. Sora shook his head, knowing the pilot had dozed off during the meeting.

"Launchpad?" Sora called out. The pilot went on snoring.

Donald marched to the back. Goofy was directly behind. Sora followed them; he was careful to keep Jiminy balanced on his shoulder. The first one there, Donald yelled into the pilot's ear. "_**Wake up**_!"

Launchpad was startled awake with a start. "_**Yeow**_!" he howled. "This must be what they mean by a rude awakening."

Seeing the other staring at him, Launchpad chuckled to himself. "Say, what's everyone looking at?" he asked. "Did I miss something?"

"You missed _**everything**_," Donald informed the pilot. "You need to stay alert!"

"Donald," Goofy soothed, with his hands gently pushing air towards the magician. "Don't forget the time Daisy almost broke up with you cause of your temper."

Now Donald was glaring at Goofy. "_You_ ruined that date," he snarled. "You were the _waiter_!"

"Gee, how did Daisy ever forgive you?" Launchpad inquired.

This resulted in Donald's face turning red. Goofy chuckled, "He and Daisy sure are a perfect couple, aren't they?"

"**Waak**!" Donald screamed loudly, forcing Sora to grab him, everyone else in the room to cover their ears, and Launchpad and Goofy to look at each other in wonder. "**Stop**!"

"_Calm __**down**_, _Donald_!" Sora snapped in anger.

The duck wheezed as he gasped for breath. The reddish color disappeared from his face and he calmed down. Donald turned to everyone with a feeling of embarrassment. "Sorry… "

Sora quickly informed Launchpad about the gateway to the next world now being unlocked. The pilot was perplexed until the young man explained it all to him. It took several minutes, but once done, Launchpad seemed to understand — to a degree.

Sora finally turned to everyone on the other side of the room. "Sorry to run, but other worlds are calling for help."

Leon nodded. "Be careful out there," he called.

"_Very_ careful," Aerith added. "And come back soon."

"Yes," Myrna agreed. "I want to show you my flower collection."

"Don't forget you're in charge here," Cid stated. "And I ain't gonna do stuff without your approval."

"Take care!" Yuffie declared.

One of the two mice in the audience approached the group. Sora tried not to stare, seeing as this was second time he'd met a mouse as large as King Mickey — or "Mickey" as he had to call him in the _Realm of Sleep_.

"Here," the mouse said, holding out a tiny, blue trinket. "In case you need some help on your way."

Sora accepted the item. "Thanks," he acknowledged.

Jiminy hopped into Sora's hoodie as the young man led Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad out of the room. The headed back to the marketplace and boarded Herbie. Within minutes, they were soaring through space.

As they soared off, Sora glanced back with a smile. He knew — sooner or later — he and his teammates would return to the **Radiant Garden** to help resolve the Heartless situation. He reached into his pocket and found Kairi's good-luck charm.

He smiled, knowing his quest had only just started. Yet, he also knew Kairi was waiting for him to finish it strong. He put the charm away and turned his eyes back to the front. Herbie soared off deep into space.

All the while, they did not notice they were being watched….

* * *

**A/N: WOW! WHAT A GREAT ENDING TO SUCH A CHAPTER - AND TO THE RADIANT GARDEN (PART 1)! IT'S EVEN BETTER NOW THAT SORA HAS ****BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A [TRUE] LEADER FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE!**

**I REALLY HOPE You Enjoyed This Chapter A LOT! I Had A LOT Of Fun Writing It - Once I Was Able To START It!**

**So, now you know THE 100-ACRE WOOD will most-likely be appearing SOMEWHERE in this story! I won't say When it will appear - just that it very well could still show up! ...Unless it's going to be in the Sequel!**

**By the way, Yancy O'Dell is actually from Disney's "_Home On The Range (2004)_".**  
**Tseng is from "_Final Fantasy VII_".**  
**I thought it was necessary to point those out (as usual).**

**Plus, Chelsy is another of MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS! So are a few of the others at the meeting scene(s).**  
**The rest at the meeting are mainly both Disney and Final Fantasy Characters. Try to guess who is who!**

**Furthermore, I wanted to state how I made up MOST of the titles for those books in the Library. You MIGHT find one, two, or three of them out there. I mainly did it for laughs, but you never know. Some of them might actually be REAL books!**

**Since this was the end of "Radiant Garden - Part 1", here's a HINT for the first Disney-based world in this story.**  
**HINT: "SORA AND HIS FRIENDS TRAVEL DEEP UNDER THE SEA TO LOCATE A LOST CITY! ALONG THE WAY, TROUBLE STARTS TO FIND THEM AND SOME THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM! THE DESTINY OF AN ENTIRE CIVILIZATION IS AT STAKE - AND ONLY SORA CAN SET THINGS STRAIGHT! ONLY THE LIGHT WITHIN THE DARKNESS CAN BE OF SOME ASSISTANCE DOWN THERE!"**

**Once again, that is a RIDDLE HINT! IF you know which Disney Movie I am referring to, please post your answer(s) in the Reviews section for THIS Chapter!**

**In addition, I want to inform you all how the next Chapter will reveal the identities of each and every Disney Villain mentioned in Chapter 50 of "_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_". Let's see how well you know your Disney Villains \- There are A LOT of them!**

**Last, But Not Least-ly, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" In Addition, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	7. Ch7 - Villains And A Brand-New World

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: I'M HERE IN LESS THAN TWO DAYS - AND I HAVE BROUGHT ALONG CHAPTER 7! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HIP-HIP-HOORAY!**

**So, I HOPE you're all still there! After all, THIS Chapter reveals/starts the story of the FIRST Disney-based world. It Also reveals who all the villains on _Maleficent's Council_ are!  
****So, Please Do NOT Expect Me To Post So Frequently From Here On!**

**Plus, I Hope you are all enjoying This Story! I spent MONTHS to plan it out! Let me know which parts YOU LIKE THE BEST and what YOU WOULD LIKE to see happen ****up ahead and in the REST OF THE STORY!**

**Since I have covered everything I need to say this time too, I'll let you go.  
****PLEASE ENJOY! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT - AND REVIEW, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 7  
****Villains And A Brand-New World**

A good distance away from the town of the _**Radiant Garden**_ was a deep gorge that lead into a massive valley nicknamed the "Great Maw". A narrow fissure overlooked the Great Maw and a nearby plateau. The entire area was filled with what looked like a thick pouring of dark syrup. In truth, it was a multitude of Heartless crowding in the landscape. Their instinct told them to face the plateau, upon which stood the infamous fortress of **Villain's Vale**. The powerful Darkness radiating from the building was what had drawn them to it. Most of it was coming from the tallest tower of the structure.

Yet, it was in the tallest tower of the fortress where a handful of individuals had gathered. The circular chamber's walls had what resembled rising water flowing through in the form of bubbles. It was in here where the witch, Maleficent, as well as her number one and most-loyal assistant, Pete, were speaking with a few others.

Among the others was the trio of hooded criminals known as the Beagle Boys, a duck-woman with hypnotic eyes named Cinnamon Teal, and the rival of King Mickey — Mortimer Mouse.

All of them were gathered around a platform showing a hologram of Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad aboard Herbie. Sinister grins formed on their faces.

"Yes," Maleficent said as she stroked a raven sitting on her shoulder. "Sora and his friends have started their quest. Unfortunately, they don't know what's in store for them."

"Yeah," Mortimer agreed. "Anyone who helps King Mick and his stupid teacher can't handle everything."

Pete looked startled. "_**Huh**_?!" he exclaimed. "Yen Sid ain't _that_ dumb! He's a real powerful sorcerer! I tried to turn him into a Heartless so he'd be the perfect bodyguard for me and do whatever I say."

"Too bad you failed," Cinnamon Teal smirked.

"And got yourself locked outside," one of the Beagle Boys added.

"Maybe you should've asked for help," another added.

"We'd have been there for you, boss!" the third stated.

Pete grumbled under his breath. "Ha cha cha!" Mortimer laughed at the sight. "Maybe this'll teach you to seek them for help. Course, I don't need any."

"Maybe _you_ should learn some things!" Pete struck back.

"Who says?!" Mortimer sneered in reply.

"I do!"

"So _**what**_?!"

"Hmph! You should keep your long mouth shut!"

"Make me!"

"_**Silence**_!" an irritated and furious Maleficent yelled over the two. Pete and Mortimer stopped their bickering and turned to face her. "I will _**not**_ tolerate my second-in-commands arguing over such imbecilic matters! We are all on the same team and need to work together."

Cinnamon Teal crossed her arms and nodded at Mortimer. The Beagle Boys all nodded at Pete. The oversized cat and long-snouted mouse both crossed their arms and turned away so their backs were at each other. They continued to scowl.

"Now," Maleficent said, shifting her gaze to Cinnamon Teal. "Has the rest of the Council arrived?"

"Yes," Teal replied. "They're gathered in the meeting hall downstairs. Just as you requested."

"Indeed," Maleficent acknowledged. "Report to the meeting hall at once. We need to plan our next move."

Pete and Mortimer both gulped a little before following the witch out of the room. Cinnamon Teal and the Beagle Boys were directly behind them.

* * *

The meeting hall was one of the largest rooms in the forest. However, it was also one of the darkest. The only light came from the torches positioned along the walls at regular intervals. Otherwise, the chamber had the gloominess one would expect to find deep in the _Realm of Darkness_.

A stone stage was on the end nearest the entrance into the room. Maleficent slowly walked up to a large throne in the middle made of green stone. Pete took a wooden chair to her right and Mortimer took the one on the left. The Beagle Boys plopped down on three stools to Pete's right. Cinnamon Teal took a seat in a wooden chair beside Mortimer. All of them looked out across the room. Their eyes had already adjusted enough to make out a number of individuals chatting amongst themselves before the stage.

One of them was an older man with a wrinkled face, gray hair, and gray eyes. He was wearing dark robes, a purple-and-black-striped hat containing a red ribbon, and shoulder pads bearing red stripes. He also had two rings on each hand; they sported red, green, and blue colored jewels. One look at him, and Pete automatically knew this was Judge Claude Frollo.

Another was a slender man with a long black ponytail, scar under his left eye, and a thick unibrow. He was dressed in what seemed to be a blue-colored lab-coat with a black belt and matching collar, black boots, and black gloves. His hands were rather small and he had pale, light-blue skin. Mortimer grinned towards him, recognizing Doctor Drakken.

Close by was a slender, anthropomorphic red wolf possessing a cream muzzle, bushy tail, both black nose and claws, sharp white fangs, ochre circles surrounding his eyes, and thick black eyebrows. His left ear was damaged and he was wearing a blue Napoleon-style coat with a gold lining on its high collar, white pants, a crimson sash, black boots, and a large true-pirate-styled sword. The Beagle Boys gulped, remembering this was the infamous air pirate captain, Don Karnage.

Nearby was a slender woman with fair skin, red-polished fingernails, huge eyes that appeared to be bulging, and hair that was black on her right and white on the left. Her appearance was similar to a skeleton. Her outfit consisted of a short tank dress, red gloves, and a giant cream-colored fur coat with a red interior. Cinnamon Teal smiled at her, recalling this as Cruella De Vil.

Next to her was an older man with a careworn face, balding brown hair, a hooked-nose, black eyes, and brown eyebrows. He was wearing a gray riding jacket, dark gray bandanna facing backwards, cream long-sleeved shirt with two buttons running vertically to his neckline, a brown vest, brown boots, and dark-grey pants with brown suspenders attached. He had an Indiana Jones-like hat with a dark brown band around on its brim, white teeth on the front, and a golden eagle feather. Mortimer wanted to give him a high-five, for this was Percival McLeach.

There was also a tall, slender, muscular man with gray skin, sharp teeth, yellow eyes, and blue flames in place of hair. His clothing was simple, consisting of only a black robe with a skull design, which included the clip. Pete didn't have to give him a second look, having already met this one; Hades.

Close to Hades was a tall, soldier-like man with a scar on his right eye and a black mustache. He was wearing a blue uniform from what someone might identify as belonging to the _Foreign Legion_ and yellow epaulets. On his head was a white cloth secured by a piece of rope; it strongly-resembled the head-gear worn by nomads in the desert. The Beagle Boys started feel more uncomfortable, recognizing Lieutenant Colonel Staquait.

There was also an anthropomorphic duck with wild, blue hair, an orange bill, and honey-yellow eyes. She was wearing a green turtle-neck shirt, light-blue skirt, and very dark-green trench-coat with rolled-up sleeves and matching shoes that seemed similar in design to slippers. Cinnamon Teal shook her head, recalling this was Camille Chameleon.

Beside her was a slender, young woman with dark skin, long blonde hair, and cyan eyes. She was wearing what anyone could have assumed was tribal clothing including gold bracelets and anklets. She was also barefoot and holding a golden staff that reminded Pete of Jafar's snake staff; this one, however, turned out to be a leopard's head. Pete remembered learning from Maleficent this was Queen La.

In addition, there was a very slender woman who seemed extremely old. Her physical body was shriveled like a skeleton. She was also completely bald with pale lavender skin, a wrinkled face, red lips, white eyes with small black pupils, purple eyelids, long black eyelashes, thin black eyebrows, light gray circles under her eyes, and red-polished fingernails and toenails. She was dressed in a black dress that stretched down to the floor and sported a feathery-like collar with a giant feather stretching out from behind her neck and curving over her head like a leaf. On her feet were a pair of black sandals. To Pete and Mortimer, she looked hideous beyond their imaginations; not even Maleficent could top her. This was Yzma.

Close by was a small, slender young woman sporting fair tan skin, wavy, thick, auburn hair, and amber eyes. She was dressed like a pirate with a standard sailor-like outfit. What stood out the most was her wings, which seemed to resemble a fairy. The Beagle Boys shrugged, not certain why Zarina wanted to join the group in the first place.

Between Yzma and Zarina stood a slender man with a white wig. He was wearing elegant, Georgian clothing along with a black, three-cornered hat. From the stage, Cinnamon Teal eyed him. He smiled very politely back to her. She smiled, knowing this was Lord Cutler Beckett.

There was also a tall, slender man with black curly hair, a handlebar mustache and goatee, and blue eyes. He was dressed entirely in black clothing and a matching cape. Even with his top hat, he seemed to resemble a magician. Mortimer smiled at him, having come to like the methods of this man; Doctor Terminus.

Nearby was a tall, slender man with dark-black hair and blue eyes. Although he was wearing a nice, black suit, his constant glare was making Pete feel really nervous. It didn't help that this particular individual had a metal claw in place of his left hand. Pete gulped some more when he remembered this man's name was Sanford "Claw" Scolex.

Between the two men was yet another man of about middle age man with blond hair. He was dressed in what seemed to be a faded blue suit with sunglasses. He also had an interesting-looking pipe in his pocket. He was paying close attention with a straight face; he looked to the Beagle Boys like a man on the job. This was Ian Howe.

There was also one trio of figures. They were rats with large noses, two had red noses while the third had a black nose. One was large and reddish-orange. Another was light-grey with a slender body, and the third was also slender with darker-brown fur. The Beagle Boys rolled their eyes, having had enough to do with The Pack Rats.

Plus, there was a young woman with reddish-orange hair consisting of three strands hanging from the top over her face, blue eyes, very pale skin, pointed ears, black eyebrows, and pinkish lips. Her outfit was a complex one; the upper part seemed to be a dress with dark-green color, the middle was a small purple skirt secured by pink vines around her waist, the lower part was what appeared to be pants in the same design as the top, and had a leaf-like design. The sides of her dark-green clothing had light-green lines that seemed to have been splotched on. Her feet were covered by a pair of pinkish-purple elf-like shoes, and she had a purple-colored hairband with a tiny, green wine wrapped around it nestled in her hair. A golden-colored vine was wrapped around her right wrist like a bracelet and she had a strawberry-designed tattoo on her right shoulder. What also stood out about her appearance was a set of transparent wings that seemed to be shaped like leaves. Overall, she seemed to significantly-resemble a fairy. Pete and Mortimer both shook their heads, not knowing why Thistle was a member of their group.

"My Council," Maleficent called from the stage, drawing everyone's attention. "The time has come for us to search for the '_Tome of Prophecies_'. Sora and his friends have started their quest to keep us from achieving our goal."

A series of loud "Boos" and "No way"(s) filled the air. Maleficent raised her hands for silence. "Fortunately for us, we have the advantage. Sora is still unaware of what we're searching for. He'll be so busy trying to maintain his precious 'world order', no one will be able to stand in our way for long."

"_**Now**_ is the time to act!" Mortimer declared.

"Let's _**get**_ that runt with the Keyblade!" Pete added.

"He shall _**not**_ find the magical book first," Cinnamon Teal agreed.

"Let's do it!" the Beagle Boys called in turn.

Loud shouts and cheers from the villains below echoed through the fortress. Maleficent gave an evil smile as she gently petted her raven. "Yes," she muttered to no one in particular. "Soon every world will be mine — ours — for the taking."

She waved her wand slightly and a patch of Darkness suddenly appeared in the room. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch as the shape of figure formed before their eyes. The clump of Darkness finally transformed into a tall, slender man with pale-blonde hair. He was wearing a black suit with a bowtie, cape, gloves, black shoes, a white dress shirt, and yellow-tinted spectacles.

Everyone stared at the man in surprise. "Well, well, well," Maleficent said with a sinister grin. "What have we here?"

"I am Judge Doom," the man said in a British accent. "And I want my revenge against _all_ Toons — _**especially**_ Roger Rabbit and his friends."

"And you shall have it," the witch called from above. "But, you will first have to join our cause."

Judge Doom snorted at her. "And what 'cause' is that?"

"We're looking for the '_Tome of Prophecies_'," Maleficent informed him. "It can alter anyone's story — including yours. It also has the power to bring to life an entire world and its residents from either the past or the future."

Judge Doom gave a creepy smile. "And _that_ is an excellent way to being down all Toons! Tell me more."

"Yes," Maleficent nodded. "As you wish."

She felt pleased. She knew all too well that, despite this man's return being an accident, she could use it to her advantage.

* * *

The _**Radiant Garden**_ was long out of sight. Herbie flew along gracefully even with Launchpad at the controls. No Heartless ships were in sight which meant there was no need for the cannons and lasers on board.

Sora gazed out the window at the countless stars. H smiled, recalling how he'd seen them in a similar manner when he had set out on his first quest to save the worlds. Along the way, he had made many new friends and explored lots of different places he had never dreamed he would ever have seen. Now that he had visited so many unique worlds, it felt like nothing would ever surprise him again.

Of course, he knew that wasn't going to be the case. After all, he had explored a completely new realm less than a year ago and seen a handful of lands he hadn't heard of before then. He made many new friends — including Rapunzel, Sam Flynn, Wart… Arthur that is, Crystal, and Shelly to name a few. He'd also met Pooh's friend, Christopher Robin. He even got to talk with Tinker Bell in a special region of the island of _**Never Land**_ and meet some of her fellow fairies. In addition, he had made friends with the Cybersquad who were from a whole different universe. To top it off, he'd even gotten to see Pinocchio and Jiminy's home world as well as the world Merlin was from, meet King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy as Musketeers, and travel into the worlds inside musical scores. He gave a smile, knowing so much had happened lately and it was just the beginning.

Sora continued to look out the window until he heard a loud _**SNORT!**_ He spun around. "Huh?!"

He turned his attention toward Donald and Launchpad. The former was watching an episode of an older black-and-white T.V. show. Another loud _**SNORT**_ filled the air. "What was that?" Sora asked.

"I haven't the foggiest idea!" Launchpad announced in reply.

Donald sighed. "It must be Goofy… "

Sora turned his seat towards the knight. Just like Donald had said, Goofy was sound asleep. A paperback comic book was lying open in his lap while his arms where lying on top of it. A third loud _**SNORT**_ came out of Goofy. "Wake him up — _now_!" Donald snapped, turning up the volume on the screen before him.

"Give me a chance!" Sora countered.

He put his hands on Goofy's shoulders and rapidly shook him. The knight's eyes started to open, but as Sora stopped shaking him, Goofy fell back into his slumber. When a fourth loud _**SNORT**_ echoed about the cockpit, Donald yelled, "That does it!"

The magician paused his show and moved closer to the sleeping Goofy. He screamed at the top of his lungs, "_**Wake up**_!"

Goofy was so startled, he leaped into the air and bonked his head on the roof. The incident had been loud enough to distract Launchpad. Goofy slowly opened his eyes to see Sora, Donald, and Launchpad staring at him. Donald looked like a time bomb that was about to explode any second. The knight sat up, stretched, and yawned before speaking.

"Gawrsh," Goofy said. "Does the world owe me a livin'?"

Donald scowled at him, "You were snoring in your sleep!"

Goofy looked like he was in a total daze. "I was?"

"_**Yes**_!"

"Well, I sure don't remember sleepin'… "

"Just stay awake!" Donald shouted.

Sora placed his hands in the direction of the two as he said, "Okay! We get the hint!"

Jiminy Cricket hopped out of Sora's pocket and scolded, "You two should get along better than _that_! You only live in the _**same**_ castle!"

Goofy nodded while Donald crossed his arms. A loud banging sound filled the air. Everyone switched their focus toward the back. Sora leaned against the seat. The sound seemed to echo. "It's coming from inside," he concluded.

Goofy shrugged. "May-bee it's a ghost?"

Donald's anger returned within moments. "_Shut-up_!" he snarled. "Stop being so stupid!"

"That's not nice," Launchpad spoke up. "I may be dumber than _he_ is, but I'm not stupid!"

This only made Donald all the more furious. "I was able to handle him before _**you**_ joined our team," he retorted. "Now it's too much! If I have to deal with two, I want out!"

The magician's outburst resulted in complete silence. Despite this, Donald finished, "From now on, I'm _**not**_ fighting alongside Goofy or Launchpad! This is the _**last**_ **straw**_!_"

To say Sora was startled to the point of being entirely speechless would be considered an understatement. On top of shocked, he was saddened, confused, and discouraged. He let out a deep sigh before turning his eyes to gaze out the cockpit. A large, blue star up ahead grabbed his attention.

"Look!" Sora called.

Everyone else stared straight ahead. Sure enough, the star was getting brighter and larger. In seconds, Herbie was being pulled in by the star's gravity. The Gummi Ship zoomed into the planet's atmosphere and ended up hovering over a massive ocean.

"Whoa!" Sora marveled. "Where are we?"

Goofy looked around. "This place sure ain't _**Atlantica**_. A-Hyuck!"

Donald scowled at him. Sora had to sigh once more.

"Let's go for a splash-landing!" Launchpad declared. He grabbed the controls!"

"_**NO**_!" everyone else shouted.

Herbie remained frozen in mid-air. No matter how hard Launchpad tried to steer the ship towards the water below, nothing happened. "Say, something's wrong with this thing," he observed. "We're not moving an inch!"

"Herbie doesn't want to crash," Donald informed the others. "Let's use the teleportation device."

Goofy looked puzzled. "What's a 'telephone-station' device?"

Sora shook his head, even as Donald scolded the knight. The former reached at the dashboard and pulled a green lever. "C'mon," he said. "Let's go."

* * *

The next thing Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad knew, they were walking on the deck of what appeared to be an enormous military ship. Donald was walking to Sora's left since Launchpad and Goofy were to Sora's right. Sora sighed and looked around as the group proceeded across the deck. "What a weird place… "

"Yeah," Goofy confirmed, noting the emptiness. "Feels like we're nothin' but sitting ducks."

Donald glared at Goofy for a second before turning away. Jiminy hopped back out of Sora's pocket. He scanned the deck before saying, "Hmm… perhaps everyone's inside."

Sora paused in consideration. After a few moments, he opened his mouth to speak. At the same time, a loud voice boomed out from an intercom, "Attention! All hands to the Launch Bay! To whoever took the 'L' from the Motor Pool sign — Ha, Ha. We are all _very_ amused… "

"_**Waak**__!_" Donald screamed in alarm, jumping high into the air and landing onto Sora's back. "What was that?!"

"_Donald_," Sora gasped as the duck's hands clenched his neck and started squeezing as tightly as they could. "You're _choking_ me!"

In a complete state of shock and realization, Donald released his grip on Sora's throat.

"Sorry, Sora," Donald admitted with a hint of embarrassment. He hopped off Sora's back. Instead of setting foot on the deck, the magician landed on the foot of a figure that had been standing behind the group. A shower of dirt fell from above and covered Donald. "What's the big idea?!"

Sora, Goofy, and Launchpad all spun around. Jiminy Cricket hopped over to Goofy's shoulder as Sora got his first look at the stranger. It was a short man who seemed to be well-overweight with a shaven face and wearing an enormous, grey overcoat. His head was shrouded by a headset with a lamp on it. His eyes were covered by goggles that had the ability to change focus and zoom rapidly. Unfortunately, his eyes seemed to be glaring through the goggles and straight at Donald. With a deep, French-accented voice, the man snapped, "Look what you've _done_!"

He gestured at the dirt that had landed onto Donald's bill. He continued, "All the dirt I've gathered from Mammoth Cave — the largest cave system in the world — is on _**you**_!"

"Hey," Sora shouted at the man. "Leave him alone! It's not his fault!"

"Why are ya carrying dirt around?" Goofy asked,

"Yeah," Launchpad added. "There's no islands in sight."

Sora shrugged. "Must be a collector of dirt."

The man shifted his glared to the brown-haired young man. "You ask too many questions! Who are you? Where are you from? Speak up!"

"Well," Sora hesitated. "I'm—"

"Bleh," the man interrupted. "I will know soon enough!"

The man rapidly reached out and grabbed Sora left wrist. Goofy jumped back a few inches as the seventeen-year-old was yanked forward. All Sora could say was, "Hey! Let me go!"

"Aw, don't be such a cry-baby," the man retaliated as he held Sora's left hand up to his eyes. He pulled out a pair of tweezers and plucked off a grain of dirt from one of the young man's fingernails. He released his grip with an excited cry of, "_Aha_! Here it is!"

Sora clutched his hand. He started rubbing it because of the pain. The man flipped on his head lamp and focused his goggles in on the grain of dirt. He said, "Now tell me your story, my little friend. Let's see… sand from a tropical island… dust from a town made of wood… bubble residue from water… sea spray mixed with salt indicating the ocean… you have a friend with auburn hair showing signs of a mature girl… you have a sister and mother with sand-colored hair… a pet goldfish and a cat with black-and-white fur… "

The man quickly flipped off his head lamp and stared at Sora. "These are the markings of a heroic teenager from an island," he concluded. "And a very naïve one."

Sora was either amazed or perplexed. He barely managed to say, "You knew all that just by looking at one piece of dirt?"

Instead of responding to Sora's question, the man exclaimed, "This is an _**outrage**_! You must get away at once!"

Sora stepped back a step with Donald, only to bump into someone else. He glanced up with the magician to see a tall, muscular, bald man with darker skin. The man took one look at Donald and the dirt that had gathered upon him. "Uh-oh!" he said. "Got covered in the dirt, didn't you?"

"_Moliére_," The new arrival glared at the other man. "Now what have I told you about playing nice with the other kids?"

The man pulled out a bar of soap and held it up at Moliére. "Get back," he warned. "I've got soap and I'm _not_ afraid to use it!"

In a state of panic and fury, Moliére ran off with a cry of, "_**Fine**_! You can _**have**_ it!"

As Moliére left, Sora simply said, "Man… "

He looked back up at the stranger and said, "You're good! What's your name?"

"Name's Sweet — Joshua Sweet," the man affirmed, revealing the bag in his right hand. "I'm the Medical Officer."

"I'm Sora," Sora introduced. He indicated his companions, "This is Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad."

"Sora, haven't you forgotten someone?" Jiminy asked as he hopped over to Sora's shoulder from Goofy.

"Oh!" Sora acknowledged. He turned back to Sweet, "And this is Jiminy Cricket."

"Yup! He sure looks like a cricket," Sweet stated. He looked at the others. "And they look like ducks and dogs."

"A dog," Goofy contemplated. "Gawrsh! I never really looked at it _that_ way before."

"Since when do _you_ ever look at something a different way?" Donald demanded to know.

"Hmm," Goofy said in thought. "Good question… "

"Say now," Sweet continued. "Are you all among the new recruits for the expedition?"

"Huh?" Sora inquired. "What 'expedition'?"

"Oh! So you _are_ among the new recruits," Sweet presumed. "No problem! Helga can arrange everything for you."

"Well… can we have a minute to think about it?" Sora asked.

"Sure!" Sweet replied. "Just don't take too long. The sub's preparing for departure as we speak."

Sora turned to Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. Jiminy sat on Sora's shoulder as the Keyblade wielder said, "I would really like to go on this expedition. How about you guys?"

Everyone else appeared to be showing signs on uneasiness. Goofy said, "Well, I don't know… "

"Me either," Launchpad agreed. "I don't know whatever Goofy doesn't."

"Sora, have you forgotten?" Jiminy questioned. "You need to think _before_ acting!"

"Yeah," Donald agreed. "How do we know this expedition isn't made-up? It might be a trap."

"We should at least know _where_ we'll be heading," Jiminy finished. "Other worlds still need our help."

Sora took a moment to take all this information in. If the expedition was a trap, then their destination wouldn't exist. Then again, the Heartless could have already arrived in this world, in which case, the world itself would be in extreme danger. "Okay," Sora said at last. "I'll ask."

Sora turned to Sweet and said, "So, do you know where this expedition will be going?"

Sweet responded, "The only one who knows that is the linguist, Milo Thatch. If you want to meet him, you'll probably want to sign up."

Sora glanced back at the others. Everyone nodded, although Donald looked unsure. Sora answered, "Sure! We're game."

Sweet nodded and gestured towards a doorway leading into the ship. "You'll find Helga in there. She's the lieutenant. Talk to her and I'll bet she can get you signed up immediately."

Sora nodded as Sweet walked away. Jiminy hopped back into Sora's pocket as the Keyblade wielder led the group through the open doorway and into a large, open room filled with all kinds of trucks, cranes, and welding machines. The first thing Sora did was awe in amazement. Donald was speechless while Goofy and Launchpad looked all around. The pilot said, "Looks like one of Mister McDee's automobile plants on a typical day… "

"Gawrsh," Goofy commented. "Never seen so many trucks in all muh life."

"I want _this _one!" Donald exclaimed as he ran to the nearest truck. It had a large, barrel-shaped contraption situated directly behind the cab.

"_Donald_!" Sora called out, pursuing his friend. Goofy and Launchpad quickly followed.

Donald clambered into the cab and reached for steering wheel. A voice snapped, "Get out of that vehicle! You are _not _authorized!"

Sora reached the truck just ahead of Goofy and Launchpad. At the sound of the voice, they all turned to their right. A tall, slender woman with short blonde hair and blue eyes was standing before them with her arms crossed. She was wearing a green trench coat over a black-colored outfit.

At first glance, Goofy gulped. "Gawrsh," he stammered. "A _lady_!"

"Gee, I don't know who she is," Launchpad chuckled. "But she sure looks _lovely_."

The woman marched up to the pilot. With a lack of amusement in her voice, she said, "And just who might _you_ be?"

"The name's Launchpad McQuack," Launchpad introduced. "'If it's got wings, I can _crash_ it', ma'am!"

"My name's Lieutenant Helga Sinclair — _not_ 'ma'am'," the woman corrected. "If you're among the new recruits, I recommend you four don't join."

"Why not?" Donald asked as he climbed out of the truck.

Helga turned to them all. "You four don't know an artifact from an antique. You'd be nothing but a waste of space."

"H-hey!" Sora blurted. "How can you be so sure? You should at least give us a chance!"

Helga thought for what felt to Sora like hours instead of minutes. She finally turned back to him and said, "In that case, I _might_ have an opening for you. Are you interested?"

She held out a clipboard with a piece of paper on it. Sora took the clipboard with a feeling of uneasiness. "Uhh… sure."

When he realized that the piece of paper was a roster of the expedition's crew, Sora asked Donald for a pencil. When the magician shrugged, Sora asked Goofy. Goofy reached into his pockets and pulled out a pencil — only snapped in half with the eraser end on one piece and the sharp, lead-point on the other. He held it out for Sora, who grabbed the pointed half and carefully wrote his name onto the roster. "There!" the spikey-headed youth proclaimed.

He passed it along to Donald, who wrote his own name before tossing the board into the air. Goofy had to jump to catch the flying clipboard. The knight clung onto it as he scribbled his own name on the paper. He handed the clipboard to Launchpad, who swiftly wrote his own name. The pilot gave the clipboard back to Sora. The latter passed it along back to Helga.

The lieutenant read the names back to them. Her eyes widened in the process. "**Sora**… **Donald Duck**… **Goofy**… _**Lunchpand McSquash**_?!" she asked. "What are your _real_ names?"

"Sora," Sora instantly responded.

"Donald," Donald said.

"Name's Goofy," Goofy added.

"I already stated _my_ name!" Launchpad told her.

Helga looked at them all with a hint of suspicion. She was about to speak when a voice snapped, "Blondie?! I've got a _bone_ to pick with you!"

The group watched as a crane lowered a crate in their direction. Kneeling within the crate was a short, elderly man with a white beard and white eyebrows. He was wearing a pair of blue overalls, a white shirt, and a brown hat. Helga sighed as the crate approached them. She turned to the man as Donald glared at Launchpad. "Can't you spell your _own_ name?!"

"I never knew I could spell!" Launchpad joked, even though the only other one who thought it was funny turned out to be Goofy.

"Same here, A-Hyuck!" the knight chuckled.

Sora sighed miserably before saying, "Let's just figure out where we need to go. We'll find that linguist in no time."

Goofy looked perplexed. "Uhh… I thought the one we needed ta find was some feller named Milo Scratch."

"Ya big palooka," Donald hollered in a state of rage. "It's Milo_ Thatch_!"

"I _**gots**_ yo four basic food groups!" the older man from the crate yelled at Helga. Sora and his teammates spun their attention over to them two. The man counted on his fingers. "Beans, bacon, whiskey, and lard!"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad shifted their eyes to Sora. The seventeen-year-old Keyblader only shrugged. He didn't understand any of the things the man had said. Furthermore, he also knew those were _not_ any of the food groups.

A buzzing signal filled the air. "Pack it up, cowboy!" Helga stated at the man. "We're shoving off!"

The echoing sound of an intercom filled the air. "Attention! All hands to the Launch Bay! Final loading in progress."

Without warning, the entire room began shifting as Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad came to realize they were standing on a gigantic elevator. The platform slowly descended deeper and deeper into the ship.

* * *

As soon as the elevator came to a halt, the group spotted an enormous, brown-painted, metallic submarine in the middle of the room. The front of the sub contained a spherical-shaped cockpit with orange windows. The name "_**Ulysses**_" was painted on its side. Groups of workers and vehicles milled about the areas around the sub. The sounds of a million footsteps echoed about.

Sora awed in amazement at the mere sight of the vehicle. He heard Goofy say, "Gawrsh, we're going in _that_?"

"Yeah," Sora affirmed. "That's our ticket on this adventure."

"I don't know," Donald muttered under his breath. He looked a little unsteady. "The last time I was in a submarine, I was court-martialed… "

Sora led the group across the deck to the sub's entry ramp. As they did, Goofy accidentally rammed into someone. The stranger turned out to be a tall, slender man with black, flat-topped hair, a thick mustache, gray gloves, and a black coat. He spoke to them in an Italian accent, "Hey, if you kids are looking for the pony rides, they're not here."

The man continued walking past. Goofy handed Sora a red cylinder with a piece of black rope sticking out the top. "He dropped that there thingy," the knight said.

Sora called out, "Hey! You forgot your… "

His voice trailed off when it occurred to him that the item was an explosive. "…d-d-_dynamite_?!"

The man spun around and strode up to them. He accepted the stick of dynamite. Sora questioned, "Who are you?"

"Oh, eh… Vincenzo Santorini, but you can me Vinny," the man said. "I'm a demolition expert."

"What kinda of stuff do you carry?" a curious Goofy wondered aloud.

Vinny shrugged. "Well, eh… firecrackers, nitro-glycerin, notepads, fuses, wicks, glue, and… paperclips — big ones. You know — just office supplies."

Sora crossed his arms in doubt at the sound of this difficult-to-believe explanation. He shrugged the thought aside when a voice called out, "Milo! Where've you been?"

His ears perked up at the very mention of the name. Sora spun his attention towards a trio of people standing nearby. One was a medium-height, elderly man with white hair and wearing a blue sailor uniform.

The second figure in the group was a tall, muscular man with grey hair, brown eyes, and dressed in a soldier uniform.

The third stranger was a tall, slender young man with light brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a green trench coat over a white shirt and tan pants. On his face was a pair of wireframe eyeglasses.

Sora led Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad straight over to them. The first man saw them and said, "Well now, who do we have here?"

Sora said, "I'm Sora."

"I'm Donald." Donald said.

"Name's Goofy." Goofy added.

"The name's Launchpad McQuack," Launchpad said. "'If it's got wings, I can _crash_ it!'"

"You've said that intro _**too**_ many times," Donald snapped at the pilot. "Try _changing_ it — for once!"

"Aw shucks, it don't matter," the man said in reaction to this display. "You must be among the new recruits Helga just informed me about."

"Uhh… sure." Sora stammered.

The man extended his hand. "Preston Whitmore — funder of this-here dang-fool expedition."

Whitmore gestured at the soldier behind him. "And this is Commander Rourke."

"Pleasure to meet you all," Rourke acknowledged. "Don't know how he did it, but Whitmore has hired the best of the best."

Sora nodded. "So, where might we be heading?"

"I can answer that," perked up the younger man. "My name is Milo Thatch. I'm a linguist."

He reached out and shook hands with Sora. Afterward, Milo explained, "We're searching for the lost continent of Atlantis."

Sora was speechless. He had already heard of Atlantis from Riku, but had always been told that it never was real. As far as he knew, that entire story was meant to be a complete myth. He asked, "But, how will _we_ be able to discover a lost civilization that no one else could?"

"Simple," Milo said, pulling a book with a brown cover out of his shoulder bag and holding it up for the others to see. "We'll be following the directions that have been inscribed in this book. It's called '_The Shepherd's Journal_'. It's supposed to contain a first-hand account of Atlantis _and_ its exact whereabouts."

"Cool," Sora exclaimed. "I've _**always**_ wondered what Atlantis looked like."

Milo smiled. "Boy, when Mr. Whitmore settles a bet, he _really_ settles a bet."

Whitmore nodded. "Well, Milo's grandfather always did believe that you could never put a price on the pursuit of knowledge."

"Well believe me," Milo added. "This venture is going to be small change compared to the value of what we're going to learn on this trip."

"Yes," Rourke reflected. "This should be enriching for all of us."

Although the commander appeared to be friendly, Sora had a strange feeling that it would be best to proceed with caution.

"Attention, all personnel," the voice on the intercom boomed overhead. "Launch will commence in fifteen minutes."

Rourke saluted to Whitmore as he started up a ramp just before the group. Milo followed Sora and the others as they walked up next. Milo called back, "Bye, Mr. Whitmore!"

As an enormous, iron door came down to seal off the entrance, Whitmore shouted back, "Make us proud, boy!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad quickly followed Milo and Rourke into the cockpit. Several walkways and platforms were scattered about the room with various people walking about. Sora looked around as he noticed numerous sailors relay the message of, "Rig ship for dive!"

On a higher platform, Rourke declared, "Lieutenant, take her down."

The lieutenant, Helga Sinclair, proclaimed, "Diving officers, submerge the ship. Make the depth 1-5-0 feet."

As the message was relayed onward, a warning siren started to beep. Sora instantly realized it was meant for anyone outside to be a safe distance away. He turned back to the window and he spotted Milo to his right. The young linguist was peering out to watch the launch up close. Sora followed Milo's eyes and noticed that Whitmore was watching them from the outside.

A final warning bell sounded as the cranes holding the submarine released their grip and the entire vehicle landed gently into the open hatch of water below. Sora caught one more glance at Whitmore before the submarine dipped below the surface. The man was giving a thumbs-up with his other hand behind his back. If Sora had been behind him, he would've noticed Whitmore's fingers were crossed.

Within seconds, the _Ulysses_ was descending into the depths of the sea. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad had arrived in the world of **Ancient Empire**.

* * *

**A/N: WHOA! WHAT A START FOR A WORLD'S STORY!**

**So, I am certain it is clear. The world of Ancient Empire is based on Disney's "_ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE (2001)_".  
Personally, that is one Disney Movie I can DEFINITELY see coming into play in "_Kingdom Hearts 3_".**

**For those of you who remember my earlier, deleted story, "_Kingdom Hearts - The Phantom Threat_", you probably recognized much of this from before. I decided to make This Story a revival of that "Late" one. So, you might see more similarities coming up. Fortunately, they will NOT last long!**

**In addition, "_Ulysses_" IS the name of the submarine. I looked it up on Disney Wikia.**

**Plus, I wonder how many of you noticed Donald's outburst. It was quite significant, wasn't it? Keep that in mind! This story's NOT over yet!**

**So, NOW it is Time To REVEAL where each of these Disney Villains came from - IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE IN THIS STORY, TOO!  
****Maleficent is from "_Sleeping Beauty (1959)_".  
****[Peg-Leg] Pete is from various Disney Cartoons starting as early as 1925.  
****The Beagle Boys are from "_Mickey, Donald, Goofy - The Three Musketeers (2004)_".  
****Mortimer Mouse is from "_Mickey's Rival (1936)_".  
****Cinnamon Teal is from "_DuckTales -T.V. Series-_".  
****Judge Claude Frollo is from Disney's "_The Hunchback of Notré Dame (1996)_".  
****Dr. Drakken is from "_Kim Possible -T.V. Series-_".  
****Don Karnage originated in "_TaleSpin__** -T.V. Seri**es-_".  
****Cruella De Vil first appeared in "_101 Dalmatians (1961)_".  
****Percival McLeach is from "_The Rescuer's Down Under (1990)_".  
****Hades originated from "_Hercules (1997)_".  
****Lieutenant Colonel Staquait is from "_The Legend of Tarzan -T.V. Series-_".  
****Camille Chameleon is from "_Darkwing Duck -T.V. Series-_".  
****Queen La is from "_The Legend of Tarzan -T.V. Series-_".  
****Yzma came from "_The Emperor's New Groove (2000)_".  
****Zarina is from "_The Pirate Fairy (2014)_".  
****Lord Cutler Beckett appeared in "_Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)_".  
****Doctor Terminus appeared in "_Pete's Dragon (1977)_".  
****Sanford Scolex (Dr. Claw) is from "_Inspector Gadget (1999)_".  
I****an Howe came from "_National Treasure (2004)_".  
****The Pack Rats came from "_The New Adventures of Winnie The Pooh -T.V. Series-_".  
****Thistle is from the _Disney Fairies Graphic Novel [#4]:_ "_Tinker Bell To The Rescue_".**

**...And Judge Doom is from "_Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)_".**  
**I apologize if Judge Doom seems out-of-character. I have only seen "_Who Framed Roger Rabbit?_" once as far as I can recall. The rest I determined through a little research and some recollections.**

**So, did you manage to figure out ALL or MOST of these villains? I understand there were A LOT to determine - 23 TO BE EXACT! Yet, that just shows Not ALL of them will be Directly involved in This Story! Several shall ALSO show up in the SEQUEL - PROVIDED ENOUGH REVIEWS ARE RECEIVED!**

**So, Since I Have Run Out Of Things To Say, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**To put it simple, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	8. Ch8 - Into The Lair of The Leviathan

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HERE IS CHAPTER 8! HALLELUJAH! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! YES!**

**So, THIS Chapter is actually the Second Chapter for the story of the first Disney-based world. To that end, I would like provide a little piece of TRIVIA to go along with it.**  
** DID YOU KNOW? The chef's character, "Cookie" was played the comedy-actor, Jim Varney? Varney was known for his role as _Ernest P. Worrell_ and _Slinky_ in "_Toy Story (1995)_". "_Atlantis: The Lost Empire__ (2001)_" was his lost role ever. He died during production, so the movie is actually dedicated to him. Nevertheless, Jim Varney still did his personal best with the role, knowing he would not live long enough to see the movie be released.**

**Now that you know a small tidbit you might not have before, I just wanted to saw how happy I am to see how much everyone is enjoying the story. Whenever I read over the detailed "Storyline 'Summary'" I created for "_Kingdom Hearts - Season of Light_", I find myself enjoying it, too. The story WILL be getting MUCH MORE INTERESTING that further in we go.**

**I see at least one of you are confused about why I included Lord Cutler Beckett on _Maleficent's Council_ when I stated on my Profile Page how I would NOT be including "_Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)_". That wasn't the ONLY Disney movie that villain appeared in, now was it? Either I will be including the world of _Port Royal_ in This or Another story (most-likely the Sequel), or Lord Beckett will be one of the villains who "temporarily" appears with the other villains.**

**Plus, I Hope you are all enjoying This Story! I spent MONTHS to plan it out! Let me know which parts YOU LIKE THE BEST and what YOU WOULD LIKE to see happen up ahead and in the REST OF THE STORY!**

**Since I have covered everything I need to say this time as well, I'll let you go.**  
**PLEASE ENJOY! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW AND READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT - AND PLEASE REVIEW, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 8  
****Into The Lair of The Leviathan**

It had only been ten minutes after the _Ulysses_ had been launched when the sunlight shining from above had dispersed into complete, inky blackness. The cockpit was full of hustle and bustle as Sora desperately swept his eyes this way and that. From his shoulder, Jiminy Cricket did the same. The young man peeked around a wooden crate on the deck. He sighed. "Not here either."

Sora couldn't believe his luck. Shortly after the submarine had been launched, Milo had headed for a narrow hallway leading out of the chamber. It was at that precise moment Sora had taken notice of the absence of Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. Now he was searching every nook and cranny in the room — with no success so far.

As Sora carefully moved what could have been the fiftieth wooden crate from a pile of wooden crates, the sound of obnoxious laughter filled his ears. "What was _that_?" he wondered aloud.

Jiminy listened for a moment as he tried to pinpoint the source of the noise. He finally spotted a narrow doorway located roughly six feet from them that led deeper into the submarine. "Hmm… it seems to be coming from down there," the cricket concluded.

Jiminy hopped from the crate he had just been standing on and landed onto Sora's shoulder. The latter set down the crate he had been holding before approaching the doorway. "Then that's where we'll search next," he decided.

"Take it away," Jiminy stated as Sora stepped into the corridor beyond. The hallway was painted in a dark, brownish color while the lights of the room were a dim, white color and encased in small, iron cage-like covers.

Curious to know if there was anything on the other side, Sora knocked on the wall. A faint echo could be heard. "Sounds metallic," he assumed.

He noticed light shining through a doorway further down the corridor. The sounds of laughter and slurping grew louder as Sora cautiously snuck up to the wide doorway. He peeked through and could not believe his own eyes. Jiminy peered inside, only to softly exclaim, "Well, I'll be… "

Inside the large, wide room, Launchpad and Goofy were sitting at one of many picnic-shaped tables. They were accompanied by a large group of sailors, engineers, and soldiers.

For a moment, Sora was puzzled. Since when did soldiers sign on for an expedition to a mythical destination? The question rapidly left as he heard Goofy said, "Gawrsh, tell 'em about thuh time you crashed into Scrooge McDuck's new bank."

"Gee, I recall getting _fired_ by Mister McDee for that," Launchpad chuckled. "Come to think of it, I became the wandering hero and must've passed out millions of calling cards to the people of Duckburg. Guess I should've given one to you."

"Well, I dunno know," Goofy pondered out loud. "I never got one."

This brought out a loud burst of laughter from the other people gathered around.

Sora sighed as he strode up to his friends. The crowd stepped aside to make way for the teenager as he reached Goofy and Launchpad. The pilot said, "Hey Sora! How's it going?"

"Look everyone," Goofy declared, gesturing at Sora. "It's the heroic, _**Sora**_!"

The crowd gasped in amazement for a brief second. When that second was up, they all cheered and gave a round of applause. Just trying to play along, Sora bowed for them. "Yeah," he admitted. "I'm a hero."

One of the sailors in the crowd said, "You must have been at least a _little_ nervous having to battle those monsters."

Sora's eyes grew wide when he heard this. All he could say was, "Well… maybe a _little_. It's not that overwhelming."

One of the crowd marched straight up to Sora. It was a slender girl who appeared to be slightly shorter than the spikey-haired Keyblader. She had black, shoulder-length hair, brown eyes, and wearing blue overalls, a white shirt, an aqua-colored hat, and tan gloves. "Oh really?" she quizzed

"Yeah," Sora answered. "It's a piece of cake!"

"Yeesh," the girl muttered aloud. "I would rather take lunch money from guys like _him_."

The comment caused the entire crowd to burst out laughing. The girl marched closer to Sora and raised her fist as though she was going to punch his shoulder. Jiminy hopped back into Sora's hoodie as the latter recoiled. "Two for flinching!" the girl stated.

Sora winced as the girl's fists struck his shoulder. As she walked away, he said, "Just… who _are_ you?"

"Name's Audrey," the girl responded. "_Chief_ mechanic."

She casually strolled out of the room and disappeared into the corridor. Sora was about to say something when a Western-accented voice called out, "Come and _get_ it!"

Sora watched as the same elderly man he had caught a glimpse of earlier came into the room through a doorway. He was pushing a cart carrying a pot and banging a metal ladle against the pot's side. The noise was loud enough to make Sora cover his ears. He saw everyone standing in the room dart out as fast as they could. Only Launchpad, Goofy, and Sora remained. The man glanced around in wonder. "Was it something I said?" he inquired, a puzzled look on his face.

Sora shook his head. Whoever this man was, he had just spoken in the direction of an empty room. He had to smile a little. This was what he often thought of as "_Fourth-Wall-Joke-Style_". "Who are you?" the seventeen-year-old said at last.

"Jebidiah Farnsworth," the man replied. "But you guys can just call me 'Cookie'. I'm the chief cook around these parts."

Sora stepped up to the pot, took a deep sniff, and rapidly held his nose. With the sound of a stuffed nose, he inquired, "What _**is**_ that?! It smells horrible!"

"Just a little bacon grease left over from the baked beans I prepared for tonight's suppa," Cookie answered. He leaned in close to Sora's ear and whispered, "It's supposed to be the appetizer before the main course."

From his seat, Goofy asked Cookie, "Could I try some?"

"Can you make it _two_?" Launchpad added.

"Comin' right up," Cookie affirmed as he rolled the pot over to the table and placed two trays in front of Goofy and Launchpad. The cook whipped out his ladle and dipped it into the pot before dumping the contents onto Goofy's tray. He did the same for Launchpad, except some of the grease splattered onto the table.

Sora had to cover his mouth. A few small flies were buzzing around the grease mounds. He started to turn a slight tint of green.

"_**Sora**_! _**There**_ you are!" Donald shouted as he rushed into the room. He said, "C'mon! We're supposed to report to the bridge!"

As soon as the magician saw the mounds of bacon grease piled up onto the trays, he covered his bill with both his hands and his face turned green. He zoomed out the door and further down the corridor. Sora shrugged at this. "C'mon," he said, not glancing back at Goofy or Launchpad. "Let's head for the bridge."

* * *

A few minutes later, Sora, Goofy, and Launchpad finally caught up with Donald just outside a tiny restroom. They proceeded toward the cockpit of the submarine.

Upon arrival in the gigantic spherical room, the group looked around. To Goofy and Launchpad's dismay, there appeared to be hundreds of catwalks leading this way and that. "Gawrsh," Goofy said. "Where do we go?"

"This could take _hours_!" Launchpad stated, indicating the large amount of staircases and platforms connected by the catwalks. "These all look like bridges to me! Is one of them London bridge?"

"Yeah!" Goofy added in turn. "Maybe it's been fallin' down. A-Hyuck!"

"Ya _big_ _**palookas**_," Donald snarled. "The bridge is the control center for the ship!" He paused. "…I mean 'submarine'!"

"_**Hey**_! Cut it_ out_, you guys!" Sora yelled at them, even though it was clear he specifically meant Donald.

The other three stared at him in shock. Not a single one of them had foreseen Sora lashing out his frustration on others. To them, the teenager tended to be more carefree. It would appear that someone had switched their friend for an inversed counterpart — whatever _that_ meant! There was total silence until a series of voices snatched their attention.

"_Alright_! Let's have a look around."

"Aye sir! Setting course for _two_—_four_—_zero_!"

"Up there!" Launchpad pointed as his finger indicated one of the largest platforms in the cockpit. It coincidentally happened to be at the top of short flight of steps directly before the group. In reply, Sora and Goofy nodded while Donald rolled his eyes. The whole group quickly marched up the stairs to the platform.

As they set foot on the next level, Commander Rourke approached them. "Welcome to the bridge," he greeted. "Please stand with the others."

As Sora looked around the sub's bridge, he spotted a group of people standing against a railing while facing a whiteboard and slide projector. It only took one look for the brown, spikey-headed young man to recognize the majority of the people there — the demolition expert, Vinny; the mechanic, Audrey; the lieutenant, Helga; the eccentric, dirt-loving Molière (whose profession Sora was yet to discover); and the young linguist, Milo Thatch. The rest of crowd was made up of sailors and a few soldiers.

Still bewildered at the sight of _soldiers_ being on an expedition, Sora had to push the thought aside once again.

"Okay, everybody," Rourke declared. "I want you to give Mr. Thatch your undivided attention."

As he took his place in the group of spectators, Sora noticed that Donald and Goofy were standing on different sides of him while Launchpad was standing on the other side of Goofy. He sighed again and looked over to the whiteboard as Milo timidly approached it and turned to face everyone. The linguist gulped before speaking.

"Good afternoon," Milo said anxiously as he started to fidget with his shirt collar. "C-can everyone hear me okay?"

The eerie quiet that followed apparently answered his question. Milo hesitated for a brief moment. "H-how about some slides?"

From the corner of his eye, Sora thought he saw Vinny and Audrey glancing at one another. Milo flipped on the slide projector and pulled out a single slide from a box sitting beside it. "T-the first slide is a depiction of a creature," he continued. "A creature so frightening that sailors were said to be driven mad by the mere sight of it!"

Sora was starting to feel slightly uneasy when Milo inserted the slide into the projector. To Sora's astonishment and sudden amusement, the slide contained a black-and-white snapshot of Milo in a swimsuit on the beach. He was covered in a variety of inflatable water toys, a fishing pole, and water wings. Beside him was a cat reaching for the sky with its front legs crossed and its mouth wide open in a friendly snarl.

Sora barely managed to conceal his urge to snicker as almost everyone else in the group burst out laughing. The image reminded him of how he'd once been while on the beach one summer. Yukima, the family cat, had jumped onto his inflatable raft and sent it flying across the water. It had taken two lifeguards, his Mom, and Riku's older brother to get him back to shore safely.

Even Goofy was laughing along. "A-Hyuck!" the knight proclaimed. "That there picture sure is _funny_!"

"You _said _it!" Launchpad agreed, much to Donald's displeasure. All the latter did was utter a series of illegible, garbled words — ending with, "…Aw _phooey_!"

All Sora did was shake his head and smile as Milo rapidly removed the slide. "Sorry," the latter shyly reflected. "That's… wrong."

Sora crossed his arms patiently. A moment later, Milo placed another slide into the projector. It was a drawing of an enormous lobster-shaped creature attacking a ship. The image made Sora feel a little nervous, though he wasn't going to show it.

"Okay," Milo explained. "Now _this_ is an illustration of the Leviathan — the creature said to be guarding the entrance to Atlantis."

"With something like that, I would have white wine — I think," Vinny softly teased. Donald rolled his eyes at this "random statement" before turning back to Milo. To the magician, the demolition expert was behaving just like Goofy.

"It's a mythical sea serpent," Milo continued. "He's described in the Book of Job. T-the Bible says, 'Out of his mouth go burning lights — sparks of fire shoot out' — but more than likely, it's a carving, or a-a sculpture to frighten the superstitious."

"So, we find this 'masterpiece'," Rourke acknowledged.

Uncrossing his arms, Sora finally asked what everyone else probably had been wondering. "Then, what's next?"

"When do we _**dig**_?" Molière blurted out in an excited manner.

Milo flipped off the slide projector and picked up a marker from the whiteboard. "Actually, we don't have to dig," he informed everyone, drawing on the board. "You see, according to the journal, the path to Atlantis will take us down a tunnel at the bottom of the ocean."

He drew a bubble-shaped object on the board and pointed at it. "And we'll curve into an air pocket — right _here_. There, we'll find the remnants of an ancient highway that will lead us to Atlantis. Kind of like the grease trap in your sink."

Milo finished drawing what turned out to be a sketched map of the path he had just been discussing. Sora carefully studied the chart, wondering if there were any major obstacles that could hinder the team's progress. As much as he could tell, there didn't appear to be any indication of Heartless.

Still, Sora didn't think it would be a good decision to just leave the world. The mentioning of a powerful creature like the _Leviathan_ and the sighting of _soldiers_ being among the expedition's crew was troubling for the Keyblader; it made him wonder if the goal of the expedition really _was_ ethical. Then there were Commander Rourke and Lieutenant Helga Sinclair. The two of them seemed to be concealing hidden agendas. This also gave Sora a sense of doubt. Whatever was going on, he hoped it had nothing to do with the threat of Darkness he had been told about by Master Yen Sid.

His train of thought was cut short as a voice said, "Captain? You'd better come look at this."

Everyone turned their focus over to a sailor at the steering mechanism for the submarine. Rourke called out, "Okay! Class dismissed!"

While everyone else left, Sora quickly followed Milo as the linguist was already following Helga and Rourke up to the railing near the sailor. Donald approached him, only to step back when Launchpad and Goofy peered over the railing into the deep, darkness of the ocean beyond the windows. "Give the exterior lights," Rourke ordered.

As Sora watched with the others, a pair of searchlights flipped on and started revealing a landscape of towering rock formations resembling columns reaching for a ceiling to steady. The pillars of rock were within what would have been perceived as a narrow canyon with steep walls. Yet, it wasn't the rocks themselves that had instantly grabbed the group's attention, but what was scattered all around the rocks. The entire seafloor was covered by countless broken pieces of wood and metal of what appeared to be countless sunken ships. Sora himself was astounded. "There must be _millions_!" he exclaimed in a soft voice. He didn't want the words to echo about.

The cockpit was almost dead silent, even as Helga looked around and declared, "Look at that!"

Milo readjusted his eyeglasses before he added, "There're ships here from every era!"

In a speedy reaction, Donald gulped. "Where _**are**_ we?!"

Milo reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out a book with a brown cover. Sora stared at it, recalling this was _The Shepherd's Journal_. The linguist flipped to a particular page and started to read, "'_Pre-desh-tem… loe-ta-nug… na-gehpt_… '"

"_**What**_?!" Donald exclaimed in a state of total confusion. His voice echoed about the room so loudly, all the other crew members stared at him for a couple seconds. They shrugged and resumed whatever they'd been doing.

Sora spoke for the magician. "What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Milo pointed at the page. "'_Enter the lair of the Leviathan_,' he translated. "'_There you will find the path to the gateway_'."

Goofy took a closer look at the page. "Gawrsh!" he murmured. "It looks an awful lot like gibberish to me."

Donald rolled his eyes at Goofy's comment. "_Everything_ looks like 'gibberish' to you!"

Sora sighed even deeper than before. It was clear Donald was starting to get _especially_ irritated by Goofy. All at once, a voice called out, "Commander, I think you should hear this."

The group all looked over another railing toward the source of the voice and spotted a large table with a wireless communication system. Sitting at it was an older woman wearing an olive overcoat and helmet and a headset over her head. She also had a cigarette in her mouth. Rourke sighed, "Yes, Ms. Packard. What is it?"

"I'm picking up something on the hydro-phone I think you should hear," Ms. Packard responded.

"Put it on speakers."

With a flip of a switch, the entire cockpit became almost complete with silence. The only exception was the loud, water-infested roar coming through the speakers all around the room. Sora froze immediately as the sound filled his ears. He started to listen as carefully as he could, trying to make out whatever the source of the noise might be. He wasn't sure if it was some random sea creature or a gigantic Heartless.

The spikey-haired youth watched as Rourke and Helga approached the wireless-communication station. "What is it?" the commander asked. "A pod of whales?"

"Nuh-uh," Ms. Packard shook her head. "Bigger."

"It sounds metallic," Helga commented. She reached for the dials on the communication device. "Could be an echo off one of the wrecks."

Ms. Packard slapped the lieutenant's hand. "You want to do _my _job?"

"Is it just me, or is that getting louder?" Milo blurted out.

This brought out three minutes of silence from everyone. Launchpad held both his hands to each of his ears as he listened intently. He finally muttered, "I haven't the _foggiest_ idea."

Donald slapped his hand upon his face in apparent humility. He removed it just in time to notice, along with everyone else, that the deep, moaning noise had ceased to echo.

"Well, whatever it was," Helga remarked. "It's gone now."

Sora let out a sigh of relief. "At least it wasn't a Heartless," he concluded with a small grin. Deep down, he had feeling something tragic was about to take place.

Rourke turned his focus to the sailor at the steering mechanism. "Helmsman," he instructed. "Bring us about. Tighten our search pattern and slow us—"

A violent movement suddenly threw everyone off their feet. Upon landing on the platform, Sora flipped back onto his feet and exclaimed, "_**Whoa**_! What was _that_?!"

From where they had been holding onto the railing, Goofy and Launchpad clambered onto their feet. Donald swiftly stood up with everyone else. The duck-wizard glared at the other two. "What did you do _**now**_?!" he snarled.

Goofy looked out the window. His eyes grew wide with complete terror and he gasped. He pointed out the window. "It's the '_**Lie-via-time**_'!"

Donald glared all the more. "You big, fat palooka! It's called 'the _**Leviathan**_'!"

Launchpad pointed out the window as well. The pilot appeared to be in a state of shock. "Whatever it is," he barely managed to say. "It's_ right __**there**_!"

Donald looked out the window and gasped at what he saw. , "What'll we _**do**_?!" he exclaimed in fright.

Sora and the others below immediately stared out the window. They could all see a giant creature swimming in the deep sea a short distance away. It was a huge, metallic-looking lobster with glowing, dark-red eyes. Sora's lit up, realizing what it was. He exclaimed, "It _**is**_ the Leviathan!"

Rourke turned to Helga and gestured at the not-too-distant creature. "Tell Cookie to melt the butter and bring out the bibs," he demanded. "I want this lobster served up on a silver platter!"

Helga relayed the message onward, "Load the torpedo bases! Sub-pod crews — _battle _stations!"

Another violent tremor struck the room. As Sora clambered to his feet, he turned to Donald. The duck was clinging to the railing like his life depended on it. "_**Donald**_!" the spikey, brown-headed seventeen-year-old yelled. "Go with Goofy and take one of those sub-pods!"

"_**No way**_," Donald retaliated. "I'd _rather_ eat bacon grease!"

"Gee Donald, I didn't know you _liked_ the stuff," Launchpad broke in. He reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a jar filled to the top with all his leftover grease. "I _was_ going to save it for later, but you can have it!"

As soon as he got a mere glimpse of the jar, Donald felt a tad sea-sick. "Never mind. Let's go, Goofy!"

The duck-mage hurried off with Goofy alongside several other pairs of people. Among the others were Vinny and Molière. They quickly reached a long, narrow room on one side of the submarine. Everyone leaped into the two seats in each pod. The hatches closed shut and the sailors, soldiers, etc. inside each pod grasped the controls.

Being the last to arrive, Donald and Goofy jumped into the seats of one of the pods on the far left end. To Donald's surprise, he had landed in the gunner's seat and Goofy was in the pilot's seat. As the hatch came down, Goofy placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. The knight started to snore. Donald slapped his hand onto his face with a sigh. "Oh no!"

* * *

It had been less than five minutes since Donald and Goofy had left for the sub-pods when the Leviathan reached out and grabbed the submarine with its left claw. The creature violently yanked the vehicle toward its face. This movement shook the bridge like a minor earthquake and caused Milo and Sora to be thrown from the platforms and onto one of the cockpit's orange windows. Although they were mildly stunned, Sora and Milo quickly got onto their knees. As he looked down, Sora was so speechless by what he saw below them, he thought he would _**never**_ be able to get the view out of his head. Directly through the window was one of the Leviathan's glaring, red eyes. Seeing it at such a close distance, Sora's heart began to race. He heard Milo exclaim, "_Jiminy Christmas_! It's a _**machine**_!"

As his heart continued to race away, Sora started to feel the power of Darkness radiating off the creature. He then had a short recollection of the last time he was in _**Halloween Town**_. Dr. Finklestein had created a moving puppet that lacked a heart. As a result, it had ran away and stolen presents while searching for a heart of its own. As he recalled that the puppet had been an artificial Heartless, Sora gasped from shock.

He exclaimed aloud, "_**Yikes**_! It's a _**Heartless**_!"

The two dashed back to the bridge. Sora summoned his Keyblade and glared with determination. He was ready to fight the Leviathan. He saw Launchpad clinging to the railing on the wrong side. He shook his head, knowing the pilot had grabbed the handrail when the submarine had shaken.

At the same time, Sora heard Rourke shout out, "Launch sub-pods!"

* * *

The sub-pod flew swiftly away from the _Ulysses_. Goofy opened his eyes, yawned, and looked around in confusion. "_Pay __**attention**_!" Donald snapped at him. "You're driving this thing!"

Goofy snapped into attention as he placed his hands onto the controls. He smiled. "A-Hyuck! I knew that."

Goofy steered the little vehicle alongside the rest of the pods. The two now saw the Leviathan just up ahead with the main sub trapped in its left claw. A voice shouted through the pod's radio system; "_**Fire**_!"

Goofy looked around wildly. "Where's the fire?"

Donald started to turn red. "That's _my_ job!" he snapped. "We're supposed to be shooting at the Leviathan!"

"Oh yeah! A-Hyuck!"

Donald rolled his eyes and grabbed the firing controls. He pressed a button and an underwater missile flew from the side of their pod and headed straight for the creature. The other sub-pods did the same. All of the missiles struck the Leviathan in the face. The now-stunned monster released its grip on the _Ulysses_.

Goofy waved his arms in the air and cheered. "We did it! _Yahoo_!"

Donald didn't cheer as he was focused on the Leviathan. "Look out, ya big palooka!"

Goofy turned his focus back to the controls and barely managed to dodge the Leviathan's enormous claws as it struck two other sub-pods and crushed them. Donald glared at him. "Get outta here! It's not safe!"

Goofy speedily guided the pod away from the creature and into the open seawater. As he did, the _Ulysses_ fired a wealth of torpedoes from its roof. The weapons struck the Leviathan's side and distracted it long enough for the rest of the sub-pods to catch up with Donald and Goofy's pod. The two watched out their viewport as the angry Leviathan glared directly at the _Ulysses_ and fired a laser-like line of flame from its mouth. The laser flew in a straight line past the sub-pods and struck the _Ulysses_'s side. To make matters worse, the laser continued through the submarine and struck a rock formation beyond.

Seeing this terrible event occur, Donald and Goofy both exclaimed, "_**Sora**_!"

* * *

Through the cockpit of the _Ulysses_, Sora was cheering. Not only had the Leviathan been driven away by the sub-pods, but the torpedoes Rourke had ordered moments ago had struck the creature as well. At the moment, the main submarine was free from the monster's gripping claws and fleeing from the Leviathan. In addition, the sub-pods were soaring away, too. Sora smiled, knowing Donald and Goofy were okay.

He was suddenly thrown off his feet as a tremendous vibration shook the room. He grabbed the railing as an alarm started blaring. Next to him, Launchpad had just finished clambering back onto the platform from the other side of the railing. "What a _crash_!" the pilot exclaimed.

"But what caused it?" Sora wondered aloud.

His question was answered much faster than he had pictured. Ms. Packard turned to Rourke from her station and said, "Sir, it's Engineering on Four."

As Rourke flipped the switch for the Line Four phone, a voice frantically shouted on the other end. "_**Rourke**_!" it declared. "We just took a big hit down here, and we're taking on water — _fast_! I don't want to be around when it hits the boilers!"

Sora was totally dumbstruck, suddenly realizing that the _Ulysses_ had been badly damaged. Rourke asked back, "So how much time do we have?"

The voice answered, "Ten — _if_ the bulkhead holds. You'd better aim for five."

Rourke turned to the others. "You all heard the lady," he shouted out. "Let's _move_!"

Sora, Launchpad, and Milo were swept away with the mobs of people rapidly hurrying out of the room. In the ensuing chaos, Milo exclaimed, "Move _where_?!"

"Yeah," Launchpad agreed. "_Where_ are we going?!"

"Forget it!" Sora shouted back in reply, "Let's just follow the crowd!"

As everyone dashed out of the cockpit, the crowd soon got scattered through the submarine's many passageways. Sora led Launchpad as they followed Milo. The young linguist was trailing Helga and Rourke. An emergency siren blared in their ears and a flashing red light shone in their eyes. Jiminy Cricket peeked out of Sora's hoodie and glanced around. "Sora, what's _**happening**_?!"

Sora answered, "I really wish I knew!"

At once, a voice on the sub's intercom system called out, "_Attention_! All hands, abandon ship."

Hearing this, Jiminy hid back into the hood's fabric as Sora and the others picked up speed. They reached a catwalk running through the tail of the submarine. As he rushed across, Sora could feel the bridge shaking like it was in the middle of a violent earth tremor. It almost seemed to be swaying. Sora's concern rose, realizing the entire submarine was probably vibrating as it descended to the ocean floor.

In the next chamber, Sora, Milo, and Launchpad found Dr. Sweet, Audrey, and a few others being led by Rourke to a nearby submarine. As they all hurried into the hatch, Helga shouted, "_**Move it**_, people! Sometime today would be nice!"

Being the second to last one inside, Sora climbed into a seat between Milo and Launchpad. As he buckled up with the straps on the seat, Sora overheard Rourke shouting to Helga. "_Lieutenant_! Get us out of here!"

Helga sealed up the hatch and jumped into the pilot's seat. She kicked a control lever, but nothing happened. She kicked it harder and harder. "_**Lieutenant**_!" an impatient Rourke shouted.

"I'm _**working**_ on it!" Helga yelled back.

Sora started to feel more concerned than ever before — except for the times when he'd been searching for Kairi. He heard Launchpad knocking on the smaller vehicle's wall. "What kinda submarine is this one?" he inquired.

"An 'Aqua-Evac'," Milo informed them. "Mr. Whitmore told me the _Ulysses_ was equipped with four of them."

A violent tremor shook the room. Helga took advantage of this to kick the control lever with all her might. The lever moved and the exit hatch before them blew off. As she steered the Aqua-Evac out of the hatch, Helga called out, "Hang on!"

* * *

Goofy was slowly zigzagging the sub-pod in the direction of the _Ulysses_ as it was started to nose-dive to the seabed. Donald kept on yelling at him. "_**Faster**_! We've _got_ to save Sora!"

Goofy started to ignore him as they grew closer to their target. Without any foreseen warning, a second laser flew from the Leviathan's mouth and straight through the tail of the main submarine. "**NO**!" Donald screamed in fright.

He turned to Goofy. "_**Faster**_!"

Goofy looked up and pointed out the viewport. "Gawrsh! Look at that!"

Donald gazed in the direction Goofy was pointing and watched in amazement as four submarines drove out of the _Ulysses_'s tail. Three of them zoomed away as quickly as they could. Goofy continued to watch them leave when Donald pointed at the main submarine. "_Look_!" he shouted.

The two stared out the viewport as the lights on the _Ulysses_ flickered and went out. The iconic, spherical-shaped cockpit was now in complete darkness. Suddenly, the submarine snapped in two approximately where the first laser had struck. Less than a second later, the two sections of the _Ulysses_ shattered into a cloud of smoky water and metallic debris. The fourth of the submarines that had left the main sub's tail was hit by the resulting explosions and exploded in turn.

Donald and Goofy were so horrified, they yelled at the top of their lungs. "**SORA****!**"

Donald turned to Goofy; his face turned as red as an exploding time bomb. "This is all _**your**_ fault, ya _**stupid**_ _**palooka**_! Launchpad, Sora, _**and**_ Jiminy are lost — and it's _**all**_ _**your**_ **fault**!"

Donald had yelled so loudly Goofy had covered his ears. A piece of debris flew straight past the pod and clanged into an underwater rock formation. When he saw this, Donald screamed. "_Get us _**out of here!**_ The Leviathan is _**after us!**"

Goofy put his hands back onto the controls and hastily flew the sub-pod away from the rest of the debris. Looking up ahead, he spotted all the other sub-pods and the bigger vehicles as they headed toward the seafloor. Without a word, he steered towards the rest of the surviving submarines.

* * *

Still on board the Aqua-Evac, Sora started to wonder if Donald and Goofy were alright. The _Ulysses_ had exploded, yet he was okay and sitting between Milo and Launchpad. Without warning, a loud _**CLANG**_ echoed through their ears as a piece of metal from the wreckage bounced off the roof. Immediately afterwards, Rourke turned to Milo, "Where to, Mr. Thatch?" he inquired.

Milo was clinging to the journal in his hands. "We're looking for a big 'crevice' of some kind."

Everyone looked out the window to search. As a deep trench in the ocean floor came into view, Sora pointed it out with a shout of, "_**There**_! It's just up ahead."

Helga called into a specialized phone next to her, "All crafts! Make your mark twenty degrees down-angle!"

Through the radio-communication lines came the confirmation of the other escape submarines and sub-pods. Helga was about to dive the Aqua-Evac into the trench when the Leviathan swam over and began snapping its claws at them. As a few sub-pods and an Aqua-Evac got smashed into dust, Launchpad unbuckled his seat-belt and swiped the controls from Helga. The lieutenant was appalled. "Sir! Return to your seat!"

"Only if you want to be that monster's canned dinner," Launchpad argued. "It's time for _me_ to take over!"

* * *

Donald and Goofy had both heard the transmission. "They must've found that there 'crevice' Milo was talking about!" Goofy realized.

Donald hated to admit it, but he had a feeling Goofy was straight on the money. As they continued to follow the rest of the submarines, the Leviathan swooped in from behind and started swiping at the survivors. Donald gasped as several of the sub-pods and one of the larger subs were smashed, blown-up, and destroyed. Shouts and screams filled the radio.

"_**Sacré Bleu**_!"

"We're getting _**killed**_ out here!"

Turning to Goofy, Donald had a frantic look in his eyes. "The Leviathan is _**still**_ after us! Get into that crevice — _**now**_!"

Fortunately, Goofy had already been diving downwards and was now heading straight down a massive trench alongside the other subs. The Leviathan was unable to get inside and started shooting its laser at the submarines. A few more sub-pods were destroyed. One of the laser beams struck a larger submarine and crippled it. The larger vehicle nearly collided with Donald and Goofy's sub-pod before crashing into the side of the trench and exploding into shattered pieces of metal.

"_**Waak**_!" Donald screeched in a state of total panic.

It took all of Goofy's dodging skills to keep the laser away from Donald and him. Up ahead, the two saw the last of the larger submarines swooping around wildly. Amazingly, not only did the vehicle dodge the Leviathan's laser, it also avoided the rocky walls of the tunnel.

"Say," Goofy declared. "That must be Launchpad. He's the only one I know who flies like that."

Donald realized the knight might be correct. If Launchpad truly _was_ okay, then maybe Sora and Jiminy were, too. He felt slightly relieved. It was then the viewport gave a small crack on Goofy's side. When he saw this, Donald shouted, "_We're_ _**doomed**_!"

Just as Donald finished his sentence, the trench curved around and headed up and well out of the Leviathan's reach. The two continued to follow the other remaining submarines to the surface of the water directly ahead.

When their sub-pod broke through the water's surface, Donald and Goofy climbed up to the hatch and Donald unlocked it before pushing it open. He was about to climb out for a view when Goofy beat him to it. Donald sighed in anger and rapidly followed. The two looked around the area that they were now at. From one of the larger submarines, a group of people climbed out and turned on an exterior searchlight. They shined it around what turned out to be a gigantic rock cavern.

Donald softly said, "We _must_ be in that 'air pocket' Milo talked about."

As the searchlight hit the other side of the cavern, Goofy stared at it. "Gawrsh!" he gulped. "That there sure looks _creepy_!"

* * *

From where he stood on the deck of the Aqua-Evac, Sora watched in awe as Helga turned the exterior searchlight around the empty cavern. The walls were made of solid rock and held up a ceiling nearly two thousand feet above. Helga turned the light toward the front of the sub. Sora was shocked and amazed.

Directly in front of the Aqua-Evac and sub-pods were the ruins of a large building that resembled a giant fish. He could see nothing but darkness through its open mouth was. Although he didn't say it loud enough for everyone to hear, Sora said, "_**Wow**_!"

Milo was busy holding a flashlight in his mouth while flipping through the journal. He suddenly stopped and took the flashlight out of his mouth. "This must be the ancient highway to the lost continent of Atlantis!" he declared.

Now realizing where he was, Sora was amazed. Everything Milo had said was proving to be accurate. Chances were, the city of Atlantis itself was real, too.

* * *

A little while later, all of the team's surviving vehicles had been unloaded from the two smaller submarines and were now parked along the road that led into the fish's mouth. However, no one was smiling or enjoying themselves. Instead, all of the survivors gathered by the pool of water. Donald and Goofy were still standing on each side of Sora, while Launchpad was standing beside Goofy and Jiminy was standing on Sora's right shoulder; Goofy and Jiminy had taken off their hats and Launchpad had removed his flight-cap. As the rest of the crew took off their hats, Goofy and Donald looked at one another. Donald quickly turned away.

Dr. Sweet turned his hat upside down, placed a small candle into it, and solemnly placed the hat into the water. There was total silence as the candle started to float away. As the flickering light drifted into the distance, Rourke gave a very short and very, very deep sigh. "Seven hours ago," the commander said in a somber voice. "We started this expedition with _two hundred_ of the _finest_ men and women I've ever known. We're all that's left."

Sora sighed deeply as he realized that many lives had been lost in such a short amount of time. Only a large handful of people had survived the wrath of the Leviathan — among them were Audrey, Dr. Sweet, Molière, Vinny, Ms. Packard, Cookie, Rourke, Helga, Milo, a few sailors, and a small group of soldiers. Jiminy, Donald, and Goofy all looked down. Launchpad gave a tear.

Everyone else looked down as Rourke continued. "I won't sugar-coat it, gentlemen. We have a crisis on our hands. But we've been up this particular creek before. We've always come through — paddle or no paddle. I see no reason to change that policy now."

He glanced at everyone. "From here on end, _everyone_ pulls double-duty. Everyone drives, everyone works."

Rourke walked up the steps from the waterfront to the road and turned back. He looked at Milo. "Looks like all our chances for survival rest with you, Mr. Thatch — you and that little book."

Ms. Packard threw her cigarette onto the ground with a sigh. "We're all gonna die… "

"Cheery thought," Sora murmured to himself. He took a look down the road ahead. All he could see was dark shadows. He knew that somewhere down that passage most-likely was the true city of Atlantis. Maybe he could take a picture and show his Mom and sister what the ruined city actually looked like. Amemi would be thrilled seeing as Atlantis was a place she'd always wanted to go to let alone see.

He sighed, remembering how his sister had ran off in tears just before he'd left with the others aboard Herbie. Maybe he _should_ have let her come along….

Rourke turned to team members and called out, "Okay people, saddle up."

He turned to Helga. "Lieutenant, I want this convoy moving five minutes ago."

Helga nodded and started giving orders to the rest of the crew. Audrey went around starting up the various trucks.

"Molière, you're on point!"

"No Vinny! Audrey's taking the oiler! You know the rules! I want you fifty yards behind that truck at all times!"

"Packard, put out that cigarette."

_**HONK!**_

Sora spun his eyes toward the source of the noise. He found Milo, Goofy, and Launchpad beside one of the trucks with a canvas covering the back. The linguist was fiddling with the horn while Launchpad and Goofy were snickering with him. Sora sighed as he stepped up to his friends and took note of the quickly-approaching Commander Rourke. The commander appeared to be as irritated as Donald had been earlier. Rourke single-handedly snatched the horn off the truck, grabbing the disappointment of Goofy and Launchpad. The commander asked them, "Are you sure you're checked out on this class of vehicle?"

When Milo hesitated, Sora felt the same reaction he got whenever Violet had said similar phrases. Rourke pointed at the vehicle. "Can you drive a truck?"

Donald came strolling up at that precise moment. He stared at the display in disbelief. Milo gave a nervous smile. "Course I can drive a truck," he answered.

He climbed into the driver's seat and began fiddling with the equipment around the dashboard. "Sure," he continued. "You've got your steering, and your gas, and your brake, and this metal-looking… thing."

When Rourke's face indicated seriousness, Milo clarified for everyone. "Okay, so it was a bumper car at Coney Island. But it's the same, basic principle."

Rourke sighed deeply just before strolling away. Donald slapped his hand onto his face and let it slide down and slip off his bill. To the magician, Milo's behavior seemed to almost mirror Goofy and Launchpad. Sora was about to speak when Launchpad spoke up, "Let _me_ give it a shot!"

Milo moved over to let Launchpad take the driver's seat, much to Donald's annoyance. Sora shrugged in response to the duck-mage's complaints. Instead, the brown-haired Keyblade wielder climbed into the row of seats behind the driver's seat. Goofy and Donald quickly followed — on opposite sides of the young man. Sora sighed once more. He was suddenly jerked forward and then back multiple times. He sighed in disbelief as horns began to honk from behind. Launchpad was driving the truck like it _was_ a bumper car.

"Come on, civilian!" someone shouted from one of the vehicles behind them.

It was no surprise. After only a few minutes, the truck had been tied to the back of Molière's humungous drilling machine and towed along. "Geez," Launchpad grumbled to himself. "Tough crowd!"

All Sora could do was shake his head and smile. He knew for sure the pilot's frequent goof-ups were not hiding his heart from the power of the Light.

* * *

All Sora could do was drink… drink… drink… and more drink. After the major set-back on the _Ulysses_ a few hours before, it felt good to get a refreshing drink of fresh water from the stack of canteens on the back of Vinny's truck. The demolition expert was currently nowhere in sight, allowing the teenager to join Milo for a quick drink of the hidden stash. As they finished, a voice exclaimed, "You _didn't_ just drink that, did you?!"

Sora nearly jumped out of his skin when Vinny came marching back with Donald to see what was going on. Milo nodded as he swallowed the last of the canteen. "That's not good," Vinny declared in response. "That's _nitroglycerin_!"

Realizing that they might have just drunk poisonous liquids, Sora and Milo froze in place. Vinny added, "Don't move! Don't breathe! Don't do _anything_ — except pray, maybe… "

A sudden touch and shout made both Milo and Sora jump. Sora spun around and summoned his Keyblade. To his shock — and Milo's relief — it was just Molière trying to strike fear into their hearts. Sora's Keyblade disappeared from his hands when a surge of discomfort struck. He shook his fists at both Vinny and Molière as the two marched off — laughing uncontrollably.

Sora was about to yell his disapproval at them when Donald shook him ferociously. "Sora!" the duck magician said.

Sora whirled his focus over to his friend with the disgust from within exploding outward. "_**Not**__ now_!" he hollered. "Can't you see I'm preoccupied?!"

The startled expression on Donald's face forced Sora to snap back into reality. "Sorry about that," he muttered with a slight hint of embarrassment. He began rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't know it was you."

Donald rolled his eyes as Jiminy Cricket hopped out of Sora's pocket. Jiminy inquired, "Something tells me this is about Goofy and Launchpad."

When Donald nodded, Sora sighed deeply. It felt like all the pilot and knight were doing was getting into mischief. Less than an hour ago, the expedition had hit a fork in the road and Milo had to choose which one the team was supposed to follow. Goofy had suggested going to the left while Launchpad had insisted on heading right. At first, Milo took Goofy's recommendation based on the journal. However, when the caravan of vehicles had attempted to head down the road, a giant millipede had appeared — forcing them to back-track. Milo had double-checked the journal, only to discover Launchpad had been correct; the linguist had been reading the page _upside-down_. When the mistake had been realized, everyone (especially Donald) had glared at both Milo and Goofy. As all this replayed inside his head, the Keyblade wielder finally said, "What is it _this_ time?"

"Launchpad _claimed_ he saw something weird," Donald explained. "Goofy thinks it was a Heartless or a Nobody, but only Launchpad saw it."

Sora was now starting to ponder deeply. After the encounter with the Leviathan, he knew the Heartless _were_ in this world. The next question was, who or what was controlling them? It was highly unusual for them to be roaming aimlessly without at least one leader. Before the fall of the original Organization XIII, the Heartless had tended to wander around according to their own instincts. Whatever might be drawing them in was probably not too far off.

Sora turned to Donald. "I think I'd better ask them myself."

Donald looked hesitant as he directed Sora over to where Launchpad and Goofy were at. To his surprise, the two were scanning their eyes across the cavern walls. As he approached, Sora asked, "Hey, what's up?"

Goofy turned around. "We're looking for that there thing Launchpad saw. It was right up there."

As the knight pointed to the wall, Launchpad squinted his eyes. The latter said, "I could've sworn there was _something_ up there."

"Well there's nothing _now_," Donald scolded impatiently. "The caravan is about to move on!"

"What's a 'care-uh-vain'?" Goofy asked.

"Sounds like half a car and half a van stuck together with glue," Launchpad surmised.

Donald slapped his hand upon his face in an instant. Sora shook his head before hearing a voice call out, "All right! Break time's over!"

As the vehicles started up their engines, Jiminy concluded, "Looks like we'd better get back."

Sora nodded in confirmation and paused to allow Jiminy to hop back into his hoodie before sprinting off to Milo's truck. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were only seconds behind.

* * *

It was a little more than two hours before the caravan stopped at the edge of a crevice where two enormous stone columns rose high into the air. By this point, the team had gone so far underground that the only lighting available was being emitted through the headlights of the expedition's vehicles. At the first sight of the columns, Sora was awestruck. It didn't feel possible for such gigantic architecture to have been man-made.

When he saw it, Milo exclaimed, "Good night! Look at the _size_ of this! It's got to be half a mile high — _at __**least**_!"

"Maybe _more_!" Sora added. If the column was as massive as it looked, then chances were good that it was over two miles tall. He glanced over at Milo who had just been dragged aside by Vinny. He followed suit.

The linguist was still _very_ excited. "It must have taken hundreds — _thousands_ of years to carve this thing!"

A moment later, a shockwave struck the ground as the dynamite Vinny had placed around the column's base exploded and threw it off balance. The structure tipped towards the crevice before landing upon the opposite side. Nearby, Launchpad exclaimed, "Nice crash!"

Sora shook his head as he and Milo approached what was left of the stone structure. Vinny stepped up from behind. "Hey look, I made a bridge," the demolition expert proclaimed. "And it only took me like what — ten seconds. Eleven tops."

As the caravan of vehicles proceeded across the makeshift bridge, Launchpad suddenly jolted into complete focus as he spun his eyes toward a nearby cavern wall. "_Whoa_!" he exclaimed. "What's _he_ doing there?"

Donald ignored the pilot while Goofy turned his eyes toward the same wall. The latter stared at it for a moment before declaring, "Look! There it is!"

Sora instantly snapped back into reality. He had started to doze off during the lengthy ride as the team's vehicles felt like they were crossing the column at a snail's pace. He whirled his focus around. "Huh?" he blurted aloud. "What's going on?"

Goofy indicated the distant wall. "Up there! It's watchin' us… "

Sora turned his head so he was facing the wall, too. As he looked upon the rocky wall of the tunnel-like cavern, the brown, spikey-headed youth kept his eyes peeled for any indication of something suspicious. He searched the entire length of the wall only to find nothing out of the ordinary.

* * *

It was approximately thirty minutes after the expedition had crossed the makeshift bridge before the entire procession came to a halt. To the semi-dozing Sora, it had felt like thirty hours. When the truck had come to a stop, he had been shaken awake by who turned out to be Donald. The latter appeared to be on the verge of total panic mode. Noticing this, Sora once again let out a deep sigh before questioning, "What happened now?"

"The road is blocked," the mage explained in a form of jumbled speech. "That stupid dirt-lover tried to dig through it, but his vehicle stopped working. Audrey is trying to fix it, but Goofy and Launchpad are trying to do it for her. You have to stop them or they'll _break_ it! We'll be_ stranded_ _**forever**_! _**Waak**_!"

As Donald hysterically ran around in circles, Sora climbed out of his seat and looked ahead. Just like Donald had said, the road ahead was blocked by a humungous wall of stone that had apparently fallen from the ruins of a gigantic building. The drilling machine was at a complete stop with its nose currently stuck into the stone. Sora stepped towards the vehicle, only to stumble upon both Goofy and Launchpad observing the machinery within the engine on the rear. Milo strode up to the two moments before Sora could. The former said, "Can I—?"

"Nope," Goofy interrupted. "Audrey said she'd be right back."

"Yeah," Launchpad affirmed. "Besides, I think I know how to get this oversized dentist tool running again."

"Uh, Launchpad… " Sora started to say.

His words went unnoticed when Launchpad reached his hands into the engine and turned two wheel-shaped knobs at the same time until the sound of steam escaping filled the air. The pilot grabbed a monkey-wrench that had been left lying around before slamming it onto the engine with a great thrust of his arm. A moment later, the engine jolted back into life. As clouds of exhaust flew from the vehicle's pipe-shaped chimneys, Launchpad stated, "Now _that's_ a living machine!"

From the cockpit, the voice of who Sora could only assume was Molière cheered loudly. "She _lives_!"

Sora smirked a small grin, knowing the truth. Launchpad was almost exactly like Goofy, only slightly clumsier. He was about to speak when a voice shouted, "Hey! What'd you do?"

Everyone turned their attention away from the vehicle to spot Audrey. In reply to her question, Launchpad explained, "I let out the steam before slapping the motor. Even engines need to sleep, but _this_ one tried to take an early nap."

"Yeah, yeah! Thank you very much! Shut-up!" Audrey mocked as she strode up to the vehicle, closed the engine hatch, and secured it. When the mechanic turned to Launchpad, he instinctively avoided her. Noticing this, Audrey finished, "Two for flinching!"

With that, she socked Launchpad's left shoulder before strolling back to her truck. As the girl left, Launchpad rubbed his arm. "Yeesh!" he muttered. "Strange way of showing gratitude."

Sora shook his head as he led the way back to Milo's truck and the impatiently-waiting Donald Duck.

* * *

As the caravan reached the other end of the tunnel Molière's drilling machine had created, Milo clambered out of the truck's cab and pulled the journal out of his shoulder bag. Sora followed him as the linguist took a look at the surrounding cavern. The only landmarks he noticed were a bridge that stretched out towards a cave on the opposite side, a chasm under the bridge which appeared to lead into engulfing darkness, and a cone-shaped stalactite that hung from the ceiling. The stalactite, however, was what stole his attention almost immediately. Not only was it oddly shaped with gaping holes, but it gave an unusual green glow.

Milo finally stopped reading and glanced up to the ceiling. He said, "This is it — it's got to be."

"What is it?" Sora questioned. Milo pointed at a page in the journal. Despite having the inability to comprehend the strange symbols of the writing in the book, Sora could still make out a rough sketch of the same stalactite that was hanging from above.

From where the rest of the team stood, Rourke called out, "All right! We'll make camp here!"

Donald and Goofy clambered out of Milo's truck with Launchpad directly behind. Well, Launchpad didn't exactly "follow". Rather, he got his left foot caught on the seatbelt on the passenger side. This resulted in the pilot stumbling moments before simply falling onto the hard rock of the cavern floor. At the first sight of this, Donald snapped, "That's why you _always_ wear your seatbelt, ya big palooka!"

As Goofy got Launchpad's foot untangled, the latter looked up at the stalactite. "What's with the glowing night-light?" the pilot questioned.

Donald smacked his face in disbelief when Molière walked over. "Perhaps it is a natural force," he suggested.

Close by, Vinny pointed his finger straight at the stalactite. "_That_ thing is going to keep me up all night," the demolition expert accused. "I know it."

Even though he had heard all this discussion about the awkward rock formation, Sora simply let the issue pass and did whatever he could to keep himself preoccupied for the next couple hours. He helped unload what felt like two hundred tons of camping supplies, assisted Cookie in preparing food for dinner, and quizzed Milo over what information was kept within _The Shepherd's Journal_. The stalactite's glow grew more ominous as his eyes gradually became adjusted with the dark depths of the cavern. It seemed to be watching the team….

Much later, Cookie's voice called out, "Come and get it!"

Sora turned his eyes in the direction of the nearby campfire to see how the meal he had helped prepare had turned out. He found himself watching Cookie hand each member of the team a tray, reach into his portable cooking pot with a ladle, and scoop out what looked exactly like the bacon grease he had served both Launchpad and Goofy back on the _Ulysses_ submarine.

The elderly chef was announcing each individual item he had thrown into the meal. "For appetizer," Cookie declared, "Ceaser Salad, Escargot, and… "

Sora covered his mouth and turned his face away before he could watch Cookie serve the food to Launchpad and Goofy. He caught a glimpse of Donald running past and into the shadows. The sound of liquid splattering on the cave floor made Sora stand up and shut his eyes as tight as he could before taking a slow, deep breath of air.

He opened his eyelids just in time to see Cookie hand Milo and him each a tray. The chef dipped his ladle into the pot and emptied its contents onto the tray in Milo's hands. "Here you go, Milo," he said. "Put some meat on them bones."

Milo's face gave a look that appeared to say "_**YUCK!**_" All the young linguist said was, "Thanks Cookie, it looks… greaser than usual."

"I thought I helped you make something _delicious_," Sora spoke up.

"Ya sure did," Cookie replied. "And as the assistant to the head chef… "

In one quick motion, the remainder of the pot's contents had landed upon Sora's tray. "…You get to have _more_!" Cookie finished.

As Cookie wheeled his cart back to his makeshift kitchen, Sora took a small whiff of the food, only to instantly notice it was not even close to what Cookie had him prepare. The Keyblade wielder whispered, "_**Yuck**_!" as he dumped the sloppy mess of greasy "food" off the tray and onto the cavern floor. Why he had even bothered to help the chef create such a mass of slop was one of the first things that passed through young man's mind.

His thoughts were suddenly erased when Audrey called out, "Hey you two, why don't you sit with us?"

Both Sora and Milo turned their eyes to see Audrey waving them over. Milo picked up the journal as a small smile formed upon his face. "Really?" the linguist asked, "You don't mind?"

"Are you sure?" Sora applied in wonder. It seemed unusual for the rest of the team to let either him or Milo have anything to do with them. This was downright perplexing.

"Nah," Audrey replied. "Park it over here."

"Come and eat with us, Sora!" Goofy called out with a wave.

Sora and Milo both gave a glance at each other, shrugged, and quickly stood up. They walked over to the group of team members and Sora took an empty seat on a rock next to Launchpad. Milo took a spot beside the teenager. The sound of air releasing from a balloon echoed in their ears. It was followed by a burst of laughter, which Sora could only guess was Molière. His assumption was proven correct when the rest of the team glared at the dirt-loving man Sora had recently learned was a geologist.

"_**Mole**_!" Everyone else snapped.

Molière finally managed to catch his breath. "Ah, forgive me," he gasped between escaping giggles. "I could not resist!"

Sora shook his head when spotted Milo still reading the journal. He said, "Milo, why are you still reading?"

Audrey asked, "Don't you ever close that book?"

"Yeah," Dr. Sweet added, "You must've read it a dozen times by now."

Milo nodded before explaining, "I know, but this — this doesn't make any sense."

"Gawrsh," Goofy commented. "I thought nothin' made sense."

"_**You**_ don't make sense!" Donald snapped in retaliation.

Despite this, Milo pointed at a particular page. "In this passage here, the Shepherd seems to be leading up to something he calls '_The Heart of Atlantis_'," he read. "It could be the power source the legend is referring to."

Sora paused as he began to ponder over what type of power source an item called "_The Heart of Atlantis_" could be. For all he knew, it was the actual heart of the world they were in. To actually get a look at the real heart of a world would be an unforgettable experience.

Milo flipped the page. "But then it just — it just cuts off," he finished. "It's almost like there's a missing page."

Jiminy hopped out of Sora's pocket long enough to whisper into the latter's left ear. "Hope that's not what happened to _my_ journal!"

Sora nodded, understanding what the cricket meant as Jiminy hopped back into the former's pocket. Last he recalled, Jiminy's Journal was blank except for a message that read, "_**Thank Namin**__**é!**_" Yet not him, Donald, Goofy, nor even Jiminy could remember anyone with that name. If this "Naminé" had torn out every single page of the journal, why did he or she want to be thanked? All that had initially caused was complete confusion. They still had the memories of what Jiminy had originally reported. If this stranger was pulling a practical joke on the four, it wasn't very funny. He couldn't even recall anyone who would have wished to do something so awful — except maybe Pete or Maleficent. Whoever it was, Sora knew this wasn't very funny.

Sora was so deep in thought, he almost missed Vinny say, "Kid, _relax_! We don't get paid overtime."

"I know what you mean," Launchpad smirked. "Mister McDee only paid me thirty cents per hour."

"_**Lying**__ palooka_," Donald snapped at the pilot. "He pays _me_ thirty cents an hour! You got paid two cents for flying and half-a-penny for crashing!"

"Gee, Donald," Goofy summarized. "Sounds like your uncle's a 'cheat-steak'!"

"That's '_**cheapskate**_'!" Donald struck back. He glared at Sora when the latter started in laugh along.

Sora shook his head. "You'll never learn."

"_**WHAT**__**?!**_" Donald exclaimed in exasperation as his face turned red. He jumped into the air and began screaming as loudly as his temper had grown to. The rest of the team stared for a quick second until the duck stormed off into the shadows for a chance to calm down.

While he was gone, Sora said, "Sorry about that! Donald has a short fuse."

Everyone shrugged while both Goofy and Launchpad nodded in agreement. In the following silence, Milo spoke up, "But that's what this whole expedition is all about, right? I mean, discovery… teamwork… _adventure_!"

After applying emphasis on the term "adventure", Milo paused. "Unless… maybe… you're just in it for the money?"

Sora crossed his arms when the rest of the team all gave the same response; _money_. He watched as Milo gave a small smirk. He began to rub his neck. "Is there something wrong with your neck?" Dr. Sweet inquired.

"Yeah," Milo affirmed. "I guess I hurt it when—"

Sweet didn't give the young linguist a chance to talk before he placed his hands upon the latter's neck and jerked it to the right, then the left. The doctor then asked, "Better?"

Milo felt his neck before saying, "Yeah!"

Sora was astounded. He asked, "Hey, where'd you learn to do that?"

"A Navajo medicine man," Sweet answered.

This seemed to surprise Sora. "Really?" Launchpad questioned for the seventeen-year-old Keyblader.

"Born and raised with him," Sweet explained. "My father was an army medic. He settled down in the Kansas Territory after he met my mother."

"Gawrsh," Goofy commented. "Are you sure?"

"Yup!" Sweet admitted. "Halfway through medical school, I was drafted. One minute, I'm studying gross and anatomy in the classroom. The next, I'm one of them Rough Riders soarin' on San-Juan Hill!"

Sora was listening intently when he heard Cookie shout out, "Main Course!"

All this brought was a sudden wave of shock from the group, which quickly became a range of excuses and sarcasm. In return Cookie marched off, saying, "Aw, that's alright! It'll just keep and keep and keep."

Sora sighed as he shook his head. "At least I won't have to help _him_ cook again."

The next thing the Keyblade wielder knew, the rest of the team members had dumped everything on their trays onto the campfire pit. The flames went out as quickly as a flickering candle. Sora yawned, knowing it was probably time to get ready for bed.

What a day it had been for everyone. That morning, he'd gone to classes and completed his final exams. Later, he'd celebrated his seventeenth birthday and his friends and family had given him a surprise party. He nearly blushed, recalling how Kairi had given him a tiny peck on his cheek. Not long after, King Mickey had him join the others on an unexpected trip to Master Yen Sid's study at the _**Mysterious Tower**_. From there, he had learned about the growing threat of Darkness and agreed to track down Violet's sister, Indigo.

Next, Sora recalled climbing aboard Herbie with Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. Together, they had travelled to the _**Radiant Garden**_. While there, they had met some new friends and got updated on the Heartless situation. Sora smiled, remembering the conversation he'd had with Phoebe — the girl with conservatory. He also wanted to laugh when he remembered how he'd been chosen as the new leader of the "_Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_". He wanted to smile more and more.

Now, Sora and his friends were exploring the world of _**Ancient Empire**_ and helping an entire expedition in search of the city of Atlantis. Despite being attacked by the Leviathan and having to deal with the unfriendliness of the other team members, Sora having a good time. At least he _would_ be if Donald wasn't in such a terrible mood.

He caught a glimpse of Donald's silhouette marching back over. The magician swept his eyes around, only to inquire, "Wha… where is everybody?"

All Sora could do was shake his head, knowing he would have to tell Donald about the whole conversation.

* * *

A little while later, everybody was setting up their tents. A few long rows of tents were positioned along the cavern floor rather evenly.

Sora carefully placed a wooden stick in the ground and unrolled the canvas before throwing it over the top. He smiled, pleased with how the tent looked. The next moment, he sighed. It looked more like a tepee than a tent.

"Gawrsh," Goofy said, wandering over from Launchpad and his tent. "Looks like you need some help, Sora."

When the brown-haired young man nodded, the knight grabbed a second stick from the ground and placed it on the other side. The tent canvas went up with it. Next, he tied a piece of string along the sticks and tied them onto wooden stakes in the ground. "A-Hyuck!" he said after finishing. "All done."

Sora was amazed. The tent was well made. Goofy had done such a professional-looking job, he wasn't sure how it was possible. "Goofy," he started to say. "How'd you do that?"

"I had lots of practice," Goofy admitted. "Muh dad and I went on lots of fishin' trips to Lake Destiny, Idaho. I even know the perfect cast."

Sora was puzzled. "The perfect _what_?"

"The perfect cast," Goofy explained. "Muh dad taught it to me. Said it's been handed down for about twelve or thirteen Goof generations."

Sora crossed his arms. Even though he was from an island, Sora was startled when Goofy had claimed to know how to make the perfect cast for catching fish. The knight's clumsiness probably got in the way and caused such a thing to happen. Then again, maybe there was _another_ reason why it had happened?

"Could you teach me?" the seventeen-year-old inquired.

"Sure," Goofy nodded. He picked up a leftover stick and grabbed some string. He rapidly tied the string onto the stick to create a basic fishing pole. "It goes somethin' like this."

He relaxed his shoulders and made sure his feet were spaced apart. "You gotta be loose. Relax, with your feet apart. Then… "

He swung the stick around. His body assumed odd standing positions. "Ten o'clock, two o'clock, quarter ta three, tour jete, twist, over, pas de deux, I'm a little teapot, and the wind-up!"

Goofy leaned back as far as he could. For a moment, Sora thought the knight would stumble over. Goofy jerked forwards a second later. "And let 'er _**fly**_!" he declared.

The string flew into the shadows. Goofy grinned at Sora. "The perfect cast."

Sora was amazed. How had Goofy remembered all that? True, the body postures _were_ rather strange and very unsteady. If his Mom had done them, she probably would've lost her balance. Amemi would have stumbled around. His Dad would've forgotten some of moves shortly after Goofy had shown them.

He shook his head. Such behaviors were to be expected from the knight. After all, it _was_ the "Goofy way" of doing things.

"Ouch!" a very distinct voice yelled. Sora and Goofy swung their focus into the nearby shadows. There was Donald trying to pitch his own tent away from the others. He was rubbing his tail feathers. Sora stifled a snicker, knowing the string from Goofy's stick had struck the duck's tail like a whip.

Donald glared at the pair. "What's the big idea?!"

"Sorry, Donald," Goofy apologized. "I was just showin' Sora the perfect cast. You know, the one Maxie used to catch thuh lady with the 'eye thing'."

Donald's annoyance remained evident on his face. "And _you_ caught Bigfoot with it! During our last camping trip, you _had_ to show off to the King!"

"Gee," Goofy remarked. "I don't remember anything like that ever happening."

Sora shook his head while Donald slapped his forehead and marched back into the shadows to finish setting up his tent. The brown, spikey-headed Keyblader proceeded to unroll his bedroll underneath his tent's canvas. He saw Milo setting up another tent across the way.

"Aren't you gonna pitch up your tent?" Vinny inquired from behind the linguist.

"I did," Milo explained.

Sora caught one glimpse of the tent and wanted to smile. The canvas was wrinkled, the poles were leaning at odd angles, and the string had too much slack. It reminded him of how his own tent had looked just before Goofy had fixed it up.

Vinny strode up to the canvas and straightened it out for the young man. "I guess I'm still a little rusty at this," Milo apologized as he watched. "I haven't gone camping since… well, since the last time my grandfather took me."

Sora nodded. "I know what you mean," he said. "I haven't been camping in years, too. I remember Riku, Kairi, and I would hang on the beach every summer and, when it didn't rain, we would sleep under the stars. It was fun."

"Really?" Milo grinned. "Sounds like you grew up along the shores of Southern California or Florida."

Sora shook his head. "No," he admitted. "It was an island. My hometown."

He sighed a little, recalling how badly he had wanted to get back to the _**Destiny Islands**_ with Riku and Kairi on his previous quests. He could have gone back with Kairi, but he had made a promise to find Riku and bring him home as well. He had known the islands would be restored once Donald, Goofy, and him had defeated Ansem, The Seeker of Darkness. Still, he had wanted to be there with _all_ of his friends — not just a few of them. He also wanted Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey to visit now and again. Since the defeat of Xemnas, they could come and go freely — as long as they took a Gummi Ship into a certain region of space that allowed access between many worlds.

"And I'm gonna be there for Christmas," Sora finished.

"That shouldn't be too hard," Dr. Sweet called from a nearby tent. "Christmas is months away. It's only September."

Sora smiled. Clearly, this world didn't celebrate the Holiday Season when his world did. Most-likely, every world celebrated different holidays. The ones they all celebrated were probably on different dates. Either that, or the calendars varied.

Audrey smiled and turned to face Milo. "I never got to meet your grandfather," she said. "What was he like?"

Milo had to grin at her. "Where do you start? H-he was like a father to me — really. My parents died when I was a little kid and he took me in."

Sora was surprised to hear this. "That's too bad," he commented. "Losing someone you care about is bad, but _not_ as bad as never getting them back."

"He's right," Launchpad agreed. Sore noticed the pilot was leaning against a smooth rock beside his and Goofy's tent. "I almost lost Mister McDee when we crashed in the desert once. It was our hundredth crash together and could've been our last. When all that dynamite started going off, we could've been _toastier_ than a marshmallow!"

Audrey and Milo both laughed a little. Sora shook his head.

"Sounds like my kinda work," Vinny complimented. He laid out on his bedroll and stretched. "I like blowing things up."

Dr. Sweet marched over to the demolition expert and crossed his arms. "C'mon, Vinny. Tell the kids the truth."

Vinny sighed. "My family owned a flower shop," he confessed.

"Really?" Sora questioned. "How does a florist become dynamite-man?"

"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked. "May-bee he sold lots of bouquets. Could I buy one for muh friend, Sylvia?"

"We would sell roses," Vinny told the others. "Carnations, corsages, you name it."

"Say, that sounds like _my_ kinda place!" Launchpad commented. "Mister McDee and DW _always_ want to get more flowers!"

Sora shook his head at the pilot's comment.

"One day," Vinny went on. "I'm making three dozen corsages for this prom — you know, the kind they put on the wrist. And everybody, they come. 'Where is it?' 'When is it?' 'Does it match my dress?' It's a _nightmare_!"

The demolition expert slapped his hand over his eyes. Sora understood what this meant. Vinny was having a terrible memory.

"Anyway," Vinny added. "I guess there was this leak next door of gas or what. _**BOOM**_! No more Chinese laundry… "

Now Sora was puzzled. Was the place next door to his family's flower shop a laundromat? Whatever it was, it sounded like neither business existed anymore.

"Blew me _right_ through the front window," Vinny continued. "It was like a sign from above. I found myself — that boom."

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy chuckled. "Sounds like somethin' I woulda done."

Sora decided to turn his attention toward Audrey. The teenage mechanic was setting up her bedroll. For some reason, he had felt a connection to her — just like when he'd first met Milo. Of course, the spikey-haired youth had already assumed it was because of the short distance in their ages.

"Say, Audrey," Sora started to say. "If you don't mind me asking, how did _you_ end up on this team?"

"I took this job when my dad retired," Audrey replied. "Yet, the funny thing was, he always wanted sons, right? One to run his machine shop and the other to be middle-weight boxing champion. But he got my sister and me instead."

Sora nodded. "Yeah, I know how it is. I have a sister." He held his hands as though indicating a tiny sum. "A _little_ one."

Audrey had to smile. Sora did the same. "So, whatever happened to _your_ sister?" Sora inquired.

"She's twenty-four," Audrey answered. "And has, you know, a shot at the title next month. Anyway, I'm saving up so my pappi and I open another shop."

Sora nodded in acknowledgment. He had to admit, he had the other team members figured wrong. At first, they had been quite mean to him and Milo. Now, he could tell they were very kind, considerate people. He could even relate to some of them — in a way.

"So Sora," Dr. Sweet called from his tent. "What's your story?"

Sora seemed a little hesitant at first. And why not? He had been told repeatedly by Donald, King Mickey, and Master Yen Sid _**not**_ to tell anyone how there were other worlds. He had tried _really_ hard to accomplish this rather not-so-simple task.

Of course, there _had_ been a few slips of the tongue here and there. First, he had accidentally told Aladdin how Jasmine had been taken to another world while urging the young man to leave the Cave of Wonders aboard Magic Carpet. _**[1.1]**_ Next, he had somehow informed Ariel about how he was from another world, even if it was probably through some hints. Sometime much later, he had gotten Captain Jack Sparrow curious after informing the pirate captain how he, Donald, and Goofy were trying to destroy Organization XIII. Fortunately, Jack had seemed to think the whole explanation was just another one of the sea's many tales.

"Well," Sora said, trying to decide where to start. "Let's just say… I'm from an island somewhere _very_ far away. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad are my friends — so is Jiminy. I have my Mom, my Dad, and my sister; her name is Amemi. I'm not good at Math and don't understand the English language too well. I like surfing, have a pet goldfish and cat — and I _don't_ have a girlfriend."

"Are you sure?" Sweet inquired. "Seems to me you _do_ have someone you like a lot."

Sora looked nervous. "Well… it's kind of hard to say. Kairi is nice and she's my friend and she _is_ a girl. But we're not, well… dating or anything."

"Gawrsh, Sora," Goofy perked up. "I thought she kissed ya on your burth-day. A-Hyuck!"

"_**Goofy**_!" Sora exclaimed.

The other team members snickered, giggled, and laughed away. Sora covered his face with his hands. Goofy looked perplexed. "What'd I say?" he asked.

"That's nice," Vinny said with a grin. "Maybe you and this 'Kairi' girl ought to get some flowers. My cousin still owns shop in New York."

Sora sighed miserably. Why did Goofy have to _say_ that? It was strictly confidential — and totally classified — information. He sighed again and rolled over. A few specks of dirt came flying through the air onto him. Sora sat up and saw Moliére digging a large hole into the ground close by. He switched off his headlamp. Within seconds, soft snoring could be heard from the hole.

"Say," Goofy said, gesturing in the direction of Moliére's hole. "What's his story?"

"Trust me," Sweet asserted. "You don't wanna know."

The doctor pointed at Audrey like an accusing lawyer. "Audrey, don't tell him," he said. "You shouldn't have told _me_, but you did."

Sweet turned back to Goofy. "That's why I'm tellin' you, 'you don't wanna know'."

Goofy nodded. "A-Hyuck! Gotcha."

Sora shook his head. He had heard _enough_ "Goofy-Logic" for one day. As Sweet blew out the lantern, the spikey, brown-haired seventeen-year-old laid down on his bedroll and closed his eyes. His thoughts started to focus on Kairi, so he shoved them aside and started dreaming about the sunshine back home. His smile came to him. The sound of the waves seemed to fill his ears.

It wasn't long before Sora was sound asleep.

* * *

**A/N: SHEESH! NOW [THAT] WAS SUSPENSEFUL!**

**All that action... and in just ONE Chapter! Just goes to show how much work those Disney Digital Storytellers and Animators put into making "_Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)_". They did an EXCELLENT job!**

**For those of you who remember my earlier, deleted story, "_Kingdom Hearts - The Phantom Threat_", you probably recognized much of this from before. I decided to make This Story a revival of that "Late" one. So, you might see more similarities coming up. Fortunately, those will NOT last long! Even the last segment of this Chapter was NOT in the original story's Chapters as it had been cancelled BEFORE then.**

**Also, the "Aqua-Evac" is the name for the emergency submarines. According to _Disney Wikia_, here's the explanation of what those submarines are - word-for-word.**  
**"The Aqua-Evac is an underwater vehicle used to transport passengers should the Ulysses be compromised. It is big enough to transport several vehicles, a hefty amount of supplies, and up to roughly one hundred people."**

**You probably already saw how I made the _Leviathan_ a robotic Heartless. "Why?" you ask? Just read the next few Chapters and the answers SHOULD be revealed.**

**Yes, I Did intentionally reference "_A Goofy Movie (1995)_". The "_Perfect Cast_" segment is one of my favorite parts of the movie. It's also when Goofy and Max first see Bigfoot and Goofy looks at the animal through his camera lens. That's when Goofy says, "Could ya back up a bit Mister Foot? Uh... you're outta focus."**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**

* * *

****[1.1]** This is a reference to "_Kingdom Hearts 1 Manga: Volume 2_".**


	9. Ch9 - Locating The Lost City of Atlantis

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: CHAPTER 9 HAS ARRIVED! YES! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! IT IS THE LAST CHAPTER FOR MAY, 2015! TOMORROW, JUNE STARTS - BRINGING MORE STORY AND CHAPTERS ALIKE FOR YOU ALL!**

**So, as I was starting to write this Chapter, I was also watching an episode of the older T.V. show, "_The Rockford Files_". Watching James Garner's character and hearing his voice, I can see why Disney decided to cast him as Commander Rourke for "_Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)_".**

**Anyways, I see at least one of you why I am not including "_Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)_". In any case, I decided to explain why I choose the twelve Disney Movies/Properties I do NOT want to include in my Kingdom Hearts Stories.**

**(12.) _Chicken Little (2005)_ \- It's been too long since I last saw this, and I cannot picture it being in Kingdom Hearts.  
**

**(11.) _Finding Nemo (2003)_ \- I thought this movie was a little boring, and I cannot picture it being in Kingdom Hearts.  
**

**(10.) _The Tigger Movie (2000)_ \- I have enough movies in the Winnie The Pooh franchise to use, and this movie is my Least Favorite of that franchise.  
**

**(9.)_ The Aristocats (1970)_ \- I cannot picture this movie being in Kingdom Hearts. Maybe a Summon... but don't count on it!  
**

**(8.) _Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)_ \- I would rather include "_Pirates of The Caribbean: At World's End (2007)_". I want my stories to all have Happy Endings - Not like the ending for the second POTC movie.  
**

**(7.) _The Black Cauldron (1985)_ \- I have never seen this movie.**

**(6.) _Wreck-It Ralph (2012)_ \- I have never seen this movie.**

**(5.) _The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride (1998)_ \- Since I noticed the strong similarities between _The Lion King_ and _Hamlet_, I have slowly started to dislike The Lion King altogether. That, and I cannot picture this movie being in Kingdom Hearts.  
**

**(4.) _WALL-E (2008)_ \- Never Seen It. I'm not sure if I'll ever want to see it.  
**

**(3.) Anything "_Star Wars_" - I have only seen Episode 4, and I cannot picture it being in Kingdom Hearts.  
**

**(2.) Anything "_Phineas And Ferb_" - I'd rather not. I'm Not a fan of Disney Channel - Especially today's Disney Channel.**

**(1.) _Dinosaur (2000)_ \- This movie scared me when I was younger, so I refuse to have anything to Do with it! To that end, I cannot picture it being in Kingdom Hearts.**

**I certainly hope This clears up everything! It's not that I don't like the second POTC movie, I just cannot find a place for it in my stories. Also, I find "Lord" Cutler Beckett's character an excellent antagonist for those movies. Why not make him a member of Maleficent's Council? Sooner or later, Sora and his friends will have to DEFEAT him! When they do, maybe Captain Jack Sparrow will be back!**

**By the way, I Hope you are all enjoying This Story! I spent MONTHS to plan it out! Let me know which parts YOU LIKE THE BEST and what YOU WOULD LIKE to see ****happen up ahead and in the REST OF THE STORY!**

**Plus, I also included a reference to another Disney movie at the start of This Chapter. I am quite certain you will recognize it as you read ahead.**

**Seeing as I have covered everything I need to say for the third time in a row, I'll let you go now.  
****PLEASE ENJOY! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW AND READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT - AND PLEASE REVIEW, TWO TIMES TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 9  
****Locating The Lost City of Atlantis**

Sora woke with a deep yawn. He stretched his arms and sat up on his bedroll. His vision was blurry, so he rubbed his eyes. Once his eyesight had cleared, he smiled and clambered off his bedroll. He seized his jacket and put it on quickly before doing the same with his oversized shoes. He strapped them in place to keep them from sliding off accidentally. With a familiar song coming to mind, Sora reached for the tent flap and pushed it open.

He froze. "_**Huh**_?!"

The other tents had vanished. The team's vehicles that had been parked in neat rows in the distance were gone. In fact, the entire cavern had seemingly disappeared. There was no trace of the team, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, or the cave itself.

A cold wind blew. He shivered and gazed into the distance. He was staring at a wall of solid ice. To the left, a long staircase made entirely of ice lead up and curved to the left. He looked straight up and saw a gigantic chandelier crafted from crystal-clear ice hanging high overhead.

"What in the world?" Sora marveled in question. One minute, he'd been sleeping in a cavern inside the world of _**Ancient Empire**_. The next, he was somewhere in a building made of ice. How was this possible?

A sound came from the right. Sora spun around and saw a large doorway opening. Into the structure stepped two girls. He relaxed then tensed up as he observed the two closely.

One was slender, turquoise-blue eyes, rosy cheeks, long strawberry-blonde hair that was tied into two braided pigtails with bangs down her forehead, and a dusting of freckles. She was decked out in a medium-length, dark blue skirt with a black shirt-like article with gold trim, a light-blue long-sleeved blouse, and black, heeled, leather boots. A magenta bonnet with a purple lining and lavender fluff was over her head. In addition, she also was wearing a pair of blue mittens, and a magenta cape with a matching cap. Her boots had gold linings and magenta soles. She also had a platinum blonde streak on the right side of her hair.

The other was a very slender, auburn-haired young woman with pale skin and blue eyes. She was dressed in a pink jacket, golden-yellow skirt leading down to just below her knees, and red hiking boots. Her upper body was also shrouded in a long-sleeved, sky blue coat with lavender fluff. She had long, black stockings, navy-blue gloves and matching earmuffs. A hand-sized bag was strapped across her upper body and a pair of bluish-yellow sunglasses were nestled in her hair. Ironically, she also sported a pair of grey goggles covering her eyes. To Sora, she seemed to resemble an older version of Kairi — only dressed for snow and shivering violently.

Sora relaxed once more. They looked innocent to him.

The two girls strode into the room. They awed silently at the chandelier dangling far above their heads.

"Elsa?" the first girl called out. "It's me, Anna."

"Anna," a voice called out from above.

Seeing how the girls were gazing at the top of the staircase, Sora swung his attention in the same direction.

Standing at the top of the flight was a tall, slender young woman with long, platinum blonde hair that was kept in a loose French braid swept over her left shoulder and tied with a hair-band with a crystal-like snowflake on it. She also had blue eyes, a small nose, and very pale skin with a light dusting of freckles. Her outfit consisted of a crystal-blue, shoulder-less dress made out of ice with a right slit, a crystallized top and translucent, powder blue sleeves. She also had icy heels and a long, transparent floor-sweeping cape of sheer ice decorated with large snowflakes attached to the back of her dress. Furthermore, her eyelids had a dusting of lavender eye shadow and magenta lipstick.

Sora stared at her. Who _was_ this new girl? She seemed to be made entirely from ice, only she still resembled a human being.

The first of the two girls (Sora assumed her name was Anna) smiled upward. "Elsa?" she paused. "Whoa, you look different. It's a good different."

The auburn-haired girl nodded. "This place is incredible," she marveled, gesturing around.

Sora had to agree with the latter. After all, such a building would normally be difficult to construct. Unless, this "Elsa" upstairs had some magical powers.

"Thank you," the girl upstairs said. "I never knew what I was capable of." She saw the auburn-headed young woman. "Who is that?"

Anna grabbed the girl beside her and pointed with her free hand. "This is Sandora," she introduced. "She's a friend."

Sora stared in disbelief. Sandora… he recognized that name. But from where? He couldn't recall exactly where it had been. His memories of encountering this same girl before were very fuzzy and blurry. It was almost like they were simply a dream.

He froze. He remembered how a young woman had rescued Riku and him from Hacker's battle machine in the sleeping world of _**Traverse Town**_. When he'd asked her what her names was, she'd said, "My name is Sandora Hikari."

Sora mind was spinning. Could the Sandora _here_ be the same Sandora from _there_ — in the dreams?

The girl above nodded. Anna smiled and started to speak. "I'm so sorry about what happened. If I'd have known… "

The door burst open. Sora and the others whirled their attention to the doorway. In stepped a tiny animal with pink ears, a magenta jumpsuit, and small black eyes. He seemed very timid.

"Piglet?" Sora realized, recognizing his friend.

A loud crash of something echoed from the left. Everyone spun around. To Sora's alarm, a tall man with a crooked back was stepping into the room from a gaping hole in the solid ice wall. He had a black-hooded coat on and his face was concealed, except for a silver goatee. His hands were behind his back and he slowly walked towards the girls.

"Oh d-d-d-dear!" Piglet hollered as he started running around in circles.

"_Anna_!" the girl upstairs cried. "_**Run**_! I'll hold him off!"

"_**No**_!" Anna declared. "I'm not leaving without you!"

The girl Sora remembered was "Sandora" rushed over as something magically appeared in her right hand. It was a key-shaped weapon with a red handle, a sky-blue-tinted blade, and yellow-orange flowers upon the blade.

Sora watched in alarm as the man stopped and reached out his right hand. There was a few bolts of dark electricity before a large key-shaped weapon appeared in his hand. It was a Keyblade with a spikey, black guard that resembled demonic wings, a horned, demonic head above the handle, two barbed shafts, and teeth resembling a battle axe split into three claw-like protrusions.

"_**Wha**_—?!" _**Now**_ Sora was puzzled. He'd never seen a Keyblade like _this_ one before.

The auburn-haired girl continued to charge at the man. Their weapons clashed. She pushed angrily against her opponent, but the stranger was too clever for her. He raised his left hand and struck her with a block of ice magic.

The girl upstairs glared as she reached her hands into the man's direction. Her palms glowed a bluish color before a beam of icy magic flew at the strange man. He gave what sounded like a gruff chuckle and used his Keyblade to shield himself.

"_Taste_ _**defeat**_!" he shouted. "_Fool_!"

Sora could _not_ sit in the spectator's box any longer. He summoned his own Keyblade and rushed over. He hopped into the air and swung his weapon at the strange man. The latter vanished in an instant, causing Sora to realize he'd warped away. He barely dodged a surprise attack from behind. He raised his Keyblade to block (and hopefully parry) the attack.

_**CRACK!**_

Sora flew back. Splinters of wood landed around him. He sat up from the icy floor and saw how his Keyblade had been nothing more than a wooden sword — just like the one he'd used to own. The handle was damaged and the blade had snapped clean off. He sighed deeply, knowing he was now defenseless.

The man pointed his Keyblade at the brown, spikey-headed young man. "Did you _really_ think you could stop me?" he inquired. "A dull, ordinary boy like you can't do anything on your own. And now, you have no friends to help you out."

Sora gulped. He sighed all the more. Why hadn't he tried to prevent Donald and Goofy's so-called "argument"? What had caused him to allow his teammates to quit working together? Either way, it appeared he was now done for.

"_**Yaah**_!" a voice yelled. The auburn-haired girl jumped onto the strange man and shoved him onto the floor.

"_**What**_?!" the man exclaimed. "You _foolish_ girl!"

The girl punched the man shadow-covered face. "You leave my dad alone!"

Sora was both shocked, speechless, and perplexed beyond understanding. He couldn't even think of anything to ask himself about what he'd just heard.

The man kicked the girl aside and pointed his Keyblade at Sora. "_Feel the_ _**Darkness**_!" he declared.

A beam of Darkness shot out at the young man. Sora watched as the Darkness drew closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… and _**more**_ closer. The whole world seemed to be frozen in time — except for the beam of Darkness. That, and a raven-haired girl in a black-hooded coat rushing over from the other side of the room.

Sora slammed his shut as the beam was only inches from his chest. He yelled in agony as the Darkness entered his body.

"_**AAAHHHHHHHHH**_!"

* * *

Sora woke with a start. He felt his cheeks, forehead, and chest. He looked around and relaxed. He was only in his tent. It was dark other than the faint, greenish glow coming from high above. He sighed with relief.

"It was only a dream," he remarked. "Violet would say it was a Nightmare's doing… "

He had to shake his head and smile. True, the angel _would_ have said that. She was the "Angel of Dreams" after all. Violet seemed to know everything about dreams and how they worked. Sometimes, Sora had believed she knew more about stuff than he would ever know. This knowledge had proved quite helpful at times in the _Realm of Sleep_ such as when he, Riku, and Violet had been in the world of the _**Symphony of Sorcery**_. Of course, he only remembered having to explore a few lands inside pieces of written music… or songbooks.

He tried to shake it all aside and rolled over. He was still restless. His mind was now shifting to the raven-haired girl he'd seen. Who _was_ she? Why had he felt so heartbroken when he'd seen her? He had no recollection of seeing her before. What was going on? Was she related to somebody he knew?

His mind whirled over to Roxas. Sora had known about his Nobody's existence for about a year. Since the time Riku had first informed him about Roxas betraying Organization XIII, Sora had wanted to meet his own Nobody. Sadly, he never got the chance to. Unless… he was meeting his own Nobody in his dreams — in a different sort of way.

He rolled over a second time and shut his eyes. A loud knocking sound on the canvas tent startled him. Sora sighed and glanced at his portable alarm clock (the one his sister had given him for Christmas the year before). He'd only been asleep for ten seconds. He sat up, threw on his jacket, and crawled to the far end of the tent. He pushed the flap open. There stood Launchpad and Milo.

Sora sighed with a yawn. "What's going on? Why are you guys awake?" He pointed at his clock. "It's three o'clock in the morning."

"I know," Milo acknowledged. "But I had to tell you something."

Sora yawned and nodded. "Okay."

Milo gazed at Launchpad for a moment. "Your friend told me about what he saw in the tunnel. I don't think he was making it up."

Sora was surprised. "Really?" he asked in a soft whisper.

Milo nodded. "It's right here," he explained, holding open _The Shepherd's Journal_. He held a flashlight in one hand and the journal in the other. "It says, '_As you approach the eighth marker, you may encounter some strange-looking creatures. Do not fear. These are not monsters. They are_ 'Atlantians' _patrolling the nearby caverns_'."

"I _told_ you I saw something!" Launchpad declared in a loud whisper. Milo and Sora had to cover his mouth. No one else around stirred. They relaxed.

"That redhead's got a gun," Cookie murmured in his sleep several tents away. "Careful! She's a real mean fightin' machine… "

Sora rolled his eyes. "Okay… "

The pilot shrugged and looked at the writing in the journal. "Goofy was right," he whispered. "It _does_ look like gibberish."

Milo shook his head and turned to face Sora. "I suggest we look for these 'Atlantians'," he said. "They could lead us to the city of Atlantis."

Sora shrugged and slipped on his oversized shoes. "Why not? It beats looking around everywhere else."

"I'll help," Launchpad offered. Milo and Sora both shrugged and handed the pilot a spare flashlight.

Sora slipped his alarm clock into his pocket and grabbed his cellular phone from beside the bedroll. For years, he'd wanted to have a portable phone, but his parents had thought he was too young. Finally, he mom and dad had given him one for his seventeenth birthday. It was a navy-blue color with golden buttons. A thin, bright green antennae stuck out the top and a slot for a camera-card was located in the middle. He slipped it into his pocket, too.

The three strode away from the tents (which wasn't far as Sora's was on the edge of the campground) and switched on their flashlights. They walked slowly around the immediate area in search for anything peculiar.

Sora swung his beam around carefully. The cavern was almost pitch-dark. The only light came from the glowing green stalactite overhead. For all he knew, the Heartless were lurking in the cave close by. It almost seemed creepier than when Donald, Goofy, and him had first gone to _**Halloween Town**_ on their first adventure.

"Look at this!" Milo called in a soft voice.

Sora and Launchpad spun around to see what the linguist had noticed. A series of faint footprints were gathered around the site of Milo's tent and led into the cavern. The young linguist crept up to his tent and reached into a brown satchel just outside the canvas. His eyes lit up. "It's gone."

"What is?" Sora whispered.

"My grandfather's helmet," Milo replied. "Someone's been rummaging through my things."

"Really?" Launchpad spoke up in a whisper. He pointed his flashlight at an odd angle towards the ceiling. "Who?"

Milo shrugged. "Whoever it was, they left tracks. We'll have to follow them."

"Yeah," Sora acknowledged. Deep down, he had the slightest feeling the Heartless had been there. The footprints seemed to contain the usual shape of a Shadow Heartless. Of course, it could have been something else… maybe a new type of Heartless he had never faced before.

"Whatever it is," Launchpad said. "We need to find it before it gets away." He paused. "Unless it's a helmet-hunter like on _Pelican's Island_."

Sora had to smile. "I think it's called '_Gilligan's Island_'."

Launchpad shrugged. "Whatever it's called, those guys have to avoid lots of other guys with spears who collect helmets."

Sora shook his head. At once, he saw a tiny insect zoom by. He turned to stare at it. It was glowing an eerie, green color and resembled a firefly.

Milo and Launchpad must have seen it as they were also staring at the insect. "It's a spooky firefly," the pilot remarked. "Maybe this place's creepier than Morgana's haunted house. She's DW's special friend."

Before Sora or Milo could speak, a number of similar fireflies swooped into view and started to surround them. The insects were buzzing in their ears, zipping around their heads, and zooming past their feet. The three started to swing their arms around at the flies.

"Go away!" Sora snapped at the insects. When they continued to linger, he summoned his Keyblade and lashed it at them. The insects were flying too swiftly for him to make a single solid hit.

"Shoo flies!" Launchpad added. "Don't bother me!"

The fireflies continued to zoom around. Launchpad reached into his pocket and pulled out a furled comic book. He slapped it against a couple of the insects. A flash of flame caught the group's eyes. The comic book was on fire.

"_**Yeowch**_!" Launchpad exclaimed, dropping the book to the ground. He stomped on the flames to terminate them before scooping up what was left of his book. "Not my _DuckTales Volume 3: Special Edition_!"

Sora and Milo were not paying attention. The fireflies were now buzzing around the nearby tents. Some landed on the canvas and set them ablaze. The insects proceeded to fly around and set more tents on fire.

Sora, Milo, and Launchpad stared upward as an enormous flock of the insects zoomed closer. "_Fire_?" Milo declared.

Sora was astounded. True, he had caught fireflies at home for many years. Yet, the sight of seeing such insects actually made of fire was extremely difficult for him to accept.

The three raced past the burning tents and down the rows of the campground. The insects were directly behind, setting more tents ablaze. Over and over again, they continued to shout, "_**Fire**_!"

"Mr. Thatch!" Commander Rourke shouted from his tent. "Go back to bed!"

"We _**can't**_!" Sora yelled in return. "The whole camp's on fire!"

The three had now reached the far end of the camp. Turning back, Sora now saw the fireflies had set every single tent ablaze. The insects were still buzzing around above their heads. Dozens of people had risen from their tents and were appalled at the sight of the raging flames.

"Get some water on that fire!" Lieutenant Helga ordered to the other team members. They rushed to get to work.

Sora was nearly speechless. The whole sight was just dizzying. He saw Donald rising from his tent. The duck glared at Launchpad. "What'd you do _**now**_, ya big palooka?!"

"**HELP**!" Goofy rushed out of his and Launchpad's tent. Not only was the tent on fire, but the knight's vest was, too. He jumped into a barrel of water located near the team's vehicles and relaxed.

A firefly landed onto Donald's tail feathers. "**YEOW**!" the magician exclaimed in alarm as his rear end went up in flames. He rushed over to where Goofy was and dove into the same barrel.

Jiminy hopped out of Sora's hoodie and stared at the display in alarm. "What **_happened_**?!" he said.

Sora was too shocked to answer. How could something like this happen? He couldn't reach a possible conclusion. Unless… the insects were Heartless? That didn't exactly make sense.

"No time!" Rourke shouted to his lieutenant as she dumped a bucket of water onto a tent. He pointed into the distance where a long natural bridge led into some shadow-filled caves. "Get us into those caves. C'mon! Move it, move it!"

Jiminy leaped back into Sora's hoodie. Sora decided to trail Milo as the linguist raced over to his now-burning tent and grabbed his satchel. Sora reached his own tent and grabbed a small canteen Vinny had given him earlier. He ducked out of the burning tent just as the stick-like poles gave way and the canvas caved in.

_Man!_ Sora realized. _That could've been _me_!_

He followed Milo as the two hurried over to the team's vehicles. The various trucks had already been started up and were driving away. Donald and Goofy had both hitched a ride on Cookie's supply wagon. Molière led the way with his drilling machine. Rourke and Helga were aboard the commander's car, Vinny and Dr. Sweet were in the doctor's medical van, and everyone else was in his/her own vehicle.

Sora and Milo dashed to the linguist's truck which had been left behind. They clambered aboard and set off. Sora helped Launchpad inside the cab as Milo desperately tried to steer the truck away from the flames and towards the bridge. Within minutes, the truck had been attacked by the firefly swarm and the engine was ablaze.

"**_Milo_**!" Audrey called from the back of a truck a few feet ahead. "**_Sora_**! Come here!"

Knowing their truck was on the verge of exploding, Sora, Launchpad, and Milo hurried out of the cab and raced over to where Audrey was. The truck suddenly exploded and pieces of machinery flew everywhere.

"Jump!" the teenage mechanic hollered. "Right _now_!"

Sora and Milo leaped into the air at the same time and landed into the back of the other truck. Launchpad was seconds behind and nearly struck by a burning piece of metal. "Whoa!" the pilot commented as he caught his breath with the others. "It's the Yellowstone fire all over again!"

As Sora tried to relax in the covered back of the fleeing truck, his mind went back to how close he'd been to being killed. First, his tent had collapsed moments after he'd retrieved his canteen. Next, he'd leapt to safety just as Milo's truck had blown up and the burning remains had almost hit Launchpad, the linguist, and him.

_Talk about too close for comfort!_ Sora thought to himself.

An alarmed shout came from close by. Sora and the others gazed out the back of their truck and saw a truck driving recklessly behind them. The engine was on fire as was a number of containers on the back. The driver jumped from the cab just as the engine exploded. Just after, a second explosion occurred and destroyed the truck altogether. The man ducked down as the explosion rocked the bridge and the cavern itself. He started to get up when another speeding truck drove straight over him.

Sora and his companions turned away. When they looked again, the man was lying face-down on the bridge. He wasn't moving, even as the flames surrounded him.

"How _**terrible**_!" Audrey declared.

"This _**can't**_ be happening," Sora gulped anxiously. Never before had he witnessed such a sight as someone being run over. Hopefully he would never have to see such a thing ever again.

Sora heard a loud cracking sound. He looked up and stared in alarm. The odd-looking stalactite had been shaken loose by the pair of explosions and was now dangling directly over the bridge. The stalactite fell straight down and landed onto the bridge. The vibration shook everything.

The bridge started to crack. All the trucks began rolling backward towards the cracking sounds. Sora grabbed the short, metal panel on the truck's back as the bridge broke free. The whole thing descended straight down, taking all the remaining team's vehicles with it. The flames disappeared from view as the bridge fell.

When the bridge landed down below, Molière's drilling machine slide backwards. It did so with such haste, the machine shoved all the other vehicles downward. Soon, everyone had lost control of their trucks and were slamming, banging, and colliding with each other. Sora continued to hold on as the truck he was in slid around like a marble rolling freely down a ramp.

All at once, the vehicles slid off what seemed to resemble a ski jump and vanished into a shadow pit. Sora yelled in alarm as everything went into slow-motion. The truck disappeared into the darkness. The sounds of crashing, crunching, and crushing filled the air.

Then, everything went dark and silent. The silence was total.

* * *

Donald gradually sat up. He rubbed his tail feather, which were still smoking. He looked around in the darkness. He couldn't see anything. If he hadn't heard a soft dripping sound from somewhere close by, he would have assumed he was dead or stranded in the _Realm of Darkness_. Then again, _that_ Darkness had been so complete, he'd felt it while there with Sora and Goofy. It was time he'd opened a white box despite Goofy's suggestion not to and discovered a photograph of their friends from _**Twilight Town**_ and an ice cream bar. He'd eaten the ice cream and realized how salty and sweet it really was.

The sound of a match being struck echoed around. "Alright," Rourke's voice called out. "Who's not dead? Sound off."

Donald felt a little relieved when he saw the commander's face illuminated by the burning match. At least he wasn't alone in this deep, dark abyss.

The groans and moans of many others filled the air. Rourke's match went out as Cookie's voice rose above them all. "Dang blasted bug went and bit me on my sit-upon! Someone's gonna have to get over here and suck out this poison."

Donald slapped his face. The pain was real, which indicated to him this was not the afterlife, nor was it a dream. He had never enjoyed a thing the chef had to say. He especially hated the greasy food he'd always made. Why Goofy and Launchpad enjoyed it, he would _never_ understand.

A bright light suddenly shone into his eyes. Donald used his right hand to block out the glare. His eyes quickly adjusted. He now saw he was gazing straight at a headlamp from one of the team's vehicles. He looked around and could now make out the silhouettes of the other team members. He saw Goofy lying on the ground with a smashed barrel stuck on his head. A few feet away, Launchpad was lying face-down in the dirt. The knight and pilot slowly came to and groaned like everyone else.

"Audrey," Rourke called from where he'd switched on the headlamp. "Give me a damage report."

The teenage mechanic rose from the ground near where Launchpad had landed. She switched on a flashlight a swept around the immediate area. Donald spotted Molière sitting on the ground trying to analyze the dirt on the cavern floor. Lieutenant Helga was rising to her feet beside him.

"Not as bad as it could've been," Audrey announced to the commander. She gazed at Molière's drilling machine; the vehicle was sitting upright amongst the other toppled trucks, Dr. Sweet's medical van, and the large truck with the barrel-shaped compartment in the back.

"We totaled rigs two and seven," she went on. "But the Digger looks like it'll still run."

Audrey reached behind and rubbed her back. "Lucky for us, we landed in something soft."

"Pumice ash," Molière declared loud enough for everyone to hear. "We are sitting at the base of a dormant volcano."

Launchpad was now on his feet. He brushed the ash off his sleeves. "Well, 'Any crash you can walk away from is a _good_ crash', I always say!"

Donald barely could keep his anger contained. He _hated_ it when the pilot said such stuff. Now it was _**really**_ getting to him!

He watched Helga point a large pistol upwards. The lieutenant pulled the trigger and a small ball of fire went sailing up, up, up. "It just keeps going," she said.

Vinny approached in wonder. "Maybe that's our ticket outta here."

The ball of fire suddenly exploded. "Maybe not," Helga added.

Donald sighed, knowing the top of the shaft was sealed shut.

Molière looked amazed. He stared at the distant ceiling in realization. "The magma has solidified in the bowels of the volcano! It's effectively blocking the exit!"

Donald was puzzled. What was that stupid geologist talking about? Yes, to the duck, Molière was an idiot — no different than Launchpad, his cousin Gladstone, or Goofy.

"Hold on!" Dr. Sweet spoke up as Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad approached the others. "Back up. Are you saying this whole volcano can blow at any time?"

Donald gulped until Molière shook his head. "No, no!" the geologist declared. "That would take an explosion of great magnitude."

The sound of a spring popping caught the others' attention. There stood Vinny trying to assemble a time bomb using a screwdriver. Donald nearly fainted at the sight. "Maybe I should do this later, huh?"

Rourke wasn't paying any attention to the demolition expert. "If we could blow the top off of that thing," he said aloud, gazing towards the top of the darkness-filled shaft. "We'd have a straight shot to the surface."

The commander looked at the other crew members. "Mr. Thatch, what do you think?"

There was no answer. "Mr. Thatch?" Rourke called out. "Thatch?"

Everyone flipped on their flashlights and swung the beams around the cavern. There was no sign of the young linguist.

"Say," Goofy perked up. "Where's Sora and Jiminy?"

Donald scanned the area. He, Goofy, and Launchpad started to call out Sora's name, but they received no response. "I hope they weren't taken by those guys!" Launchpad worried.

"Me, too," Goofy added. "And I don't even know them."

"Aw phooey," Donald grumbled to himself. _Now_ what would they do — without Sora _and_ Jiminy? The seventeen-year-old and the tiny cricket had to be _somewhere_ around. The only question was… where?

* * *

Sora's head was pounding. He gradually opened his eyes. The world around him was blurry and seemed to be spinning. His eyesight slowly came into focus. He nearly leapt back.

Directly before him was a trio of creatures with large, strange-looking faces. They didn't exactly resemble Heartless — unless they were a _new_ form of Heartless. In fact, the designs of their faces looked similar to how Launchpad had described the "guys" he'd seen. When he saw they were wielding spears and had human hands and feet, Sora realized they were native warriors wearing masks.

"Milo?" Sora called out. "Donald? Goofy? Launchpad?"

Through his peripheral vision, Sora saw Milo lying beside him. The young man was backing against the wall of rock where they'd landed after the horrendous crash. He looked just as alarmed as the brown, spikey-headed youth did.

Sora tried to step back so he would have enough room to summon his Keyblade. He reached out his right hand and felt a sharp pain. He grabbed his right shoulder with his other hand. The pain was strong. He realized he might have injured his right shoulder in the previous incident.

To top it off, he'd never been able to control the weapon with his left hand. The Keyblade had always automatically appeared in his right hand. He reached into his left pocket for a potion and ended up with some broken containers. He looked around the ground and noticed a several shattered bottles lying around with puddles of dark-green liquid.

He sighed deeply. Not only was he unable to use his Keyblade, but he was injured badly and couldn't do anything to heal himself. He felt his canteen, only to discover it was empty. The cap was still attached to its string. Somehow it had loosened and all the water had spilled out.

Sora eyes lit up. He was now on the verge of panic mode.

He heard a soft groan. Turning to the right, he saw Milo grabbed his own right shoulder. That's when Sora saw the small cut in the young linguist's shoulder. The blood was starting to flow out super-duper slow.

_Yikes!_ Sora worried frantically. _What now?!_

One of the creatures grew closer. Sora saw it had a bluish mask. The creature lifted its mask when it saw the two. To Sora and Milo's surprise, it was a young woman with white hair and dark skin. She also had a blue-colored tattoo that seemed to resemble teardrops on her left cheek. She was wearing a blue bikini top, aqua skirt with a pink stripe and gold outlines.

At first, Sora was perplexed. Who _was_ this girl? She didn't look like anyone he'd ever seen before. The next second, the spikey-haired seventeen-year-old saw how the young woman was staring at the two in surprise. She reached at Milo's chest, causing the linguist to leap back. She frowned for a moment before reaching for a perfectly-shaped crystal shard on a cord around her neck. She placed the crystal against the wound and then placed her hand over it. A faint glow came from the spot until she removed her hand. To Sora's amazement and Milo's relief, the cut was gone.

The young woman smiled at him before waving her crystal over Sora's right shoulder. She held onto his jacket as a faint glow came from beneath her hand. When she removed it, Sora felt his strength returning. He was taken aback. His injury had vanished — just like Milo's cut.

"Whoa," Sora marveled. He was impressed. Then his mind started to wander. What was that familiar power he'd felt when the girl had touched his shoulder? It was strong, warm, and very, very, very comfortable. In fact, it almost felt like… Light….

"Light," he muttered aloud. "The power of Light."

Sora turned to the young woman. "Just… who are you?"

The woman responded with a smile. She replaced her mask. At that moment, a loud rumbling sound filled the cavern. The woman and the other two with her fled down the tunnel to the right. Sora and Milo ran behind.

"H-hey, wait!" Milo called out.

The pursuit continued. Sora and Milo clambered up a rocky slope after the three individuals. When the three creatures jumped through a gap in the wall, Sora and Milo climbed through one-by-one. Sora had to squeeze his right foot through.

* * *

Upon reaching the other side, Sora and Milo found themselves standing on a rocky cliff on the edge of an enormous underground chamber. The three creatures were nowhere to be found. "Hey, wait a minute!" Milo called, his voice echoing about. "Who are you?"

Sora scanned his eyes around the immediate area. To his surprise, the space above the cavern was full of puffy, white clouds. In the distance was a gigantic plateau covered by water. Waterfalls ran off the edge of the landmass. The peak of what seemed to be some kind of mountain stuck out in the middle of the plateau.

Unsure what lay in the distance, Sora reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of binoculars. Good thing he'd remembered them. He had always wanted to use them in other worlds to look around at various things, but he hadn't had the chance to bring them along when the _**Destiny Islands**_ had been attacked by the Heartless. Through the lens of the binoculars, he saw the distant ruins of an ancient city. The architecture seemed to resemble the design of the coliseum from _**Olympus Coliseum**_.

A deafening noise came from behind. Sora glanced back for a moment to see Molière's drilling machine widening the gap in the rock wall behind the pair. Coming through alongside it was Audrey, Vinny, Molière, Dr. Sweet, Ms. Packard, Cookie, Helga, Rourke, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. They all saw what Milo and Sora had and were nearly speechless.

"Sweet mother of Jefferson Davis!" Cookie exclaimed.

Audrey smiled. "It's beautiful!"

Dr. Sweet smiled and placed his hand onto Milo's shoulder. "Milo, I gotta hand it to you. You really came through."

Sora grinned when he saw the linguist's smile. He knew without a doubt the ruined city in the distance truly _**was**_ Atlantis itself. Now he could tell Amemi all about this lost landmark — not to mention, take a picture with his cellular phone. He put his binoculars away and whipped out his phone. He got the distant ruins in the lens and hit the trigger. No flash went off, but he still got a photograph. Now he could also _show_ Amemi what Atlantis really looked like.

Without warning, a number of creatures appeared behind the team. Sora and the others spun around. To their alarm, the creatures donned masks and were pointing spears at them.

"But I take that back," Sweet told Milo.

Donald ducked behind Sora in a hurry. Goofy pulled out his shield and cowered behind it with Launchpad. Rourke reached for a gun on his belt. "Holy cats!" the commander declared. "Who are _these_ guys?"

"_**Heartless**_!" Donald declared in reply. He pulled out his wand and pointed it over Sora's shoulder. "I'll try some magic!"

He would have done so if Sora hadn't glared him silent.

Milo was enthusiastic. "T-they gotta be Atlantians!"

"What?" Helga said with a puzzled look. "That's impossible."

Cookie looked a bit worried. "I seen this back in the Dakota," the chef informed everyone. "They can smell fear just by looking at you, so keep quiet."

Goofy and Launchpad gulped simultaneously. Sora felt a few drops of sweat on his forehead and suddenly realized how humid the air was in the cavern.

One of the creatures approached a few feet. In an unfamiliar voice, it spoke to the group. Sora stared at it, unable to make out anything except various sounds and seemingly nonsense.

"I think it's talking to you," Molière whispered to Milo. Sora nodded. Jiminy hopped onto Sora's shoulder and starting writing in his journal.

The creature spoke again. Milo started to talk back to it, but no one else had any clue what he was saying. Somehow, he must have been understood by the creature as it removed its mask to reveal the same young woman Sora remembered had healed both Milo and him. He could also tell she had blue eyes, brown eyebrows, small gold triangular earrings, a gold band on her upper left arm, and a couple gold anklets on her right ankle. To Sora, she resembled a native woman.

Milo and the woman continued to converse in what sounded like a number of different languages. When the latter said something Sora recognized Lumière saying before, Molière excitedly strode up to her. "They speak my language!" he declared. He gestured to the young lady. "Come on down, Mademoiselle!"

He whispered into her ear. A second later, the woman punched Molière in the face and knocked him onto the ground. Sora nearly jumped back in surprise.

"Oh yeah!" Sweet clapped away. "I like her."

"'Bout time someone hit him," Audrey approved. "I'm just sorry it wasn't me."

Donald was laughing away. He laughed so hard, he landed onto the ground and grabbed his stomach. Molière glared at the duck as the latter started rolling around and ended up on Goofy's shoes. "_**Yeow**_!" the knight hollered as he grasped his shoe and dropped his shield. The shield landed onto Launchpad's foot. The pilot let out a yell of his own.

Sora shook his head. Talk about being ultra-clumsy — _**especially**_ when it came to Donald Duck!

The other individuals removed their masks and revealed themselves to be kind, friendly people. They started speaking to everyone else in a variety of different languages. The only ones Sora recognized were English and Japanese.

"How do they know all this stuff?" Sora asked Milo.

"Their language must be based on a root dialect," the linguist explained to the young man. When Sora looked perplexed, Milo translated, "It's just like the Tower of Babel."

Sora gave a nod of understanding, though he was still quite confused about what Milo meant.

"Well," Rourke told the two. "Maybe English is in there somewhere."

The commander spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "We are explorers from the surface world," he proclaimed with a friendly grin. "We come in peace."

The young woman smiled back and gestured towards the distant ruins. "Welcome to the city of Atlantis!"

She grabbed Milo by his right arm. "Come! You must speak with my father now."

Rourke gave some last minute instructions to some of the soldiers before joining everyone else in two trucks that had been driven to the cliff behind Molière's drilling machine. It wasn't long before the young woman and the other Atlantians were escorting the caravan across a long, wooden bridge and straight to the ruined city. Vinny and Molière were gathered in one truck with Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. Sora, Milo, Rourke, and Helga were in the other. Audrey, Cookie, Ms. Packard, and a few others were seated in the backs of the trucks.

As they drove into view of the ruins, Sora noticed Milo was busy explaining how unique the Atlantian language was in comparison to all the other languages. He had to smile. After all, the linguist had actually discovered the exact location of the city and led the team directly to it.

"Someone's having a good time."

Sora spun to his left and saw Helga talking with Rourke. "Like a kid at Christmas," the commander joked to his lieutenant.

Helga's grin faded. "Commander," she said with a hint of uncertainty. "There were not supposed to be people down here. This changes everything."

Rourke's grin transitioned into a frown. "This changes nothing."

Sora felt a sudden wave of anxiety rush through him. If what he had just heard was true, it appeared the commander and his lieutenant _were_ hiding something. He had sensed this previously upon meeting Commander Rourke just before boarding the _Ulysses_ submarine.

Sora shifted his focus to the road ahead. In the distance was the large mountain he'd seen through his binoculars. It was covered in lush, green vegetation throughout. A number of contained flames were situated on the cliffs surrounding it.

The caravan stopped at the base of the mountain, which Sora could see was really a tall pyramid. The young woman led the team up a long flight of stairs and to a stone doorway. A pair of guards opened the door for them. Inside, Sora was amazed at what he now saw.

A large pool of water laid at the center of the room with a spiral of stones in the middle. The remains of a giant statue were located on the far side. Situated before the ruins was a colorful canopy providing shade for a stone throne. A pile of various things was to the left of the throne.

Seated in the throne was an elderly man who seemed to be well over a thousand years old. He was half-bald, had a tattooed face, blind eyes, tanned skin, and long white hair and beard. He was wearing a long, blue robe and holding a long, wooden walking stick.

Sora stared at the man for a few seconds before Donald pushed him to his knees. "Sora, I told you to show some _respect_!" he scolded in a loud whisper.

Sora nodded with a sigh. This was the third time in the last year he had failed to show respect to someone of authority. First, he had simply said "Hey there!" to Master Yen Sid. Next, he had not saluted to Queen Minnie with Donald and Goofy. Thank goodness he had remembered to bow before Jasmine!

Then again, he recalled shouting at Sir Ector in the dreams of _**Camelot**_, although that incident hadn't _really_ happened in the first place. It was all a dream, thus nothing more than simple illusions.

The young woman approached the ruler and started speaking to him. To Sora's surprise, he could comprehend every word the two were saying. How was this possible? He didn't know.

"Greetings, Your Highness. I have brought the visitors."

"You know the law, Kida. No outsiders may see the city and live."

"Father… these people may be able to help us."

"We do not need their help."

"But father… "

"That is enough. We will discuss this later."

Sora gulped a little bit loud. He saw Milo putting his notebook away. For some reason, the brown-haired Keyblader had the feeling this same young woman he had seen earlier was the princess of Atlantis. The reality of the current situation suddenly struck him. He had been healed by a princess — and not one of the seven Princesses of Heart! …Or had he? Whatever the case, he didn't wish to know what Kairi would have to say about it.

"Your Majesty," Rourke spoke up. "On behalf of my crew, may I say it is an honor to be welcomed to your city?"

The king of Atlantis shook his head. "You presume much to think you are welcome here."

Rourke smiled as friendly as possible. "Sir, we have come a long way looking for… "

"I know what you seek," the king interrupted Rourke. The princess looked down in sadness. "And you will not find it here. Your journey has been in vain."

"But we are peaceful explorers," Rourke tried to reassure the elderly man. "Men of science."

The king chuckled a little. He gazed at the gun in the commander's side-pocket. "And yet, you bring weapons."

As if on a cue, Sora's Keyblade appeared in his hand. The young man stared at it in alarm. He noticed the king staring at it with an open mouth. He hastily hid the weapon behind his back and smiled nervously.

Rourke shook his head before turning back to the king. "Our 'weapons' allow us to remove certain obstacles we may encounter."

The elderly man shook his head once more. "Some obstacles cannot be removed with a mere show of force." He rose to his feet and seemed to glare at Rourke and the others. "Return to your people. You must leave Atlantis — at once."

Rourke gave a smirked grin. "Your Majesty, be reasonable."

Milo turned to the commander. "Sir," the linguist perked up.

Rourke gave the young man a stern look. "Not now, son."

Sora approached the two. "C'mon, let Milo speak."

Rourke sighed. "What is it?"

"Trust me on this," Milo said. "We'd better do as he says."

Rourke paused in thought. For a few seconds, Sora thought the commander was about to make the wrong decision. He didn't wish to be captured and held prisoner in a city so far away from his own home back on the islands. "May I respectfully request that we stay one night, sir? That would give us time to rest, resupply, and be ready to travel by morning."

Sora could not believe his ears. What was Rourke doing? Such a request could be denied with a snap of the king's fingers. Within seconds, countless guards could be swarming the room and he, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad would be among the hostages.

The king of Atlantis snorted his disapproval. "Very well," he sighed deeply. "One night. That is all."

Rourke bowed politely with the others. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The team turned to leave. As Sora left with his friends, he glanced back. The princess was watching them leave, a look of disappointment evident on her face. It almost seemed like she was about to shed lots of tears.

Sora turned away and followed the others out the doorway. He didn't want to watch a girl crying. If he did, he'd feel _really_ guilty — just like if he'd let them done. It was one of his weak spots. Fortunately for him, it seemed Maleficent and Pete were yet to discover this fact.

The guards shut the doorway behind the crew members.

* * *

Kida was on the verge of tears. After watching the newcomers stroll out through the entrance, she felt so discouraged. Not only had all hope to restore the city of Atlantis seemingly vanished, but her father — the king himself — had refused to even try asking them.

"Your heart has softened, Kida," she heard her father say from behind. "A thousand years ago, you would have slain them on sight."

Kida had had enough. She spun around and frowned at her father. "A thousand years ago, the streets were lit, there were _no_ monsters roaming about, and our people did _not_ have to scavenge for food on the edge of a crumbling city!"

"The people are content," her father replied.

Kida was about to yell at him through her sorrow. It took everything she had to hold it back. "They do not know any better! Don't you see?! We were once a _great_ people! Now, we live in _ruins_! There is no hope for us on our own!"

Her father scowled. "Kida… "

Kida's clenched fists loosened. "If these outsiders can unlock the secrets of our past, perhaps we can save our future."

Her father shook his head. He strolled up to her. "What they have to teach us, we have already learned."

Kida's tears were now starting to show. "Our way of life is **_dying_ **— as is our Light!"

"Our way of life is preserved," her father countered. "So is our Light." He sighed. "Kida, when you take the throne, you will understand."

Kida crossed her arms and turned around. She heard her father's footsteps as he stepped back to the throne. She gazed at the closed doorway.

If her father wouldn't do anything, perhaps she would. Yes, she would. She would go out there, find the two young men she'd met in the cavern earlier, and ask for their help. Then, and only then, might things finally get straightened out in the kingdom. Perhaps their world's Light could _still_ be saved….

* * *

**A/N: THE END! ...FOR NOW! THAT IS, UNTIL CHAPTER 10 COMES ALONG!**

**I sincerely apologize for writing such an Intense Sequence earlier on in the Chapter, but I just had to go with the story's flow. That's why the firefly sequence might seem darker than in the movie (or at least it appears that way to me). The same goes for Sora's Dream/Nightmare sequence at the start of This Particular Chapter.**

**So, I suppose you already know, but I will say it anyway.**  
**Anna and Elsa are from Disney's "_FROZEN (2013)_".**  
**Piglet is from "_Winnie The Pooh And The Blustery Day_" (That WAS his first appearance in Disney!).**  
**The Auburn-Haired Girl who attacks the man in black during Sora's dream is one of My Original Characters. She also appeared in "_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_", so you can look for her there!**

**You are probably wondering why Sora can understand spoken Atlantian. Am I correct? Also, why did King Nedakh (Yes, that's his name. I looked it up on _Disney Wikia_) seem to notice Sora's Keyblade? All those answers SHOULD be revealed in the next few Chapters.**

**In addition, I have calculated This Story to be about 70 Chapters by the time it is completed. Now THAT is a LOT of Chapters! Isn't it? This means a Minimum of 4 Reviews posted on each Chapter will allow all of us to meet the Goal(s) for the Sequel AND The Secret Ending!**

**Until Then, I'll See You Next Time!  
****To put it in simplest [Sora's] terms, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	10. Ch10 - Exploring The Lost City

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: I AM HERE - WITH CHAPTER 10! YAHOO!**

**Okay, now that the "nice-eties" are out of the way, It's time for me to put my foot down. Tashasaurous, you can skip to the next major paragraph as this only replies to those who have been reading and Not reviewing lately.**

**Like I did in "_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_", WHAT HAPPENED?! YOU'VE ALL STOPPED REVIEWING! REMEMBER WHAT I SAID BEFORE? A SERIOUS LACK OF REVIEWS - LIKE THIS - IS ONLY GOING TO KILL THIS STORY, LET ALONE ITS SEQUEL! I HAVE PLANS FOR A MAIN TRILOGY TO TELL THE STORY OF "_KINGDOM HEARTS 3_", BUT YOU'RE NOT MAKING IT EASY!**

**PLEASE! PLEASE POST SOME MORE REVIEWS - EVEN IF THEY ARE ANONYMOUS / GUEST REVIEWS! PLEASE! THE NUMBER OF VIEWS HAS BEEN DROPPING LATELY, AND I AM STARTING TO FEEL DISMAYED BY THIS (AND OTHER THINGS)!**

**If You REALLY Wish To See The Third Major Story I Have Planned, YOU NEED TO REVIEW!**

**I understand some of you might be working or REALLY busy with things like Summer School, vacations, etc. Yet, Please Try to Read AND Review!**

**To make my point clear, I will NOT be posting Chapter 11 until AFTER 12 Additional Reviews are posted on THIS Story! I MEAN IT! I'M PUTTING MY FOOT DOWN! I AM EAGER TO WRITE THE THIRD STORY FOR ALL OF YOU! SO, MAKE SURE YOU REVIEW! I HAVE NO CLUE IF ANYONE IS REALLY READING THIS STORY! THOSE REVIEWS DO NOT HAVE TO BE FANCY OR OVER-THE-TOP! A SIMPLE "Great Work" OR "Keep it up!" WILL DO!**

**Now that I have THAT out of the way, it's time to get back to the city of Atlantis... I mean, the world of ANCIENT EMPIRE!**

**YOU CAN READ NOW - AND PLEASE REVIEW, TOO! There are 13 Reviews now, so all we need is 12 more. That makes... 25 Reviews for Chapter 11! IF this works, there will be no Review Goal needed to post Chapter 12!**

**(YEESH! I wonder if Walt Disney or Tetsuya Nomura started out this way... (Yes, I've been watching "_DuckTales_" lately!)!)**

* * *

**CHAPTER 10**  
**Exploring The Lost City**

Sora, Milo, Rourke, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad met up with the other crew members outside the palace doorway. The guards returned to their posts. Sora glanced back. He couldn't get the image of the Atlantian princess looking at him with such sorrow. If only there was something he could do to cheer her up.

"So, how'd it go?" Helga inquired.

Sora shrugged. "Could've been worse," he grinned. "We could all be under arrest right now."

Dr. Sweet crossed his arms. "Really?"

"The king and his daughter don't exactly see eye to eye," Milo explained. "She seems to like us okay. But the king? I don't know. I think he's hiding something."

Rourke crossed his arms in thought. "Well," he said to the others. "If he's hiding something, then I want to know what it is."

Helga crossed her arms in turn. "Someone should talk to that girl."

"Yeah!" Sora approved. He paused and crossed his arms. "But who?"

The rest of the team paused in thought. The silence almost seemed unbearable. Sora was used to loud sounds and battles with Heartless. This was very, very unnerving for him.

"Someone with good people skills," Vinny recommended.

"Someone who won't scare her away," Dr. Sweet added.

"Someone who can speak that there 'gibberish'," Goofy thought aloud.

Molière started hopping up and down with excitement. "I volunteer! For the good of the mission, I will go!"

All eyes turned away from the geologist and toward Milo. "Good man, Thatch," Rourke said with a smile. He patted the linguist on the back. "Thanks for volunteering."

Milo looked shocked. Sora was feeling no different when Donald pulled him aside and demanded he keep an eye on Launchpad. In turn, the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder decided, "Launchpad and I will go with you, Milo."

Through the corner of his eye, Sora saw Molière burst into tears so dramatically, they seemed to flow down the sides of his face like Niagara Falls. He shook his head, recalling how Goofy had done the same thing back in the dreams of the _**Country of The Musketeers**_.

Donald and Goofy strolled off with Rourke, Helga, Sweet, Vinny, and Molière. Once they were gone, Milo, Sora, and Launchpad turned their eyes toward the entrance to the Atlantian throne room. They ducked behind a pillar as the doors open. Peering from around the column, they saw a young woman strolling out. They relaxed, knowing this was only the princess.

Milo turned to the brown, spikey-headed Keyblader and the pilot. "Okay, here's what we're going to do," he instructed. "We're _not_ going to take 'no' for an answer."

"We're not?" Launchpad inquired. Sora nodded in confirmation. The pilot shrugged.

Milo's eyes suddenly lit up. "O-okay, here's what I'm going to say," he instructed. "'I have questions for you, and I am _not_ leaving the city until they're answered'."

Sora shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

"Me too," Launchpad approved. He paused and his facial expression changed to puzzlement. "What did he say?"

Sora had to smirk a small grin. The pilot was behaving just as silly and forgetful as Goofy had once seemed to be. Of course, that had been long ago, back when the spikey, brown-haired youth had first met the knight and Donald back in _**Traverse Town**_. Though that had only been about two years ago, it felt like two hundred. The trio had been on so many different adventures together. They'd faced Heartless, Nobodies, and Organization XIII. They'd explored various worlds including _**Wonderland**_, the _**Deep Jungle**_, _**Olympus Coliseum**_, _**Agrabah**_, _**Atlantica**_, _**Never Land**_ (kinda), _**Hollow Bastion**_/the _**Radiant Garden**_, the _**Land of Dragons**_, the _**Beast's Castle**_, _**Port Royal**_, _**Halloween Town**_, and the _**Pride Lands**_.

The more he thought about it, the more Sora realized Donald and Goofy _had_ been with him while exploring _**Corona**_, _**Pixie Hollow**_, _**Rascal's Dreamland**_, _**The Grid**_, _**The 100-Acre Wood**_, _**Camelot**_, the _**Country of The Musketeers**_, and the _**Symphony of Sorcery**_ — only in spirit, of course! They'd been in his heart. He'd known that since he had first discovered Kairi's and his heart were connected to one another. He had also learned from Master Yen Sid how his own destiny, the fate of the entire universe, and the outcome of whether or not he would succeed was determined by his own actions. He had seen this was so on many occasions.

Milo, Sora, and Launchpad all peered around the column. The princess wasn't there. They swung their eyes around, but there was no sign of her.

Sora sighed. "We lost her."

Launchpad kept his eyes peeled. "I don't see anything other than a few blocky buildings. This doesn't look like the Atlantis Mister McDee and I salvaged his money from. That place was full of garbage."

A hand suddenly grabbed Milo from behind. Sora and Launchpad whirled around to see the princess had snuck up on them and grabbed the young linguist by surprise. She gazed at them all. "I have some questions for you," she told them. "And _none_ of you are leaving the city until they are answered."

Milo tried to speak up, but the young woman put a finger to her lips as she released him. Sora and Launchpad nodded in agreement. The three followed the princess around a corner leading away from the throne room entranceway and along the side of the gigantic pyramid. Sora took a few moments to observe all the healthy vegetation growing on the structure. He shrugged it all aside and followed the others.

* * *

The sun was very high in the sky. Sora was on his hands and knees and could barely see it through the thick clouds above. He was crawling along a narrow, seemingly hidden path through the ruined pyramid. Before him, Milo was following the princess. Launchpad was directly behind, pausing here and there to keep aware of their surroundings. They passed by a few waterfalls. Beyond there, the crawl space ended and the group clambered down a short wall of stone to the floor.

Upon getting his feet down on the ground, Sora gazed up and saw the ceiling of the room they were in was a cracked, peaked roof with a few gaping holes on one side. A pile of damaged stone blocks laid below indicating where they'd come from. The scent of warm, humid air was all around. A few distant bird calls could be heard in the distance. All around the room various plants and long vines could be seen.

The princess stood proudly in the chamber with a friendly smile. To Sora, she seemed to be admiring the location. He was confused. Why would someone be fascinated by a ruined room?

"There is so much to ask about your world," the princess finally said. Now Sora understood why she'd seen so excited.

The princess spun around to face the three. Launchpad was busy getting a hand-sized notebook out of his pocket. He pulled out a tiny pencil with a chewed eraser.

"You are scholars. Are you not?" the young woman asked. She gestured at Milo. "Judging from your diminished physique and very large forehead, you are suited for nothing else."

Sora hesitated a little. "Well… "

The woman approached the brown-haired Keyblader. "When did the floodwaters recede? What does the outside world look like? What kind of culture do you come from?"

She yanked the scarf off Launchpad's neck. "Yeow!" the pilot yelped in surprise. "My lucky scarf!"

The princess threw the garment around her own neck but didn't bother to tie it in place. She saw the canteen around Sora's shoulder and pulled it off. She opened it and tilted the container's opening high enough for her to peer into it. A rush of water spilled out all over her face, causing Sora to wince a tad. She dropped the canteen and dried herself off with Launchpad's scarf. She then proceeded to grab Milo's glasses and put them on her face — upside-down. The whole time, she was asking questions ten times more than a mile a minute.

"What is your country of origin? Have you witnessed any wars? How is Misthaven doing? What about other cities? What kinds of people have you met? How have you survived all this time? What have you—?"

"Whoa!" Sora said at last. "One question at a time!"

Milo stepped forwards. "W-wait, I've got a few questions for you, too," he said, retrieving his eyeglasses.

Sora nodded. "I do, too." He paused. "Well… they are more like my sister's questions."

Launchpad nodded in turn. "I've _always_ wondered what it'd be like to explore a subterranean kingdom! But I always thought it'd be a place of tunnels and worms."

Sora, Milo, and the princess stared at the pilot for a couple seconds. Launchpad shrugged.

"So let's do this, okay?" Milo said, getting back to the conversation at hand. He turned to face the princess and gestured at each of the others. "You ask one, I'll ask one, he'll ask one, then he will, and then you, me, well… you get it."

The princess gave a simple nod. "Very well," she agreed. "What is your first question?"

"Well… okay. How'd you get here?" Milo inquired. He waved his arms around wildly trying to explain what he meant. "I-I mean not y-you personally, but your culture."

The linguist gestured at the surrounding ruins. "I mean, how did all of this end up down here?"

The princess sighed deeply. "It is the said that the gods became jealous of Atlantis," she explained. Milo, Sora, and Launchpad were listening intently. "They sent a great cataclysm and banished us here."

Sora was eager to inquire for more information. He caught a glimpse of Launchpad ferociously taking notes. "What do you mean?" the seventeen-year-old asked.

The princess sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "All I can remember is the sky going dark, people shouting and running, strange monsters with glowing eyes, a wall of something dark heading our way… "

She paused and took a deep breath. "Then, a bright Light — like a star — floating above the city. My father said it called my mother to it. I never saw her again."

Sora was shocked and saddened. He recalled how worried he'd been at first when he'd learned how his island had been attacked by the Heartless. He had not only believed his mom and dad were gone forever, but his sister, too. He remembered how he'd cried so much, a puddle of water had formed in the Accessory Shop. Cid had ordered him to stop crying and think about what to do. That had led to Sora himself deciding to search for Riku and Kairi — the last two he'd seen before the island had been lost.

After hearing the Atlantian princess's tale, the spikey-headed young man felt sorry for her. She'd lost her mother and never got her back. He knew the only thing worse than losing someone was never getting them back. He had felt this way upon learning in _**The Grid**_ how Tron had seemingly been eliminated by CLU. Later on, he'd learned how the hostile program, Rinzler, really _was_ Tron. He'd gone after Rinzler and came across CLU, too. After defeating Rinzler, he had restored Tron's memories and was relieved ever since knowing his friend was alright.

"I know how you feel," Sora remarked. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Launchpad wiping the tears out of his eyes.

"I do too," Milo agreed. "Cause if it's any consolation, I lost my… "

The young linguist suddenly stared for a second and furrowed his brow. "Wait, hold on, whoa, back up! What are you telling us? You remember because you were _there_? T-that's impossible, because that would make you, you know, eighty-five… eighty-eight hundred years old!"

Sora and Launchpad stared at the young woman in disbelief. Was Milo saying the princess was well over two thousand years old? How could a person live so long?

"Yes?" The princess replied.

All eyes turned to the linguist. Milo grinned shyly at the Atlantian princess. "Well, uh… hey, looking good."

Sora had to smirk a smile and place his hands behind his head. This behavior was no different than if he was talking to Kairi. Then again, he _always_ acted this way around any girl.

"You have a question for me?" Milo asked.

"Yes," the princess confirmed with a nod. "How is it _you_ found your way to this place?"

Sora seemed perplexed. He wasn't sure how any of them could answer _that_ question — not without breaking the World Order, that is.

Milo reached into his brown shoulder bag and pulled out _The Shepherd's Journal_. He held up high enough for the young woman to see. "Well, I'll tell you, it wasn't easy. If it weren't for this book, we never would've made it."

The princess snatched the journal and flipped it open. She started to sweep her eyes across the various symbols drawn on the pages. To Sora, she looked downright fascinated. "You mean, you can understand this?"

"Yes," Milo acknowledged. "I'm a linguist. That's what I do — that's my job."

The young woman was unconvinced. She held the open booklet before the young linguist's eyes. "This — right here. You can read this?"

"Yes," Milo replied. "I can read Atlantian — just like you."

The princess turned away and continued to stare at the pages as though they were written in an unknown language. Her puzzled expression grabbed the attention of Sora and Milo. "You can't," Milo realized. "Can you?"

"No one can," the young woman explained. "Such knowledge has been lost to us since our city was said to have been banished."

Milo nodded in understanding. Sora nodded a little, even though he wasn't quite sure what was going on. He decided the best thing to do was to ask his own question.

"Have you seen anything strange around the city? Maybe… some monsters?"

The princess' eyes lit up and she gasped in alarm. "_Yes_!" she exclaimed, dropping the journal from her hands. "The shady creatures! They have been attacking the edge of our city for many years!"

That was all Sora needed to hear. If the young woman's claim was correct (and Sora was certain it was), the Heartless had been in the current world for a long time. The only question was, where should he go to fight them?

"Say! _I_ have a question!" Launchpad called from close by. Everyone spun their focus over to the pilot. The latter was kneeling beside a large, fish-shaped object made from what appeared to be metal. "What's this doohickey doin' over here?"

Sora, Milo, and the Atlantian princess walked over to him. Milo knelt known to gaze upon an octagon-shaped panel on the object. Sora bent down to examine the front. The shape seemed to be very aerodynamic.

"It looks like a vehicle," the brown, spikey-headed youth concluded.

The princess threw her hands in the air and started pacing around. "Yes! But no matter what I try, it will not respond."

Sora turned his eyes to the young woman. "Maybe you made a mistake?"

"I've made mistakes _lots_ of times," Launchpad blurted. "It sure comes in handy when you need a crash-landing."

Ignoring the pilot's statement, Milo proceeded to glance over the vehicle. He spotted a series of writing around the panel. He pointed his right index finger at it and started to read. "'Place crystal into slot… '"

"Yes, yes!" the princess muttered. "I have done that."

Milo continued to read. "'…Gently place your hand on the inscription pad… '"

"Yes!"

"Okay. Did you turn the crystal one quarter-turn back… "

"Yes!"

"…while your hand was on the inscription pad?"

The young woman paused in surprise. "Ye—…no."

Milo shook his head and smiled. "Well, well, that's your problem right there. That's an easy thing to miss. You know, you deserve credit for even… for even getting this far."

The princess crossed her arms and stared at the linguist. To Sora, she seemed to be frowning at Milo the same way Kairi sometimes did to him. Of course, he knew it was partly due to the fact he often ate sloppy (such as with his mouth full). Other than that, he wasn't quite sure.

"So," the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder spoke up with a hint of anxiety in his voice. "You wanna give it another try?"

The princess nodded slightly before strolling up to the vehicle. She placed her crystal into the slot and put her hand onto the panel. After turning the crystal like Milo had instructed, the vehicle's design became a light-blue color. It reminded Sora of how his outfit had changed in the worlds of _**Space Paranoids**_ and _**The Grid**_. The vehicle started to rise into the air. Milo and the princess both stepped back while Sora jumped back a few feet. Launchpad rose to his feet in time to see the vehicle rising. He stared in awe.

"Well, whadda ya know?" The pilot declared. "It flies! Must be one of them flyin' fish I've read about."

"Cool!" Sora marveled.

"Yeah," an equally amazed Milo added. "You got that right."

The group gathered around the floating vehicle. "This is _great_!" Milo declared. "With this thing, we can see the whole city in no time at all!"

Launchpad was looking at the glowing panel. "I wonder… how do you fly this thing?"

He reached out and pushed his right finger on the panel. The vehicle zoomed away and bounced off a nearby wall. It was sent towards the ceiling, bounced off, bounced off a nearby corner, and then headed straight for the group. They ducked to avoid it. The vehicle came to a sudden stop when it slammed into the floor a few feet in front of their eyes. The impact left a small crater.

"Talk about your fishy luck!" Launchpad remarked. "You can crash fish — just like airplanes."

Sora shook his head. He knew Launchpad was an excellent pilot, but sometimes he had to question the former's intelligence. This was one of those times.

Milo and the princess glanced at the other two. Sora shrugged and grinned. "What'll we do now? We can't fly around. How will we see the whole city at once?

* * *

Sora's question was answered much quicker than he had anticipated. Less than three minutes after Launchpad had caused the fish-shaped vehicle to crash, he was climbing the side of a nearby tower close to the Atlantian palace. Milo was directly in front of him. In the lead was the princess. Launchpad was directly behind the Keyblader, and he was having a little trouble keeping his balance during the climb.

As they climbed higher and higher, Sora felt a gust of cooler air circulating around them. He smiled, knowing he had either gotten his second wind, or the wind was the world's Light giving him a hand.

"By the way," Milo called up to the princess. "We were never properly introduced. My name's Milo."

"I'm Sora," Sora called in turn.

"The name's Launchpad McQuack!" Launchpad said. He would have said the rest of his "infamous introduction" (as Donald put it), but the stones he was hanging onto started to slide. He rapidly grabbed some others.

The princess looked down with a smile. Sora saw the wind was causing her white hair to blow around wildly. "My name is Kidagakash."

"'Key-mash' what?" Launchpad called. "Is it that old show I used to watch? '_Keys and M*A*S*H_'?" *******

Sora looked just as confused. "Do you have a nickname?"

The young woman giggled a little. "Kida."

"Kida," Milo acknowledged. "I can remember that."

The group had now reached the top of the tower. As he rose to his feet, Sora swept his eyes around. The view was excellent. He could see around the entire city from there. In the distance, clouds were suspended beyond the plateau. Various other towers and ruined buildings were positioned throughout the city. Plants of various forms were growing all around.

Sora sighed cheerily. He knew this was a view his sister would _**love**_ to have seen. Now he was starting to wish he had allowed her to tag along. True, the journey to this landmark had been very dangerous and many of the expedition's crew had been lost along the way. Yet, he still wished she had been there.

To show Amemi how real Atlantis was, Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellular phone. He took a few snapshots of the city from above. He saw Launchpad scanning the city with an excited smile. "What a view! Where's the nearest viewfinder? I've got plenty of nickels, dimes, and quarters."

That's when he saw Milo's shedding tears. Kida must have noticed this, too. "What's wrong?" she inquired.

"Oh, nothing," Milo hastily said. He wiped his eyeglasses on his sweater. "I-it's just… I got somethin' in my eye."

Sora crossed his arms in doubt. "Really? Is that all?"

Milo sighed. "You know, my grandpa used to tell me stories about this place as far back as I can remember. I sure wish he could be standing here with me."

Sora nodded and uncrossed his arms. "He is with you, Milo." He pointed to the linguist's chest.

Milo placed his right hand upon the left side of his chest. He smiled at the spikey, brown-haired young man. Sora nodded and returned with a smile of his own. The two continued to gaze out around the city with Kida and Launchpad.

* * *

The hours seemed to fly by… even if it was only a few minutes. It felt like hours, but it really wasn't hour-long intervals. **(Goofy made me say this).** ****[2.2]** The four were now gathered at the docks on the edge of the city. The scent of fresh seafood filled the air as did the smell of the water. Launchpad watched as several men on stilts plucked purple lobsters from the water.

"Purple lobsters?!" the pilot exclaimed. "No way am _I_ eating that stuff!"

Sora shook his head. He saw Kida turning to Milo with a smile. "Tell me more about your companions," she eagerly asked him. "Your physician. He is called 'Cookie'?"

"No," Milo replied. "That's Sweet."

Kinda seemed perplexed. "What is?"

"The doctor. He's Sweet."

"Oh! He is kindly."

"No, no, no. That's his name."

"His name is 'Kindly'?"

"No, Sweet. B-but he's kindly, too."

"So… all of your doctors are sweet and kindly?"

"No," Milo corrected. "W-well, I'm sure some are — ours is, but that's not a requirement. You're missing the point."

Kida threw her hands into the air. "You are confusing me."

Milo sighed. Sora approached the princess. "Say Kida," he began. "Where'd you see those 'shady creatures'?"

Kida looked ahead. She froze in her tracks and stared straight ahead. "It's _**them**_!" she yelled.

Sora, Milo, and Launchpad gazed down the road leading into some makeshift buildings. A group of people were fleeing from a small group of creatures wearing bluish armor that rattled as they ran around. A number of shadowy creatures with antennae and yellow eyes rose from the ground a second later, driving away more bystanders. A few more creatures also appeared; these ones resembled flying squirrels and were light-blue colored. Unlike the others, these ones had a red symbol on each of their backs.

Sora gasped and stared in alarm. "_**Heartless**_!" he declared.

His Keyblade instantly appeared in his hands and he charged into the horde. He swung this way. He swung that way. The weapons slashed through the various shadows on the ground. The armored Heartless rushed forward. Sora heard his Keyblade clanging against their armor as he struck each and every one of them.

That's when the flying-squirrel Heartless soared over. Sora could now see there were about twenty of them. He stared in alarm. No way could he eliminate them all single-handed! Then again, he had defeated a thousand Heartless in a single battle, but that was an exception. It had worn him out anyway.

"_**Hee-yah**_!"

Sora watched in astonishment as Kida leapt over with a spear in hand. She landed beside him and pointed the weapon at each of the enemies. Sora could see her glaring through his peripheral vision.

"_**Kida**_!" he declared. "What are you _**doing**_?! It's too dangerous!"

"Not for me," the Atlantian princess answered. "I am not letting any monsters take over _this_ city!"

Before Sora could speak, Kida jumped into the air and dove her spear into three of the flying Heartless. They vanished into clouds of Darkness, as usual. Sora nodded and joined her. The two struck down two Heartless at a time.

Within two minutes, the Heartless had been exterminated. Sora gave a sigh of relief. He saw Kida positioning the spear at her side. "Whoa! You're really good!" he remarked.

"Thank you," Kida replied. "You are not half-bad yourself."

Sora gave a nervous grin after hearing this statement.

"Tell me, Sora. What is your world like?"

Sora felt more anxious. "Uh… well… it's an island, somewhere very far away. You wouldn't have heard of it."

"Really?"

Sora nodded. "Oh yeah! My sister would want me to take your picture."

Kida seemed puzzled. "What is 'picture'?"

Sora pulled out his cellular phone and pointed the camera lens at the princess. "Smile!" he called.

Kida shrugged and smiled a brilliantly as she could. Sora clicked a button and the flash went off. He gazed at the screen with a fascinated Kida. The image had turned out well.

"Amazing," Kida muttered. "What do you call this thing?"

"It's a cell phone," Sora informed her. "You can call others with it."

"Why do you not just yell for them?"

"No, that's not what I meant! You use a phone whenever they're too far away to hear you."

Kida paused in thought. "You cannot just go look for them?"

Sora looked down and sighed. He was getting nowhere. He looked back up in time to see Milo and Launchpad approaching. "Some guy just invited us for dinner," Milo told the two.

"Must be a restaurant manager," Kida explained. "We have a few to keep everyone from starvation."

"Let's get going!" Launchpad said. "My stomach's growling so loud, I'm gonna need hearing aids soon."

Sora had to shake his head. "Yeah," he said to the others. "Let's get something to eat."

The group strolled towards a nearby building that had been built on a large rock just off the shoreline. A series of rope bridges led to and from the building. As they approached, Sora saw Donald and Goofy walking inside with Cookie, Dr. Sweet, and Moliére. Vinny and Audrey were next with Ms. Packard. Sora could now see for the first time how Packard still had her headset from the submarine. Why?

The brown-haired Keyblader pushed the thought aside and proceeded into the restaurant with the others.

* * *

The restaurant was crowded. It wasn't too crowded, but crowded enough for Sora to overhear just about everyone's conversation at once. The smell in the air was a pleasant one. The lanterns lighting up the room were bright enough to reveal everything in it. He calmly ate a few half-cooked fish without any problems and even gobbled down an entire salad in no time at all.

Kida was busy talking to Milo about what she had learned from him. "So… cookies are sweet, but yours is not. Sweet is kindly, but that is not his name. Audrey is sweet, but she is not your doctor. And the little, digging animal called 'Mole'… he's your pet?"

Milo swallowed before smiling. "Close enough."

Sora shook his head. Kida turned to the young man. "So… a 'cell phone' is used to call others without yelling. You are from an island where I could never go. And your sister… she is not a half-bad fighter?"

Sora showed his famous grin. "Yeah, you get the idea."

He overhead some ruckus from a seating area a few feet away. He glanced to the right and saw Donald, Goofy, Dr. Sweet, and Moliére eating from the bowls laid out before them.

Watching Goofy and Moliére chowing down without any spoons, forks, or knives made Sora snicker a little — especially after he saw Donald starting to turn a little green. The duck mage picked up what appeared to be a slimy slug.

"Don't forget to eat the head," Sweet informed the duck. "That's where all the nutrients are."

Donald carefully dropped the slug back into the bowl. Moliére suddenly burped really loudly. The duck winced away. Sora saw Cookie close by. The chef was showing Audrey his tattoo of the United States. He slapped his stomach, saying, "Watch me make Rhode Island dance. Dance, baby, dance! _Dance_!"

Now Donald looked green.

"Gawrsh, Donald," Goofy commented at seeing the magician looking sick. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a jar of something. "May-bee this'll help."

When Donald saw the jar was full of leftover bacon grease, he fainted and left his feet dangling in the air. Goofy seemed puzzled. "What's the matter, Donald?"

Sora had to stifle a laugh. He turned back to his meal.

Throughout the dinner, Sora's mind was on other stuff. Why had Heartless showed up in the city of Atlantis? Where had Commander Rourke and Lieutenant Helga gone off to? To top it off, was the world of _**Ancient Empire**_ among the ones now threatened by the Heartless? Whatever the case, Sora had the slightest feeling something strange was taking place… and both the expedition's commander and lieutenant were behind it.

All _**he**_ needed to do was find some answers.

* * *

**A/N: THAT'S ALL! ALL'S WELL THAT SEEMS TO END WELL!**

**So, I suppose you're all wondering what Kida was talking about when she described what she remembered. Am I correct? The answer to That question as well as the ones from the previous Chapters will most-likely be answered in Chapter 11. Of course, that's given AT LEAST 12 REVIEWS ARE POSTED ON THIS CHAPTER!**

**For the record, The Flying Squirrel Heartless is my own creation. If you're looking for something in This Story to use for Your own stories, YOU CAN USE THEM, BUT PLEASE LET ME KNOW FIRST! IF YOU MAKE ANY CHANGES TO THEM, LET ME KNOW! YOU CAN "_PM_" ME!**

**Also, I know there wasn't a "restaurant" SHOWN in the movie "_Atlantis: The Lost Empire_", but I needed SOMEPLACE for the scene to take place! I thought the Bacon Grease Joke would add a nice touch to it!**

**Until Then, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT! WE NEED A GRAND TOTAL OF 25 REVIEWS FOR CHAPTER 11 TO BE POSTED!**  
**After Chapter 11, I will not be asking for Reviews to unlock the next Chapter... unless too few are posted once again.**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**

* * *

***** This is intended to be a reference to the older T.V. Show, "_M*A*S*H_".**

****[2.2] This is an Intentional _Fourth-Wall Joke_.**


	11. Ch11 - The Heart of Atlantis

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: AT LAST! CHAPTER 11 HAS COME! WELL DONE! YOU DID IT!**

**Since 25 Reviews have been posted, it's officially time for CHAPTER 11!**

**I will NOT give a Review Limit THIS time, but I might do it again IF not enough Reviews are posted in This AND Future Chapters.**

**Just so you know, I have some "Hidden SURPRISES" in This Particular Chapter. Keep A Lookout For Them!**

**Other than all that, I have nothing else to say tonight. So, ****LET'S RETURN TO THE WORLD OF ANCIENT EMPIRE / ATLANTIS!  
****PLEASE READ AND REVIEW ALIKE - PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 11**  
**The Heart of Atlantis**

The sky was dark. Nightfall had descended onto the ancient city of Atlantis. The occasional sound of a cricket chirping away could be heard. No stars could be seen due to the lack of a view of outer space. At the moment, Sora, Launchpad, Milo, and Kida were gathered alongside some various ruins alongside the water. No waves were splashing around, which indicated the lack of the moon's gravity and tides.

Sora yawned and stretched as he held a wooden rod in his right hand. On the end of the rod was a pink lantern. The light inside the lantern was glowing brightly due to the fireflies Kida and Milo had gathered in it. The young linguist and Atlantian princess were standing a few feet away. Launchpad was behind Sora, watching the numerous other fireflies fluttering about.

A tiny firefly landed onto Milo's wrist. He smiled. "You know, these guys are kind of cute when they're not formed into a fiery column of death," he remarked.

Sora nodded. He recalled how, just minutes ago, Launchpad had tried to shoo the insects away using a rolled-up piece of torn paper. The seventeen-year-old Keyblader had been forced to grab the duck-pilot's arm and remind him about what had happened back at the campground.

"You know, Kida," Milo said to the princess. "T-the most we hoped to find was some crumbled buildings. Maybe a few pieces of broken pottery. Instead, we find a living, thriving society."

Kida shook her head. "We are not thriving," she sighed.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked, a curious expression on his face. He had the feeling the princess was not telling them everything.

Kida shifted her gaze to the spikey-haired young man. "True, our people live," she explained. "But our _culture_ is dying. We are like a stone the ocean beats against. With each passing year, a little more of us is worn away."

"Really?" Launchpad muttered. He looked around the immediate area. "And I didn't see any beach. Where are the sandcastles?"

Everyone else ignored the duck-pilot's comment. Sora nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry to hear that," he told Kida.

Milo gave a nod of his own. "Wish there was something I could do… "

Sora gave another nod. If any world was ever in trouble, and/or in need of help, he was always willing to lend a hand. Or a Keyblade, if needed. His strong sense of justice would _never_ change. "Yeah, me too," he admitted.

Kida gazed at Milo. "I have brought you to this place to ask you for your help," she informed the young linguist. "There is a mural here with writing all around the pictures."

Milo gave a nod. "Well, you came to the right guy," he replied.

He gestured for Launchpad to step a little closer to a nearby half-crumbled wall. The pilot shrugged before doing so. The lantern in the latter's hands illuminated what appeared to be a picture containing various symbols. One look at the shape of the symbols and Sora could tell they were the same design as the ones in _The Shepherd's Journal_.

Milo approached the wall and started to inspect it. "Okay, let's see… let's start with this column right here."

Sora was about to step over to the linguist and Launchpad when he saw Kida slowly stepping into the water. He pointed her out to the other two. When Milo saw the princess, he asked, "Kida? W-what are you doing?"

Kida turned around with a smile. "You do swim, do you not?" she inquired.

Milo showed a grin of his own. "Oh, I swim pretty — pretty good, pretty good. I swim pretty good."

Sora had to shake his head. He had the slightest feeling the young man was starting to like Kida more than just a friend. This reminded him of how he felt about Kairi — more or less, that is. He recalled the last time he'd gone swimming on the beach with her. Kairi had showed how much she'd learned during the time when Sora himself had gone to search for Riku and King Mickey. He'd been completely taken by surprise. She had become a better swimmer than _he_ was — _almost_!

"Good," Kida acknowledged. "It's a fair distance to where we are going."

"I can swim, too," the brown-headed Keyblader spoke up. "I'm from an island."

Launchpad sighed. "I can't swim," he confessed. "At least not with the fishes. I never got the _Junior Woodchuck_'s _Swimming Merit badge_ neither."

Sora turned to the duck-pilot. "I'll let you know what you missed."

Milo removed his shoulder bag, pulled off his sweater and undershirt, and took off his shoes before clambering into the water. Sora didn't bother to take his jacket off, let along his shoes. He simply handed his canteen to Launchpad before walking into the water after Kida and Milo.

Milo started to swim off when he turned around and faced the others. "Why don't you lead the way," he said to the Atlantian princess. "Because I have no idea where we're going."

Kida smiled all the more before taking a deep breath and diving straight into the water. After grabbing deep breaths of their own, Sora and Milo were seconds behind.

Launchpad remained on the beach. "Aw gee," he muttered to himself after two minutes had passed. "Now I wish I'd learned how to swim… "

He felt something poking him in the back. "Hands over your head," a voice said. Launchpad turned around to see who it was. Standing behind him was a tall man wearing a gas mask and carrying a rifle. Around him was a group of shadowy creatures sporting yellow eyes, claws, and antennae.

Launchpad gulped, realizing what he saw. He smiled very, very nervously.

* * *

Sora was glad he'd grabbed such a large amount of air. He soared through the deep water after Milo and Kida. The water was so dark, only Kida's crystal provided any light. He glanced up at the surface several feet above. The water was moving, which gave a strikingly different feeling than what he'd seen back in _**Atlantica**_.

It was clear how different the two worlds were. _**Atlantica**_ was an undersea kingdom of mermaids and mermen. Fish of various colors swam amidst the reefs and the sunlight could be seen shining down from above. _**Ancient Empire**_, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. The water was dark and murky. The remains of stone structures that had collapsed who knows how long ago laid strewn about the seafloor. No fish could be seen. No sea creatures either, except the occasional purple lobster.

Kida led the way into a large opening in one of the ruined buildings. To Sora, it seemed to resemble the mouth of a cavern. As the group approached, Kida stopped a few feet short and stared straight ahead. To Sora's surprise, a handful of green creatures shaped like jellyfish were floating around the opening. He glared at the creatures the second he recognized the Heartless emblem on them. '_Heartless_', he thought to himself. '_Underwater, again…._'

His Keyblade magically appeared, so Sora swam over and started to battle the Heartless. The monsters tried to swim away, but Sora was too quick. He'd become an expert swimmer the last he had visited _**Atlantica**_. That expertise had proved useful when fighting the giant Ursula to save Ariel and Prince Eric.

The last of the Heartless tried to flutter away, so Sora raced over and swung his weapon. The blade sliced through the Heartless, destroying the creature, and then slammed into the side of the ruined building. A number of captive hearts floated towards the surface and out of sight.

With the Heartless gone, Sora signaled for Kida to proceed. The princess acknowledged the seventeen-year-old by swimming through the opening and into the darkness inside. Milo was directly behind her. Sora put his Keyblade away before following the two. The three swam straight up to an air pocket above.

Inside the air pocket, Sora and the others gasped for breath. Kida asked if they were okay since they'd had to hold their breath longer than expected. "I'm good," Sora added.

"Well," Milo replied. "I didn't drown, so—"

"Good," Kida returned before Milo could finish speaking. "Follow me." She grabbed another breath and dove back down. Sora and Milo each took a deep breath of their own before following her.

About twenty feet beneath the pocket of air, Kida the crystal around her neck to illuminate a colorful mural of what Sora thought looked like a shiny star with four points. A series of symbols were written around the perimeter of the image in the form of sentences. Milo swam closer to get a better look at the text. Sora drew closer, wondering what the linguist was reading. All he could make out was a bunch of strange characters shaped like alien writing.

'_Weird writing_,' Sora thought to himself.

Milo glanced at Kida and nodded upward. The two swam up to the air pocket. Sora saw this and followed suit.

Back in the air pocket, Milo looked excited. "It's _**amazing**_!" he exclaimed. "A complete history of Atlantis!"

Sora was amazed. "_**Really**_?!" he questioned. He was having a difficult time accepting that the mural contained the entire history of the ancient civilization.

Milo nodded to the spikey, brown-haired young man. "I-It's just like Plato described it!" he paused. "Well, you know, he was off on a few details, but… "

"The Light I saw," an impatient Kida interrupted. "The star in the middle of the city. What does the writing say about _that_?"

"I don't know, yet," Milo admitted. "But we're gonna find out. C'mon."

Milo grabbed a long gasp of air before descending. Kida did the same as she dived. Wanting to get another look at the mural below, Sora took a deep breath before he went down.

The group approached a large picture in the mural. To Sora, it seemed to resemble a pair of robotic humans. Like before, there was text written all around the painting. Milo took his time reading through the Atlantian sentences. Sora tried his best to hover close by, even when he felt a current pulling on him. He had to push on occasion just to stick close to the others.

After a few minutes of reading, Milo gazed at Kida's crystal. He scooped it up in his hand before smiling. His mouth moved like he was saying "This is it". Sora heard the gurgling of water and saw Milo pointing at the air pocket. The group swam up.

Upon returning to the air pocket, Milo declared, "The heart of Atlantis!"

Kida looked confused. "What?"

"It's the heart of Atlantis!" Milo told her. Sora watched as he lifted Kida's crystal above the water's surface. "T-that's what the shepherd was talking about. It wasn't a 'star', it was some kind of crystal like… like _these_. Don't you get it? The power source I've been looking for, the bright light Kida remembers, they're the _same_ _**thing**_! It's what's keeping all these things — _**all**_ of Atlantis alive!"

Sora was beyond amazed. If what Milo had said was true (and Sora was certain it was accurate), the heart of the world they were in had been keeping the lost city alive. He'd heard about how every world had a heart somewhere. The only way to access it was through the world's keyhole. Of course, he also knew that if a Heartless were to enter the keyhole, it could steal the world's heart. In turn, the world would vanish and be consumed in Darkness.

As far as Sora knew, the only worlds that had suffered this way were the _**Destiny Islands**_, _**The Land of Dragons**_, _**The Beast's Castle**_, and _**The Pride Lands**_. Then again, Master Yen Sid had informed him how all the worlds locked in the _Realm of Sleep_ had been lost to Darkness and later restored. That meant _**Corona**_, _**Pixie Hollow**_, _**Rascal's Dreamland**_, _**Camelot**_, the _**Country of The Musketeers**_, and the _**Symphony of Sorcery**_ had all been attacked by the Heartless, too. Who knew how many others had also been lost before?

Kida was nearly speechless. "It cannot be! Then, where is it _now_?"

Sora nodded at the princess's question. If Milo knew where the world's heart was, then it meant he also knew where to find its keyhole. The brown-headed youth could seal the keyhole with his Keyblade before anything else happened to the world — especially since the Heartless were roaming about.

"I don't know," Milo said. "You'd think something this important would've been in the journal, but—." He paused abruptly and his eyes grew wide and alert. Sora and Kida stared at him. "Unless… the missing page."

Sora's mind instantly veered back to when Milo had informed the other team members how the journal had seemed to have a missing page. After all, the writing had led up to this thing called "_The Heart of Atlantis_", but then it had simple cut off. Sora now suspected foul play was clearly involved. That, and Commander Rourke and Lieutenant Helga were indeed up to something — something that certainly wasn't good.

Milo turned to the other two. "Let's head back."

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "Launchpad's waiting for us."

The three each grabbed a deep breath of air and dove under the water's surface. They swam back through the opening without any problems. Before long they were on their way.

* * *

Sora emerged from the water so quickly, he had to grab a piece of a half-crumbled column to keep from going back under. He gasped for a few seconds before catching his breath. He relaxed. A few inches away, he saw Milo doing the same, except the linguist had clambered onto a stone tile. The two smiled at each other, indicating they were okay. "You alright?" Sora asked.

"Yeah," Milo answered. "I-I think so."

"Well now," a familiar voice said. "Glad to hear it."

The Keyblader and Milo both swung their heads toward a tall, muscular man in a military uniform. Thanks to his grey hair, they knew this was Commander Rourke. "You have a nice swim?" he asked the two with a semi-friendly grin.

It was then the two young men saw the crowd of people gathered behind the commander. They relaxed for a moment, recognizing Helga, Audrey, Dr. Sweet, Vinny, Moliére, Cookie, and Ms. Packard, as well as several soldiers in gas masks and carrying rifles. Everyone was armed with some kind of a gun; Moliére had a small machine gun.

"Hey, guys," Milo smiled nervously. "What's with… what's with all the guns? Guys?"

When no one seemed to acknowledge the linguist, Milo gave a deep sigh. "I'm _such_ an idiot! This is just another treasure hunt for you. You're after the Crystal!"

Rourke reached into a pocket on his uniform and pulled out a piece of wrinkled parchment. He held it up for the spikey-headed Keyblade wielder and the young linguist to see. "You mean this?"

One look at the drawing on the page, and Sora realized it was a depiction of a large sphere surrounded by several stones. He watched as Milo stared at the page. "The heart of Atlantis… "

"Yeah, about that, I would have told you sooner," Rourke said in a tone that sounded like a witness having a difficult time revealing the truth at a trial. "But it was strictly on a need-to-know basis, and well… now you know. I had to be sure you were one of us. Same for the new recruits — you know, Sora and his friends. It seems only one of you passed this test."

He extended a hand for Milo. "Welcome to the club, son."

Milo jerked back a few inches. "I'm no mercenary!" he snapped with a glare.

"'Mercenary'?" Rourke said to Milo. "I prefer the term 'adventure capitalist'. Besides, you're the one who got us here. You led us right to the treasure chest."

Sora looked around the group. When he saw some Shadow Heartless gathered around Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad, his eyes lit up in shock and alarm. "I _**knew**_ something fishy was going on!" he exclaimed before turning to glare at Rourke.

Rourke nodded at the young man. Some flying squirrel-shaped Heartless swooped into view at the brown, spikey-headed young man. Sora clambered out of the water and summoned his Keyblade. He started to fight the enemies when one of the masked soldiers rushed forward. Sora tried to disarm the man when he saw a pair of yellowish, glowing eyes showing from behind the mask.

"_**Heartless**_!" he realized. Never before had he seen a Heartless that strongly-resembled a human being. Never before, until now, that is.

He was distracted so long, a few of the other Heartless soldiers were able to grab the seventeen-year-old Keyblader. Sora struggled to break free, but nothing worked. His Keyblade dropped to the ground and vanished from sight. Several other Heartless raced over and surrounded the brown-haired young man. Sora continued to glare and Rourke and the rest of the crew members. "Why're you _**doing**_ this?!" he shouted. "My friends and I trusted you!"

"Should have picked sides more carefully," Rourke smirked. "You're too naïve for a mercenary. Your dog-friend is too clumsy. Your pilot friend doesn't know a diamond from a toothpick, and your other duck-friend is greedy enough, but, well… he lacks enough height to prove useful."

Sora scowled all the more. "_**Take that back**_!"

Rourke shook his head. "Only proves my point."

One of the soldiers holding Sora shoved him onto the ground and stepped onto his back. The young man glared at this stranger. "Just who _are_ you?!"

The strange removed his helmet to reveal a man sporting long, blue hair with spikes on top, yellow-orange eyes, and a pair of scars forming an "X" between his eyes. Sora stared in alarm. "_**YOU**_!"

The man gave an evil grin. "The least you could do is remember my name," he said. "Isa, Lea's _ex_-friend."

Sora was puzzled. "Why are _you_ here?"

"Someone needed our Organization's help," Isa explained. "We'll do _anything_ for Master Xehanort. After all, we _are_ Xehanort."

The sound of water splashing filled the air. Kida had emerged from below the surface. Sora saw her and yelled, "_**Kida**_! _**Run**_!"

The Heartless soldiers rushed after the Atlantian princess. Kida threw one in the water and grabbed her spear from the ground. She was about to fight back when the sound of a gunshot echoed in the air. The spear went flying into the water. Kida spun around to see Rourke's pistol smoking. The Heartless soldiers grabbed the princess and held her in place.

Milo clambered out of the water. Sweet tried to hand the linguist the latter's shirt and sweater, but Milo stormed straight up to Rourke. "You don't know what you're tampering with, Rourke!" he stated in a very firm voice.

"What's to know?" Rourke said in reply. "It's big, it's shiny, it's gonna make us all rich."

Milo shook his head. "You think it's some kind of a diamond. I thought it was some kind of a battery. But we're _both_ wrong! It's their life force — that Crystal is the _**only**_ thing keeping these people alive! You take it away and they'll die!"

"And this place will be _**destroyed**_!" Sora added. He recalled how Master Yen Sid had informed him about how the stars were not shining down very kindly. He now knew what the retired Keyblade Master had meant. Worlds _were_ on the verge of falling to Darkness. And among them, was _**Ancient Empire**_.

Rourke stopped to think for a couple moments. "Well now… that changes things." He turned to Helga. ", Helga, what do you think?"

Helga gave a smug smile. "Knowing that, I'd double the price."

Rourke gave a smug grin of his own. "I was thinking triple."

Milo looked dismayed and astounded alike. "Rourke," he pleaded. "Don't do this!"

"Academics, you never want to get your hands dirty," Rourke sighed before continuing. "Think about it. If you gave back every stolen artifact from a museum, you'd be left with an empty building. We're just adding a necessary service to the archaeological community."

"_**Stop**_ making excuses!" Sora yelled.

"Not interested," Milo stated at Rourke.

The commander frowned. "I gotta admit, I'm disappointed," he said. "You're an idealist, just like your grandfather. Do yourself a favor, Milo — don't be like him." He pointed his right index finger at his head. "For once, do the smart thing."

Sora shifted his focus over to Milo. The young linguist was glaring at the commander. It was clear he was not about to budge an inch.

Rourke sighed very deeply. "I really _hate_ it when negotiations go sour," he muttered. He snapped his fingers.

The Heartless soldiers tossed Kida onto the ground and pointed their weapons at her. Several of the Heartless surrounding Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad tried to attack, but Goofy's shield protected them. Milo and Sora were equally alarmed. Their friends were in trouble, but there wasn't anything they could do without anyone getting hurt.

Rourke held out the torn page of the journal for Milo's eyes. "Let's try this again."

* * *

Less than fifteen minutes had passed after Sora and Kida had been apprehended by Rourke and the Heartless. Vinny had used dynamite to blow a gaping hole in the stone doorway of the Atlantian palace. Helga had threatened to shoot Kida unless the king told his guards to drop their weapons. In exchange for his daughter's safety, the king had cooperated with the lieutenant's demand. Now the crew members and the Heartless were throwing things aside, ripping plants out of their vases, and simply making a mess.

Sora sighed as he, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were trapped in one corner, surrounded by Heartless soldiers under orders from Isa. Sora could not believe his eyes. The lost city of Atlantis was being ravaged. Not by just anyone, but by the same people who had helped discover it. That, and he had also had the most-unpleasant reunion with Isa, a former member of Organization XIII and a member of Master Xehanort's Organization. Somehow, Sora had the feeling Isa would not be part of Xehanort's plans for long….

When no one found any trace of the legendary Crystal, the commander turned to Milo. "You're not applying yourself, son! There's gotta be something else!" Rourke snapped.

"But there isn't!" Milo stated in reply. He held up the journal. From where Sora stood, he could see the missing page was back where it belonged. "All it says is '_The heart of Atlantis lies in the eyes of her king_'!"

Rourke scowled at the Atlantian king. The ruler was surrounded by Heartless soldiers. "Well," the commander said, shoving Milo to one side. "Maybe the old king here can help us fill in the blanks!"

He stopped a couple feet short of the king. "How 'bout it, chief? Where's the 'Crystal chamber'?"

The king glared at Rourke. "You will destroy yourselves," he countered. He reached out his right hand. A key-shaped weapon appeared in it. It had a light-blue handle and dullish white blade. The end of the blade contained a cutout shaped like a five-pointed star.

Sora stared in surprise, realizing this was a Keyblade. "A Keyblade… " he marveled in astonishment. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad looking at the weapon in both question and awe.

Rourke removed the match he'd had in his mouth. "Maybe I'm not being clear."

With a great thrust of his arm, Rourke punched the Atlantian king in the chest. The ruler of the city collapsed onto the floor in agony. His Keyblade landed beside him and disappeared. Sora was appalled; no one else he'd faced before had _ever_ done something so forceful — except for Organization XIII. He saw Kida still in Helga's captivity; the princess was shouting at the commander in Atlantian. Sora could not tell what she was saying, which he believed was a good thing.

Sweet rushed to the king and bent down to examine him. After a few seconds, he looked up and glowered at Rourke. "Rourke, this was _not_ a part of the plan."

Rourke seemed unfazed. "Plans change, doc," he said with a smirk. "I suggest you put a bandage on that bleeding heart of yours. It doesn't suit a mercenary."

The commander strode up to the king's throne and sat down in it. Sora could almost sense a powerful Darkness radiating from him. Either it was the throne, or Rourke's greed had increased. "Well, as usual," Rourke remarked. "Diplomacy has failed us."

He gazed at the Atlantian ruler while some Heartless soldiers lifted him to his feet. The king looked as though he was in a daze. "Now," Rourke began. "I'm going to count to ten, and you're going to tell me where the Crystal is. One… "

The commander reloaded his pistol. Sora noticed Vinny, Sweet, and Cookie staring in alarm. Clearly, none of them had foreseen Rourke going as far as to kill someone to get his way.

"Two," Rourke announced. His smirk faded into a frown. "Nine," he continued, gritting his teeth. "Teh—!"

When the commander stopped and stared into the middle of the room in surprise, Sora felt something in his hand. His Keyblade had appeared. The weapon was glowing and seemed to be telling him something. He swung his eyes to the middle of the room and saw a group of stones spiraling in the water pool. The shaped looked just like the symbol on the cover of _The Shepherd's Journal_. In the center of the spiral was a glowing shape. It seemed to resemble a keyhole….

Sora's eyes lit up. He was looking straight at the world's keyhole. He pointed his Keyblade at it, but nothing happened. "_**Huh**_?!" he declared. "What's going on?!"

Rourke stared at the glowing keyhole. "'_The heart of Atlantis lies in the eyes of her king_'?" he repeated from memory. His eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "This is it! We're in!"

Milo followed the commander as the latter leapt from the throne and approached the keyhole. "Rourke, for the last time, you've gotta listen to me," the linguist said. "You don't have the _slightest_ idea what this power is capable of!"

"You're gonna get hurt!" Sora added.

Sora hurried over to block the way, but Rourke easily shoved him into the water. The young man returned to his feet in time to hear Helga say, "True, but I can think of a few countries who'd pay _anything_ to find out."

Helga dragged Kida over to the keyhole. Sora and Milo closed in to the glowing shape as Rourke stepped onto it. There was a dull flash of energy before the keyhole faded. The land beneath the commander and Sora started descending. Rourke grabbed Milo. "Get on!" he ordered.

Helga pulled Kida onto the lowering section of land as the group headed into a cavern below the throne room. At the last possible second, Launchpad broke free from the Heartless and jumped inside. Donald stared in disbelief. Isa snorted his disapproval and scowled.

* * *

The stone column descended like an elevator. It was easy for Sora to maintain _his_ balance, but not so simple for Launchpad. The further down they went, the darker the shaft grew. After roughly forty seconds, the platform reached an enormous cavern that would have rivaled the cave system of Mammoth Cave. On the far end of the cave was a pool of water so deep, only a series of reflections could be seen in it. When the platform reached the cavern floor, Rourke, Milo, Helga, Kida, Sora, and Launchpad stepped off it.

The group looked toward the ceiling on the far side of the cavern. A glowing, blue sphere that resembled a ball of burning matter was hovering motionless above. A number of huge stones with images of faces floated around it like a series of planets orbiting a parent star.

Rourke grinned at the sphere. "Jackpot," he quipped.

Launchpad looked baffled and bewildered. "It's only a giant ball," the pilot said. "What's so special about something you can bounce around?"

Rourke and Helga paid him no mind. Sora shook his head.

Kida stared at the sphere above. Her eyes showed signs of someone who'd just seen a ghost. "The kings of our past," she murmured softly. The princess fell to her knees and started speaking in another unknown language.

Rourke rolled his eyes at the young woman. "Thatch, tell her to wrap it up. We got a schedule to meet."

Milo scowled at the corrupt commander before bending down to Kida. "Kida," he said as he the princess to her feet. "I-I'm sorry."

Sora crossed his arms as started to collect his thoughts. What made this gigantic sphere a "Crystal"? It seemed to resemble a star in the night sky, only much smaller. What exactly were Rourke and Helga expecting? A pointed rock that was shiny like the sun? It appeared they had reached a dead end. That Crystal was going nowhere. There was no way Rourke could steal it; not even a Heartless could lift something _that_ large.

As far as he could tell, the world's heart seemed to be safe. Of course, the very idea of seeing a world's heart in person was one thing. Feeling the Light from it was another. As it just so happened, Sora could feel the strong energy coming from the Crystal high above. It was a warm, soothing feeling, similar to what he'd felt while diving through the tunnels of Light between each of the Sleeping Worlds.

"Man," Sora said under his breath. He watched as Rourke stepped closer to the water. "What's next? Something bad?"

As if on cue, the bluish light from the sphere changed into a red one. Sora stared at it, wondering what had caused this. Was the world sensing danger? Or was this an answer to his latest question? How would he ever find out?

"Come on," Helga told the others. "Let's get this over with. I don't like this place."

Rourke gazed at the red sphere a moment longer before turning to Milo. "Alright, Mister Thatch. What's next?"

Milo flipped open the journal in his hands. He scanned his eyes across the pages to find the part discussing where they were. "Okay," he said. "There's a giant Crystal hovering 150 feet above our heads over a bottomless pit of water. Anything surprise you?"

"What surprises me," Rourke replied. "Is how you don't have all the answers, and we've got a truck of 'helpful creatures' waiting to haul that thing away. Now _**move it**_!"

"I don't know _how_ to move it!" Milo argued. "I don't even know what's holding it up there!"

Rourke crossed his arms. It clear how irritated the commander was getting. "Come on! Get serious."

Milo was on the verge of yelling. "I am! Why don't _you_ try doing something useful?!"

Sora felt his head starting to spin. This argument was starting to bother him, too. He glanced at the others. "Maybe we should come back later," he suggested. "This doesn't look safe."

"Hey, guys!" Launchpad called, waving his arms wildly. Sora, Milo, Helga, and Rourke turned their attention to the duck-pilot. He was gesturing at Kida. To everyone's surprise, the young woman was strolling up to the water like she was in a trance. The crystal around her neck was floating in the air and glowing brighter than normal. Her eyes were a bright light-blue color, too. She stopped on the edge of the pool of water.

"Talk to me, Thatch," a beyond-impatient Rourke said. "What's happening?"

"Look," Milo said, pointing to the journal. "It says here that the Crystal is 'alive' somehow. I-I don't know how to explain it. It's their deity. It's their power source."

"Speak English, professor."

"They're a part of it, it's a part of them. I-I'm doing the best I can here."

Rourke reached for his pistol. "Well, do better."

Milo's glare returned. "I know! Why don't _you_ translate, and _**I'll**_ wave the gun around!"

Sora glared at the two. "Why don't you _**stop**_ fighting for once and just _**try**_ to figure out what's going on?!"

Rourke and Milo both glared at the spikey, brown-headed seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder. This seemed to go on for several minutes (instead of several seconds). Sora was about ready to summon his Keyblade when a voice spoke. Everyone spun their focus to Kida. She was turning around to face them, still in a trance. Her voice sounded a little like an echo, even though she was clearly speaking in Atlantian.

"'**All will be well, Milo Thatch. Sora, do be careful. Both of you, be not afraid.'"**

Rourke glanced at Milo. "What did she say?"

Milo shrugged, a bit dazzled about the unexpected moment of speech.

"I don't know," he confessed. "I… I didn't catch it."

Sora was staring in shock and marvel. Although Milo hadn't caught on to what Kida had said, he himself had. This was completely mindboggling. Sora hadn't even trained himself to learn languages like Atlantian. Yet, he _had_ comprehended every word Kida had spoken. It almost seemed like he could understand other languages without really knowing them, or… or something along those lines.

Kida turned away and strolled onto the water. To Sora's surprise, "onto" would be a literal word choice. The princess was walking away from the group, step-by-step, on the water. She continued as she approached the Crystal. Within minutes, she was directly underneath the sphere. The color of the Crystal changed to a bluish one and the stones around it seemed to rise until they were floating on their sides.

Before Sora, Milo, Rourke, Helga, and Launchpad's awestruck eyes, a series of light-blue light beams circled the cavern. They closed in around the young woman below the Crystal. When the collided, there was a bright flash of light. Kida went unconscious. Her body was lifted into the air like it had been picked up by an alien spaceship. Her hair was blowing like it had been caught in a gust of wind.

Kida's body finally entered the glowing sphere above. Sora was certain this meant the Atlantian princess was now inside the world's heart. The stones around it started to spin faster and faster and quicker. The result was a light display so brilliant, Sora had to cover his eyes. He noticed Helga and Launchpad doing the same. Milo and Rourke were looking down for a couple moments.

The lights dimmed down. When everyone looked again, a figurine was descending from above. It was light-blue like the Crystal's sphere, only it seemed to have taken the sphere's place. That, and it looked like a perfect replica of Kida. When she set down on the water below, Sora and Milo stared in surprise.

"Hold your horses, lover boy," Rourke warned Milo.

"Kida!" Milo gasped, barely able to bring out the words. "Kida… "

"Yeesh!" Launchpad remarked. "There's somethin' you don't see every day."

The Crystalized Kida's eyelids opened and she came walking towards the group. Behind her, all the stones floating in the air fell and splashed into the water. Their glow faded shortly after.

As she grew closer, Rourke reached out to grab her, but Milo warned him, "Don't! Don't touch her."

The group watched as the Crystalized Kida strode onto the platform.

* * *

_**CLANG!**_

With a twist of her wrench, Audrey locked away the Crystalized Kida. Sora and Milo glared at her.

Not long after exiting the hidden cavern, the Crystal had been guided by Isa and the Heartless to the two trucks waiting outside the palace. Or rather, just before the long, wooden rope bridge. The canvas had been removed and a special-made ramp was in position to lift the Crystal aboard one of the trucks. Audrey had just finished creating a metal "container" to carry the Crystal without damaging it. All around the crew were numerous Atlantian spectators, Milo, and Sora's team. The sky was dark, but showing signs of early sunrise.

Using a winch, Moliére and Cookie lifted the Crystal's container onto the truck. "Make those people to stay back!" Isa instructed the Heartless.

A Heartless creature shoved Milo and Sora back several steps. They watched as Vinny and Moliére both secured the container onto the truck's bed. Ms. Packard was seated in one of the truck's cabs. Helga and Rourke were in the other.

"So, this is how it ends," Milo told the crew members. "Fine! You win. You're wiping out an entire civilization, but hey, you'll be rich."

Milo scowled directly at Audrey. "Congratulations, Audrey. Guess you and your dad will be able to open up that second garage after all."

He switched his glare over to Vinny. "And Vinny, you can start a whole _chain_ of flower shops. I'm sure your family's going to be very proud."

The linguist scanned his eyes around the other crew members. "But that's what it's all about, right? _Money_."

Sora nodded as Milo emphasized the word "money". He'd seen people be greedy before, but this _really_ took the cake. Compared to the pirates under Barbossa, Rourke and the expedition's crew were almost demons. He recalled how Jack Sparrow had once said Organization XIII was making pirates like him no different than "proper gents". For a pirate, that was an insult. What made what was happening in _this_ world much worse was the fact the crew members were actually stealing a world's heart. And they were using the Heartless to do it, too.

At this rate, it appeared the world the brown-headed young man and his friends were standing in would soon be consumed by Darkness and destroyed. They could teleport out, no problem. As for Milo and the other Atlantians, there was not enough room aboard Herbie for _all_ of them. Maybe they could save some people — especially Milo and the Atlantian children, although that could also threaten the World Order if they'd have to be taken elsewhere. _**Traverse Town**_ was out of the question as its whereabouts were still unknown.

Sora gave an extremely deep groan of discouragement. Sometimes, it seemed _nothing_ would go his way. This was one of those times.

"Give it a rest, Thatch," Rourke said as he climbed out of his truck and stepped up to Milo and Sora. "You've read Darwin. It's called 'Natural Selection'. We're just helping it along."

Sora and Milo retained their glares. The former felt like summoning his Keyblade and driving clear through the corrupt man before him. He also knew doing so would probably cause him to give into the Darkness too much. After what Goofy and the others had said back in the _**Radiant Garden**_, he didn't want to risk anything — even if it meant letting someone get away.

"Commander!" Helga called. "We're ready to go!"

"Yeah!" Rourke called back. "Give me a minute." He paused and started counting on his fingers. "I _know_ I'm forgetting something. I've got the cargo… the Crystal… the crew." His eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah."

Rourke spun around and punched Milo in the face. The young linguist was sent flying onto his back. Milo saw a photograph from his shoulder bag had fallen out and tried to grab it. Rourke stepped over and crushed the frame with his feet as he grabbed Milo's glasses from the ground and cleaned them off. He tossed the eyeglasses back to the young man. Milo glared at Rourke. "Look at it this way, _son_," the commander said. "You're the man who discovered Atlantis, and now you're part of the exhibit."

Sora was alarmed. He couldn't hold it in any longer. He summoned his Keyblade and was about to attack when Isa suddenly appeared before — in his signature black-hooded coat (the ones the Organization wore). The blue-haired man veered back and kicked Sora onto the ground beside Milo. Sora landed hard upon the stone. His cellular phone landed a few inches away. He turned and tried to grab it, but Isa had already stepped over. With a powerful stomp, the phone crunched apart under Isa's boot. Sora glared at Isa. "That was brand-new!" he snapped.

Isa snorted. "Who cares?" he scoffed. "As long as you remain trapped here, you don't need one. Your Darkness is growing, Sora. I can feel it."

Rourke and Isa returned to their truck. The rest of the crew members were staring at the Milo and Sora like they'd witnessed a tragic murder. Sora was furious — especially at what Isa had told him. _**No**_ way would he _**ever**_ give into the Darkness!

He saw Milo reaching into the crushed frame and retrieving the photograph. The linguist looked at the picture as though longing for comfort. Sora picked up what was left of his phone. The keyboard was ruined and the screen was cracked beyond repair. He found his picture card inside and was relieved it was intact.

All he needed now was a new phone to put it into. He saw Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad approaching him. Donald sighed. "I have no Ethers," he explained.

"Yeah," Goofy added. "Them Heartless took all our items."

Sora groaned in annoyance. "You gotta be kidding me!"

"No kidding," Launchpad said. "I have nothing — not even my lucky pen!"

Sora felt more dismayed now. How would they get their items back?

"Let's move, people," Rourke instructed.

No one moved. Helga scowled at the crew. "That was an order — not a suggestion!" she snapped. "Let's go!"

Still, no one moved. No one that is, except Audrey. She climbed out of the truck's cab where she'd been and approached Milo and Sora. She helped Milo to his feet before glaring at Rourke. A moment later, Vinny left his post and put his hand onto Milo's shoulder. Moliére and Cookie were next, followed my Ms. Packard. As she reached the others, she muttered, "We're all gonna die… "

Sora shook his head before glaring at the commander with everyone else.

Rourke gave a displeased sigh and climbed out of his cab. "You can't be serious!"

"This is _**wrong**_ and you know it!" Audrey snarled.

"_**Yeah**_!" Donald agreed with the teenage mechanic.

"We're headed for our biggest payday ever," Rourke stated. "And you choose _now_ of all times to grow a conscience?"

"We've done a _lot_ of things we're not proud of," Vinny informed the corrupt commander. He started counting on his fingers. "Robbing graves… plundering tombs… double parking. But, nobody got hurt. Well… maybe _somebody_ got hurt, but nobody we _**knew**_!"

"'Double parking'?" Launchpad inquired. "Isn't that when you park one car on top of another? You could have a stack of fifty cars that way."

Donald slapped his face upon hearing the pilot's statement. Everyone else ignored the duck-pilot.

"Yeah," Cookie stated to Rourke. "And _**no**_ one here likes my bacon grease!" He gazed at Goofy, Launchpad, Sora, and Milo with a courteous smile. "'Cept _these_ fellas."

"Gawrsh," Goofy chuckled. "It tastes like lemonade."

It was Sora's turn to confront the commander. "You're messing with a strong Light. Not even the Heartless can protect you. Not even Isa can help."

Rourke waved the group off. "Well, if that's the way you want it, fine! _More_ for me." He climbed into his truck cab. In the back, Isa hopped in with several Heartless handling a machine gun. The commander nodded at Helga, who had taken control of the other truck. The two drove off down the wooden bridge.

As the evildoers headed away, Sora and Milo both felt changes taking place around them. The sky suddenly transitioned to complete darkness. Next, the waterfalls on the edge of the enormous plateau stopped flowing. After that, the glows on each of the Atlantians' crystals faded to the point where they were super dim. To Sora, this meant the world's Light was fading.

"We have to _**stop**_ them!" he declared, summoning his Keyblade.

"Come on!" Milo agreed, racing for the rope bridge with the Keyblader. "We _**can't**_ let him do this!"

Vinny rushed over and grabbed the pair's shoulders. "Wait a second!" he announced.

Without warning, the rope bridge exploded into a fiery shower of sparks and debris. Through the blaze, Sora could see Rourke, Helga, and Isa on the other side in their trucks.

"Okay," Vinny said once the explosions had stopped. He released the two young men. "Now you can go."

"Too late," Donald indicated. "Those big palookas have escaped."

"Not if we hurry!" Sora stated. "We'll swim there!"

He rushed to the edge of the plateau. Before he could jump, Sora came to a grinding halt. He could not believe his eyes. Down below wasn't water. It was molten rock, or lava as he had learned.

"Yeah," the brown, spikey-haired Keyblade wielder sighed in misery. "We're too late."

"Milo! Sora!" Dr. Sweet's voice called from the palace. "You'd better get up here!"

Curious about what the doctor was talking about, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Milo all hurried to the Atlantian throne room.

* * *

Upon returning to the throne room, Sora and his friends found the place still ransacked as Rourke and the Heartless had left it. Sweet was on the other side of the room with his medical bag. He was busy checking the Atlantian king for injuries. The ruler was lying on a makeshift cot.

"How's he doing?" Milo asked.

Sweet sighed. "Not good, I'm afraid," the doctor admitted. "Internal bleeding. There's nothing more I can do."

Sora gave a deep sigh. If what the doctor had said was true, the ruler of Atlantis — Kida's father — had been badly injured. He was sure this was because of Rourke's punch. Now the king was dying, and Sora himself knew the corrupt commander was almost an official murderer.

"What a nightmare," Milo sighed. "And I brought it."

"We all did," Sora said, knowing he had helped the expedition reach the lost city. He looked down.

"Now don't go beating yourselves up," Sweet told them. "He's been after that Crystal since Iceland."

"Huh?" Sora asked, looking back up.

"That's when we found the journal. It was in Iceland. Rourke led that expedition, too. Milo's grandfather was there."

Sora shook his head. "I don't think Rourke killed anyone then. But he's a regular Heartless — just like Shan-Yu and Clayton."

Sweet looked perplexed. "Who's this 'Shan-Yu'? And this 'Clayton'?"

Sora hesitated in his response. "Well… um… you see… uh… I'll get back with you."

Sweet shrugged and returned to picking up his medical equipment.

"Say, Donald," Launchpad spoke up. "Can't you heal him?"

Donald scowled at the pilot. "What's the big idea?! You _**know**_ we have no items! I have no magic without Ethers!"

"Yeah," Goofy affirmed. "Them Heartless took 'em all. I had seventeen potions and lost all of 'em."

"Ya lying palooka! You can't carry seventeen potions!"

"I can, since Sylvia made me deep pockets in muh new vests."

Donald sighed deeper than ever before.

"Heal?" Milo said. He stared at the crystal around the king's neck. "That's it! Sweet, these crystals! T-they have some sort of healing energy! I've seen it work!"

"Me, too!" Sora declared. "We can _still_ save him!"

The king put his hand onto Milo's wrist. "No," he said. "Where is my daughter?"

Sora and Milo both hesitated in their answers. The elderly ruler sighed. "She has been chosen, like her mother before her."

Sora and Milo stared at the king in surprise. "What?" they both said in unison.

The old man went on to explain. "In times of danger, the Crystal would choose a host — one of royal blood — to protect itself and its people. It will accept no other."

"'Chosen'?" Milo inquired.

"Wait," Sora blurted. "Does this mean the Crystal is _**alive**_?!"

"A livin' crystal," Goofy remarked. "A-Hyuck!"

"Mister McDee would _**love**_ to have a living rock!" Launchpad stated. Donald shook his head at the pilot's statement.

"In a way," the king said in response to Sora's question. "The Crystal thrives on the collected emotions of all who came before us. All the hearts it gathered have merged together. In return, it provides power… longevity… protection." He held up his own crystal like it was a tiny sample. "As it grew, it developed a consciousness of its own."

"Really?" Sora said. He was amazed. Hearing about a world's heart being alive was something much more interesting than he'd ever learned in any of his classes. Good thing he was on Winter Break!

The king sighed. "Once, there was a great war — one across the entire world," he went on. "I saw impending danger unless I helped wage war against a powerful weapon called the 'χ-blade'. Darkness was starting to appear from a distant place we called '_**Daybreak Town**_'. It was supposed to be a town of Light, but the war took it away."

"War?" Sora inquired. "Was this 'war' the one everyone calls '_The Keyblade War_'?"

"Yes," the old king replied. "Being a Keyblade Master like all the other rulers who came before me, I knew I had to fight that Darkness. So in my determination, I sought to use the Crystal's power as a weapon of war. But its power proved too great to control. It overwhelmed me and us, and led to our destruction."

Sora nearly jumped back. It appeared the king of Atlantis himself was a survivor of the legendary Keyblade War. This meant the Crystal's Light really _**was**_ the world's Light — most-likely a part of the Light of the original _Kingdom Hearts_!

Milo's eyes lit up. "_That's_ why you hid it beneath the city! To keep history from repeating itself!"

The king nodded. "And to keep Kida from suffering the same fate as my beloved wife."

Milo now looked puzzled. "What do you mean? W-what's going to happen to Kida?"

The king sighed. "If she remains bonded to the Crystal, she could be lost to it forever. The love of my daughter is all I have left. My burden would have become hers when the time was right." He took off his crystal and handed it to Milo. His Keyblade — the same Keyblade Sora had seen earlier — appeared in the king's right hand. He held it out for Milo. "But now, it falls to you."

Milo was surprised. "_Me_?!"

The young linguist moved forward and took both the crystal and Keyblade. The king put his hand onto the young man's shoulder. "Return the Crystal," the ruler said. "Save Atlantis. Save my daughter."

The king then turned to Sora. "Please tell Yen Sid, Magenta, and Vincent, I'm… sorry…. "

With a soft cough, the glow in the designs on the king's hands dimmed. His hand fell from Milo's shoulder. His eyes sealed shut and he stopped breathing. Sora and Milo stared in shock for a moment before looking down. Milo shut his eyes. The guards watching over the group bowed down and closed their eyes, too. The sound of a trumpet shell echoed in the distance.

Sora was now beyond saddened. Not only had he failed to protect a world from the Heartless, but he'd also failed to prevent a tragedy from taking place. The king of Atlantis was gone and not coming back. His heart now belonged with the rest of _Kingdom Hearts_.

Still, the brown, spikey-headed youth knew something had to be done. The king had asked him and Milo to save Kida and Atlantis as well. Not to mention, tell Master Yen Sid he was sorry. Did this mean the king had known Master Yen Sid? How?

Dr. Sweet had just finished packing his medical bag. He walked towards the gaping hole in the stone doorway. "So, what's it gonna be?" he asked.

Milo and Sora turned their eyes to him. "Excuse me?" Milo asked.

"I followed you in," Sweet replied. "And I'll follow you out. It's your decision, Milo."

Sora was perplexed. Had Milo become the leader of the remaining expedition crew members?

"'_My_ decision'," Milo said. "Let's see how effective _my_ decisions have been. Let's recap, shall we? I lead a band of thieving vandals to the greatest archaeological discovery in the history of mankind, leading to the kidnapping and/or murder of the royal family. Not to mention, delivering the most-powerful force known to man into the hands of a mercenary _nutcase_ — who's probably gonna sell it to the _**Kaiser**_! Have I left _**anything**_ out?!"

"Well," Dr. Sweet reminded. "You _did_ set the camp on fire and drop us down that big hole."

"Thank you!" Milo declared in a sarcastic voice. He sat down on a nearby rock to mope.

Launchpad seemed confused. "I thought it was _my_ flashlight that called those bugs over. I guess I burned the camp down."

"I _**knew**_ it!" Donald declared loudly. His facial expression seemed to say, 'I told you so!'

Sora sighed. They had failed many times, and on just the start of the quest. Of course, he had almost failed before — many times. Back then, Sora hadn't been willing to simple give in. Other worlds _still_ needed his help — and he would give it to them.

First, he needed to set things right in this world. He approached Milo and said, "C'mon — this is _no_ time to beat yourself up! So you were tricked… we _all_ were. You lost the Crystal, so _what_? You can _**still**_ get it back! I know it! No matter how deep the Darkness, a Light shines within!"

Milo shook his head. "Who told you that?"

Sora stood tall and proud. "One of my best friends showed me it."

Sweet grinned. "Sounds like something a fellow by the name of 'Thaddeus Thatch' would have said."

Milo opened his hand and gazed at the crystal in it. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, he clutched the crystal tightly in one hand and held the king's Keyblade in the other. Before everyone else's eyes, the young man marched towards the doorway and through the opening.

On the other side of the doorway, Audrey, Vinny, Molière, Cookie, and Ms. Packard were standing around. "Milo?" Audrey asked. "Where are you going?"

Milo had a determined look on his face. "I'm going after Rourke."

Sora and his team rushed forward. "You _**can't**_!" Sora yelled. "It's _**too**_ dangerous!"

Milo's determination made Sora regret what he'd said. "I didn't say it was the smartest thing," the linguist stated. "But it's the _right_ thing."

"I'll come, too," Sora announced. "You'll need help."

The rest of the expedition's crew followed the two young men. They approached an abandoned fish-shaped vehicle. Milo climbed onto it and placed his crystal into the slot the way Kida had. The vehicle rose into the air.

"_**Wow**_!" Donald exclaimed.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy commented. "Fishy!"

"I know what to do!" Launchpad cried as he rushed forwards. He hopped onto the vehicle before anyone could stop him and slammed his hand onto the control panel. The vehicle flew swiftly in reverse and slammed into the wall behind it. Several people standing close by gasped at the sound of the accident.

"That's how you make a 'good crash'!" Launchpad proclaimed, leaping off the vehicle.

Sora shook his head. "You were supposed to hit it gently."

"Hey Milo," Vinny said. "You have something 'sporty'? Like a tuna?"

"How is this done?" one of the Atlantian guards inquired.

"You use the crystals," Sora explained. "Kida showed us."

The linguist and Keyblader both took a few seconds to show the guards how to use the crystals to start up the various vehicles. Before long, a large amount of fish-shaped vehicles were airborne alongside a few hammerhead shark-shaped ones. Sora and Milo had taken charge of a single shark-vehicle, Donald and Goofy took a second, and Cookie and Launchpad took a third.

As the chef climbed aboard with Launchpad, he twirled a rifle in his hand. "Rustle up, partner!" Cookie called. "Bring on the jerky and ammo!"

Launchpad shrugged. "I don't see any jerky."

Within minutes a whole Atlantian air force was hovering above the ruined city. To Sora, it appeared to be a large school of fish with a few sharks.

"This is it!" Milo declared loud enough for everyone to hear. "We're gonna _**rescue**_ the princess! We're gonna _**save**_ Atlantis! Or we're gonna _**die**_ trying! Let's go!"

"C'mon!" Sora shouted in turn. "Let's _**save**_ this world from the Heartless!"

The vehicles were soaring away within seconds. Donald continued to gulp; Milo's "die trying" had made him anxious. Instead, Goofy was doing the steering.

Sora felt confident again. For the first time that day, it seemed the tide was turning. This time, for the best.

* * *

**A/N: Now, weren't there ALOT of surprises in there! Isa's appearance... King Nedkah's Keyblade... Information About _The Keyblade War_ (MY OWN Version!)... etc.!**

**So, I'm sure it all makes SOME sense! I'm not sure how clear THIS fact is, but I'll just say it: Sora can understand a certain form of spoken Atlantian because he is a Keyblade wielder.**

**Now, as for why King Nedkah knows... knew Master Yen Sid, try and guess it!  
ALSO, I WANT TO DEDICATE THIS CHAPTER TO LEONARD NIMOY. HE WAS NOT ONLY THE VOICE OF KING NEDKAH, BUT HE WAS ALSO MASTER XEHANORT HIMSELF! REST. IN. PEACE. LEONARD NIMOY. SAME FOR CHRISTOPHER LEE WHO PASSED AWAY LAST THURSDAY.**

**By the way, I only included Isa because I saw a golden opportunity for his character to appear. He wasn't included in the Storyline Summary I wrote and have been following closely, so I kind of threw him in at the last second. Please let me know what you thought of his character in there.**

**Plus, I chose to have Milo and the others keep the outfits they had at the start of the movie. I know this seems strange to those of you who are fans of it, but its one of the ways I'm keeping This Story "CLEAN"!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!  
****In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	12. Ch12 - Rescuing The Crystal's Light

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: IT'S OFFICIAL! This is the Last Chapter for the world of ANCIENT EMPIRE.**  
**To THAT end, this is a LONG Chapter - in a way!**

**I was glad to see 4 Reviews had been posted rather quickly on Chapter 11. Keep THAT Up, And The Goal Will Be Met REALLY QUICKLY! THANKS FOR ALL THOSE REVIEWS SO FAR!**

**I Hope you've enjoyed This Story so far. Maybe THIS is how Tetsuya Nomura is imagining how to include Atlantis in "_Kingdom Hearts 3_"!**

**Now that _Square Enix_ has confirmed a world based on _TANGLED_, who knows what shall appear in the not-too-distant future! I'm personally hoping for _Robin Hood_ to appear, as well as _Never Land_ \- I REALLY want to go there again! It ALWAYS feels so exciting! Maybe we could explore the Entire Island as one area! Only the indoors locations will be separate.**

**So, HERE IT IS! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW - PLEASE! OR I [MIGHT] HAVE TO SET A GOAL!**

**IT'S TIME TO DIVE, DIVE, DIVE - INTO THE LOST CONTINENT OF ATLANTIS!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 12**  
**Rescuing The Crystal's Light**

In the volcanic chamber was brighter than before. The walls seemed be giving a faint red glow, which happened to be bright enough the illuminate the entire cavern. The distant smell of rotten eggs had seeped in and was drifting on the ground level.

Amidst the wreckage of the expedition's vehicles, the Heartless soldiers had proved to be quite handy. Many of the totaled machinery had been taken apart and remade into various things. Among them was a truck that had been modified into a plane launcher. Heartless soldiers were taking orders from Helga to construct small battle planes in case anyone showed up and tried to interfere.

In the center of the area, a rather large Heartless shaped like a mobile cannon was aiming into the darkness of the volcanic shaft above. The Heartless shot an enormous fireball up the shaft. The fireball collided with the top of the tunnel and sent a series of falling rocks. The rocks crushed the Heartless and destroyed it.

Rourke and Isa emerged from their hiding place behind a large boulder. They strode up to the rocks and gazed upward. In the middle of the ceiling far above, the blue sky could be seen and the sunlight was shining down.

Rourke gave a sinister grin. "I love it when I win," he remarked.

Isa shook his head. This _almost_ seemed to remind him of how Lea behaved before the two friends had become Heartless and Nobodies. Thanks to some _**meddling**_ puppet and a "make-believe" friendship, the two had turned into hateful enemies.

Deep, deep down, Isa still wanted to amend their friendship. Still, with Xehanort's heart of Darkness inside him, there was no way that would be happening anytime soon.

* * *

The Atlantian air force was well underway. Sora and Milo led the others across the gap between the city's plateau and to the opening beside Molière's drilling machine. They were now soaring down the volcanic tunnel towards the heart of the volcano. The cavern was still dark except for a strange reddish glow.

Sora was focused straight ahead. After all, Milo wasn't paying attention to where they were flying. If the linguist and brown-headed youth crashed into the wall, everyone else would do the same.

Milo turned around to see everyone behind. "Okay," he called back. "Here's the plan. We're going to sneak in low and take them by surprise."

"I've got news for you, Milo," Audrey replied from nearby. "Rourke is never surprised, and he has a lot of guns."

"Yeah?" Milo said in turn. "Well, do _you_ have any suggestions?"

"Yeah!" Sora heard Vinny shout. "Don't get shot!"

Sora had to roll his eyes and maintain fixated ahead. The demolition expert had most-likely learned this behavioral pattern from either Goofy or Launchpad. Otherwise, he'd had it long before they met him in this world.

He glanced to the left a little and saw Goofy steering both Donald and himself. The knight had his tongue sticking out like he was thinking hard while the duck magician was gulping and sweating with anxiety. Behind them, Launchpad was driving with Cookie seated directly behind him.

Sora had to grin as he turned his focus straight ahead. It seemed there _was_ still a chance to stop Rourke, Helga, and that no-good Organization XIII member, Isa.

* * *

Rourke and Isa were standing beside a parked truck with a gigantic barrel-shaped compartment on the back. Helga was shaking her head, recalling how Donald had originally tried to take control of this exact vehicle before the _Ulysses_ had been launched.

Isa nodded to a Heartless soldier on the vehicle's roof. With a strong pull of a lever, the Heartless leapt off the truck and returned to the shadows. The truck's compartment opened, causing an enormous, airship to inflate. Isa stared while Rourke retained his sinister grin. The airship resembled a giant, red hot-air balloon with two matching, smaller balloons. A propeller on the bottom allowed the airship to rise vertically.

"_This_ is your plan?" Isa inquired.

Rourke's grin darkened. "Yes," he said. "I will take the Crystal to the surface where a ship will be waiting. From there, the black market will have its doors open."

Isa snorted. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "How _pitiful_. All this power… and you use it for greed."

Rourke wasn't paying any attention. He was too busy ordering a few Heartless to lift the container (or pod) with the Crystal into the air. Up above, Helga secured the container to the airship using a winch. As the airship started to carry the Crystal upward, Rourke's grin intensified. Isa saw the commander's body glowing the power of Darkness.

Rourke's eyes switched to the tunnel leading towards the ancient city. His mouth dropped open and the matchstick fell out. Before his eyes was a number of flying vehicles shaped like fish and hammerhead sharks. His eyes landed onto the lead shark. Rourke glared and gritted his teeth when he recognized Milo and Sora.

"There they are!" Milo declared. At the same time, Sora's Keyblade magically appeared in his hand.

Rourke's glare remained. "We've got company!" he yelled to the Heartless.

Before Isa could react, the corrupt commander clambered aboard the airship and climbed up to a metal landing where Helga was located. The blue-haired man scowled at the two before doing the same towards Sora and his friends. "I haven't finished — yet."

He hurried over to where the Heartless were launching makeshift airplanes.

* * *

The second the Atlantian flying machines were in the cavern, the battle was underway. Sora and Milo watched with alarm as numerous Heartless suddenly appeared in a few patches of Darkness. The former instantly recognized them as the Air Soldier type, primarily because of their mechanized appearance.

"_Not now_!" Sora groaned as he slashed his Keyblade through an attacking Heartless.

That's when the pair saw the flying airplanes with the Heartless. One of the planes shot directly at Milo and Sora. The two barely dodged it. "_Holy smokes_!" Milo exclaimed. He turned around to see Audrey and Sweet on a large fish behind. "You told me he only had guns!"

"What I said was 'Rourke's never surprised'," Audrey argued.

"Forget about _that_ problem!" Sora blurted. He pointed at the Heartless swarming the cave. "Let's deal with _this_ one!"

Milo nodded before swooping into view of the airship. A couple Heartless planes gave chase. Before Sora could act, the planes were suddenly terminated by a flying shield. He glanced up and smiled, spotting Donald and Goofy flying overhead.

"Thanks, guys!" he called to them.

Goofy saluted while Donald waved. The two flew on. Sora and Milo took the time to fly in closer to the airship. As they did so, Sora saw a Heartless plane shooting at Launchpad and Cookie. The pilot and chef ducked down, causing Cookie to accidentally bump Launchpad into the control panel. A surge of blue-colored electricity flew from the fish's mouth and struck a truck down below where a few Heartless were shooting from. The vehicle exploded in a huge fireball.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed in astonishment.

"Nice crash!" Launchpad announced, clapping hands with Cookie.

Vinny swooped in close. "_Now_ things are gettin' good," he congratulated.

"Vinny!" Milo called, pointing to the airship. "Stay focused! We can't her reach the top of that shaft!"

Vinny nodded before soaring away. Launchpad and Cookie now turned their attention to the truck launching the Heartless planes.

* * *

Upon reaching the plane launcher, Isa seized a plane from a Heartless solider and struck them down with haste. He tossed the plane onto the launcher and jumped on before reaching for the controls. He ordered the Heartless to launch it, which they did.

Seconds after Isa took flight, Launchpad and Cookie fired their fish's electricity at the truck. The vehicle and Heartless disintegrated on impact. The pilot and chef gave each other a high-five. They flew on.

Isa ignored the destruction. He was focused straight ahead… where Sora and Milo were headed. He glared with determination. His body started to glow with Darkness….

* * *

Milo steered the flying shark while Sora continued to fight. The Heartless were now dropping like flies. Goofy's shield had knocked several into each other to destroy them. The Atlantian warriors were using surges of electricity. Launchpad and Cookie were busy swooping around, getting Heartless planes to follow them before causing the enemies to crash into the rocky walls.

Milo suddenly swooped closer to Vinny. "Vinny!" he called to the demolition expert. "New plan! You and me, we're going to be decoys."

Realizing what plan Milo had created, Sora spotted Donald and Goofy close by. "Donald! Goofy!" he called them over. "Fly over to the balloon and cut the Crystal free!"

Goofy saluted. "Got it!"

"Let's go!" Donald agreed in turn.

Once the tall dog and short duck had left, Milo bent low over the control panel. "Okay, this is it, Sora," he said. "Any last words?"

Sora shook his head. "No, how about you?"

"Yes," the linguist confessed. "Wish I had a better idea than _this_!"

Their vehicle veered around and head directly for one of the balloons holding the airship up. As they zoomed in closer and closer, bullets of Darkness started pelting their craft. Sora and Milo spun their gaze around.

Behind them was one of the planes the Heartless had been using. The vehicle glowed with a dark-purple color. At the aircraft's controls was Isa, a ferocious scowl and matching glare written on his face.

"Look out!" Sora yelled. He and Milo ducked as a shower of Darkness bullets struck the front of their vehicle. Several struck the control panel. A surge of blue electricity flew from the shark's mouth and headed for the balloon.

* * *

Rourke and Helga were using every possible weapon they had to keep the Atlantian battle vehicles away from their airship. When he saw Launchpad and Cookie flying in close, Rourke pointed a hand-held machine gun at them. He started to shoot, causing the duck-pilot and chef to turn back. A surge of blue electricity suddenly appeared from above and crushed the weapon out of the commander's hands. He glared upwards, where he saw Isa chasing Sora and Milo around in the air. He shook his head.

"At least _someone's_ doing what they need to," he grinned.

He glanced down and saw Donald and Goofy below. The two were attempting to use Goofy's shield to break the chains holding the container to the airship. Rourke turned to Helga. "Looks like someone's working overtime."

The lieutenant nodded before approaching the platform's railing. She pushed a small torpedo off the airship. It flew down and nearly hit Donald. The duck panicked, grabbed Goofy, and dragged back onto their vehicle. They soared away, just as Helga pushed a second torpedo after them.

Rourke turned back to see Isa still pursuing Milo and Sora. "You had _better_ get them," he sneered.

* * *

It was taking everything Milo had to avoid Isa's shooting. The blue-haired man was in constant pursuit of the flying shark… and closing in. Sora gulped nervously, watching how angry Isa was. He pointed his Keyblade at the villain.

"What do you guys want here?!" he demanded to know.

"Everything," Isa replied, not taking his eyes off the Keyblade wielder. "If you expect to leave our Organization and face no consequences, then you're mistaken."

Sora glared back. "I never _**was**_ part of your Organization! Riku and Violet said it was _**your**_ guys' doing!"

"They're wrong," Isa stated. "Now, I think one more attack should do it."

Sora and Milo ducked down in their seat as Isa sent another barrage of Darkness bullets onto the shark-resembling vehicle. The panel was struck and shorted out.

"There," Isa snorted. The Darkness on his vehicle seemed to dwindle a little. "Let's see how you manage this one."

A dark portal opened before the two vehicles. With the panel out of service, Milo ordered Sora and him to lean to the left. Their vehicle just avoided the portal while Isa flew straight inside. The portal sealed up a moment later.

Sora relaxed a little, knowing Isa had left the world. Unfortunately, he had also damaged the control panel. Milo and Sora were now on a direct route for the airship's third balloon.

"Oh no!" Sora shouted. "We're gonna crash!"

Milo pointed at a series of brown ropes keeping the airship together. "Look! Let's grab those!"

Sora felt a bit uncertain about jumping into mid-air and grabbing some ropes. For all he knew, they were so flimsy, they would snap apart the second anyone touched them. Despite this, he gave a nod. "Okay. Let's do this!"

Their vehicle zoomed into view of the third balloon. Just as the shark was about to collide, Sora and Milo leaped from its cockpit and grabbed the ropes. Sora's snapped free as the shark crashed and burst the balloon. Milo reached out and grabbed his hand before pulling him back up.

Sora smiled. "Thanks, Milo."

Milo smiled back. "Friends help each other. Right, Sora?"

Sora had to nod. "Right!"

* * *

Rourke was furious when he watched Isa disappear into the dark portal. He was even _more_ outraged when he saw Sora and Milo destroy the airship's third balloon. The corrupt commander glanced down and saw how the whole vehicle was slowly starting to descend.

"We're losing altitude," he informed his lieutenant. "Lighten the load."

Helga grabbed a container of extra fuel and tossed it over board. She then shoved some wooden crates over the side. She wiped some sweat from her forehead. "There," he said. "Unless someone wants to jump."

Rourke snuck up from behind and grabbed the blonde-haired woman's arms. "Ladies first."

He shoved Helga over the railing. The lieutenant grabbed the edge of the platform and jumped back. She kicked a startled Rourke in the mouth and knocked him back.

"You said we were in this _**together**_!" she snapped, repeatedly kicking his face. "You promised me a percentage!"

Rourke grabbed her foot. "Next time, get it in writing!"

With a great shove, he threw Helga over the railing. She yelled in alarm and panic while she fell towards the volcanic ground below.

"Nothing personal!" Rourke called down to his demoted lieutenant.

Before he could return to fighting off the Atlantian army, the commander was shocked to see Sora and Milo swinging over on a pair of ropes. The two both clobbered him in the head and knocked him onto the floor of the platform. Sora's Keyblade was ready to fight. Milo charged at Rourke, only to get pushed back by the much, much stronger villain.

"Well, I gotta hand it to you," Rourke told the young linguist. "You're a bigger pain-in-the-neck than I ever thought possible."

Milo and Sora scowled before glaring at the corrupt commander. "I trusted you!" Sora snarled.

Rourke laughed. "You show know better than to trust anyone nowadays."

Sora could barely hold in his anger.

* * *

Helga was stuck on her back. The impact from the fall had caused her to lose control of both her legs. She gazed up and saw the airship still soaring up the shaft. The Atlantian vehicles were shooting down Heartless, enemy planes, etc. The Heartless _were_ dropping rapidly.

She struggled to reach behind her back and barely was able to pull out a large pistol. She pointed the weapon straight at the airship's central balloon.

"Nothing… personal… "

She pulled the trigger. A ball of fire flew in a spiraling motion at her target.

* * *

Sora was about to rush forward and deliver a string of attacks onto the villain when a fiery flare flew past the three and struck the main balloon of the airship. The whole vehicle burst into flames.

Rourke was beyond appalled. Not only had he lost his only means of escape with the Atlantian Crystal, but now he _still_ had to deal with Milo and his brown, spikey-headed friend. He punched a small red box and crushed its glass before reaching in and pulling out a fire axe. He started to approach Milo quickly. "Tired, Mr. Thatch? Too bad, because I'm just getting warmed up!"

Sora jumped between the two. Rourke stopped in his tracks.

"We're _**not**_ letting you steal this world's Light!" Sora declared. His Keyblade was positioned in his typical fighting stance.

Rourke sneered at the two. His body started to glow with Darkness. The scent of Darkness also filled the air. "I'm _**impressed**_! I consider myself an even-tempered man," he told them as the Darkness grew stronger. "It takes a _lot_ to get under my skin — but congratulations! You've just won the grand prize, solid-gold kewpie doll!"

Sora and Milo retained glares of their own. The former rushed forwards and swung his Keyblade. Rourke hopped backwards and swung his axe. The two weapons clashed. The pair started swinging at each other, but each time they attacked simultaneously. It seemed the duel was a stalemate.

Milo marched forwards. He delivered a punch to the distracted villain. Rourke was distracted by the unforeseen attack, which gave Sora an opening to strike. The spikey-headed young man struck his Keyblade onto Rourke's arm, causing the villain to groan in agony. Rourke swung his axe at Sora and clobbered the latter's head with the side of the weapon. Sora flipped in midair so fast, it looked like a blur of movement. He swung his Keyblade directly overhead like he was chopping a log in half. Rourke was knocked back and slammed into the railing.

"Good job!" Milo congratulated.

Sora nodded. He pointed at their opponent. "It's not over yet!"

Milo turned back in time to see Rourke slicing his axe at the linguist. Milo jumped back and tripped backwards over the railing. He flipped over and grabbed the rail from the other side. Sora was about to rush over and save him when Rourke stomped over and shoved Sora onto the platform. The villain unleash some clouds of Darkness that significantly resembled smoke. Five Air Soldier Heartless appeared around him.

"Take care of him," Rourke ordered the creatures. He glanced at Milo. "_I've_ got this one."

As Rourke walked away, Sora jumped to his feet and glared at the Heartless. "_**Outta**_ the way!"

He swung his Keyblade through one of the Heartless and slashed it clear through the other four. The monsters were vanquished immediately and a group of captive hearts were sent drifting into the air.

Sora felt a little relieved. He turned his attention back to Rourke and Milo. The villain had grabbed Milo's arms and lifted him up. He was giving an evil grin at the young linguist and his right arm was extended back like he was about to swing it forward; in his right hand was the axe. Milo's facial expression told Sora how worried he was.

"Say _goodnight_, Thatch!" Rourke called before swinging his arm over his head.

Sora clutched his Keyblade. _**No way**_ was he letting this happen before his eyes! He hopped onto the railing and slid down the handrail like he was riding a skateboard. When he reached Rourke, the spikey-haired seventeen-year-old jumped and delivered a slashing attack onto the villain. Rourke was thrown forward so suddenly, the railing broke loose and sent both the corrupt commander and Milo falling off the platform. The two landed onto the container several feet below.

"_**Oh no**_!" Sora exclaimed. He grabbed a rope and swung after the two. Behind him, the wooden platform caught fire.

* * *

Rourke was now determined more than ever to kill the linguist. Milo ducked as the commander swung his axe in a chopping motion. The axe smashed into a porthole-shaped window on the container, causing pieces of glass to go flying about. One flew so far, it landed into Donald and Goofy's vehicle as it soared past.

Goofy took a moment to examine the shard of glass. "A-Hyuck!" he remarked. "Shiny!"

Donald snatched the shard. "Gimme that!"

The duck took a closer look at the shard. He sensed the Light of the Crystal on it. "Wow!"

Spotting Sora sliding down a long rope to the container, Donald tossed the glass shard to him. "Sora!"

Sora saw Donald and caught the shard. He slid down the rope until he was dangling just above Rourke and Milo. He handed the shard to Milo — just as Rourke grabbed the linguist by his shirt collar.

"Give it a rest, Thatch!" Rourke stated firmly. "You can't beat me!"

"Yes I _**can**_!" Milo countered. He sliced the glass shard along Rourke's left arm. The villain dropped his axe in alarm and pain. Milo broke free from the commander's grip and grabbed the rope with Sora. Rourke glared at them. It didn't last long. The villain suddenly started transforming into a blue-tinted figure with yellow-and-red eyes.

Sora and Milo gazed down. Rourke had completely transformed. They each gave a sigh of relief. "Thank heaven!" Milo said.

A large, muscular arm grabbed the linguist's arm. There was the transformed Rourke. Though he had become a blue figure, the commander was _still_ alive. Sora gasped in shock, unsure what to do now.

* * *

From where they were orbiting the burning airship, Donald and Goofy saw the blue-colored Rourke trying to attack Milo and Sora. "Gawrsh, looks like one of them blue men," Goofy muttered.

Donald wasn't paying any attention. His eyes were focused on the chain keeping the Crystal's container attached to the airship. "Look!" he declared, pointing at the chain. "Hit that!"

When Goofy saw what the duck was referring to, he nodded. He took out his shield. "Stand back! Here goes nothin'!"

The knight tossed his shield into the air. It spun in a straight line for the chain. At the same time, it went clear through Rourke; the villain yelled in alarm just before he shattered into countless shards of glass. Sora and Milo ducked to avoid the glass pieces as Goofy's shield snapped the chain in half.

"We did it!" Goofy cheered. "_**Yahoo**_!"

Even Donald had to admit it — Goofy actually _did_ have a point.

* * *

The container fell so quickly, Sora and Milo had to leap off as they neared the ground. They landed into the volcanic ash a few inches from it. Sora rubbed his head; Milo did the same. They both gazed back up when the blazing remains of the airship headed directly for them.

"Oh great," Milo complained.

Sora didn't have time to nod or respond. The two young men clambered to their feet before rushing around the pod to the other side. They pushed with all their might and sent the container rolling into the middle of the chamber. They dashed after it.

_**KABAM!**_

Sora and Milo fell face-first onto the ground. The entire cavern shook so violently, it would have appeared to have been an earthquake. The Keyblade wielder and the linguist both climbed to their feet as Donald and Goofy, Launchpad and Cookie, Vinny, Audrey and Dr. Sweet, Molière, and the other Atlantian vehicles set down around the two.

"Sora!" Goofy exclaimed, hopping out of the vehicle. He raced over to the young man. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Sora admitted. "I'm fine."

Donald rushed over and gave Sora a hug. "I'm glad you're okay, Sora."

Sora had to nod. "Yeah, me too, Donald."

That was when the ground started shaking all the more. Turning around to gaze upon the burning wreckage of the airship, Sora, Milo, Donald, Goofy, and the others saw large, deep cracks appearing in the ground. Bursts of hot steam came shooting out. The entire cave was soon trembling.

"The volcano," Molière realized with alarm. His eyes were filled with fear. "She _**awakes**_!"

"Hey, I had nothin' to do with it," Vinny stated.

"This here would not be the place to be," Cookie called from his Launchpad's flying fish.

"Yeah!" Donald agreed in turn. He froze for a second, realizing he had just agreed with the expedition's chef. Oh no! _Now_ he was agreeing with someone on Goofy and Launchpad's level?! This was _**not**_ going to look good to Daisy!

"C'mon!" Goofy urged, trying to lead Sora to his and Donald's craft. "Let's get outta here!"

"_**No**_!" Milo proclaimed loudly and strongly. He grabbed the remains of the chain that had connected the pod to the airship. "We've _got_ to get her back or the whole city will die!"

Sora nodded. "There's _**nothing**_ else we can do! No other way to set things right!"

The other team members seemed hesitant and full of fright. This was not good enough for Milo. "_**Just **_**do it**!" he demanded.

Milo hooked the chain onto the pod and tossed the other end to Sora. Sora tossed it over to Launchpad. The pilot immediately hooked in onto the fish-shaped vehicle he and Cookie were on. Sora and Milo hopped aboard with the duck-pilot and chef.

Within minutes, the Atlantian vehicles were airborne. As they flew off, the pod started to drag behind. A loud _**CRACK**_ could heard as the chain suddenly broke free of the container. Sora and Milo spun around and stared in shock. They hastily slid down the chain.

"_**Milo**_!" Audrey shouted from her and Sweet's craft. "_**Don't**_!"

Donald was starting to freak out. "_**Sora**_!"

Sora and Milo reached the ground in record time. The cavern floor was now filled with violent tremors, enormous cracks, and oozing lava. They instantly seized the chain's hook and dragged it to the pod. Sora assisted Milo in wrapping the chain around the container before the latter yelled, "_**GO**_!"

Sora and Milo both jumped onto the pod as the container was dragged through the air behind Launchpad and Cookie's vehicle. Sora glanced back and wished he hadn't. The lava flow was directly behind them. He turned back as the vehicles swooped through the tunnel. Both the seventeen-year-old and the young linguist clung to the pod as they were carried down the passage.

* * *

The flying, Atlantian vehicles soared out of the tunnel super quickly. They flew so fast, Sora and Milo barely saw the lava flowing out of the tunnel and slamming into Molière's drilling machine. The enormous vehicle was shoved aside and sent falling over the edge of the cliff.

"_Yeesh_!" Launchpad remarked at the sight. "So much for that oversized dentist tool!"

Sora and Milo shook their heads when they heard this. They remained focused on the city in the distance. The sky overhead was still dark and there was no sign of any strong Light around. Flying pieces of burning rock shot across the sky.

It did not take long for the Atlantian vehicles had set down on a plaza near the edge of the city and just outside the palace. The pod was dropped off and Sora and Milo hopped off. An Atlantian guard handed Milo a spear. The linguist tried to crack the container open, but the metal was so secure, the point broke clear off within seconds. Milo stared in disbelief; Sora did the same.

"The _fissure_!" Molière declared, pointing at the rock wall in the distance. Plumes of lava were starting to pour out in a hurry. The geologist started jumping up and down in a frantic state. "It is about to eject its pyroclastic _**fury**_!"

"_Milo_! _Sora_!" Sweet translated with a shout. "Mole says the wall's gonna _**blow**_!"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were in complete and utter panic mode. "_**Hurry**_, **Sora**!" they yelled.

Sora spun around in a full circle. He could see all the native Atlantians, the expedition's crew, and his teammates watching with worry-filled anticipation. He knew he could not let them down. Even though Rourke, Isa, and the Heartless were gone, the world's heart was _**still**_ in grave danger of being lost — and Kida's heart with it!

'_I __**can't**__ let them down!_' Sora thought to himself. He just _had_ to find a way to open the pod and free the Crystal.

That was when he saw the glowing shape on the container's front side — the one with the broken porthole. It was so faint, he could have skipped over it if he wasn't really looking as close as he was. It resembled a keyhole.

Keyhole? That was it! He had located a way to free the world's heart. That's when Sora's mind circled back to what had taken place in the Atlantian throne room earlier. His Keyblade had refused to lock the world's Keyhole when Rourke and Helga had uncovered its whereabouts. He had wondered why… now it was clear. He shifted his eyes to the sky above. The inky blackness overhead was easy to make out.

"Darkness," the spikey, brown-haired youth whispered in realization. "There's too much Darkness here… "

He knew he would need more than one Keyblade to unlock the keyhole. Recalling how the now-late king had given Milo his own Keyblade, Sora realized Milo had probably become its wielder. If so, perhaps there was still a chance.

"Milo!" Sora called. "I need your help!"

Milo darted over. Sora summoned his Keyblade and pointed it at the keyhole. At once, the Keyblade Kida's father had handed the linguist appeared in the latter's right hand. Milo was taken aback. "Wow… "

"Just do what I do!" Sora instructed the young man. Milo nodded in return. The two Keyblade wielders pointed the tips of their weapons at the keyhole. To Sora's relief and Milo amazement, the Keyblades sent beams of Light into the keyhole. The keyhole unlocked and vanished quickly.

With a series of clanging and flying bolts, the pod came apart. Sora and Milo took several steps back as the pod's parts started to orbit the now-freed Crystal; the glowing matter still had had the shape of Princess Kida. After a few seconds, the pod's pieces drifted away and the design of the plaza's ground started to light up. Sora and Milo watched as little by little the entire city was illuminated in a bluish glow. Donald jumped onto Goofy's shoulders in alarm. Goofy then hopped onto Launchpad, which caused the three to fall flat onto the ground.

It was now just the illumination Sora sensed. He also felt something. Something… comfortable, soothing, and warm. It was cozy and gentle. He rapidly understood.

"Light," Sora concluded. "This's the power of Light."

The Light flowing through the city vanished a moment later. A series of humungous stones suddenly crashed through the ground, forcing everyone to step as far away as possible. Sora stared in wonder, recognizing the stones as the same ones from inside the Crystal's chamber. He remembered how these stones had fallen from the air when the Crystallized Kida had walked off. They had even stopped glowing! Now they had returned.

The Crystallized Kida and the circle of stones rose high into the air. Sora and Milo both watched in awe. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad looked up in question. Molière, Vinny, Audrey, Sweet, Cookie, Ms. Packard, and the Atlantian warriors gazed up in curiosity. The stones started to spin around the Crystal. They spun so rapidly, the Light from the Crystal became a complete blur.

Sora was astounded. Recalling how Kida had said she remembered a "bright Light", he realized this was most-likely the _same_ Light she'd been referring to.

"A 'bright Light'," Sora said to himself. "'Like a star'… "

A beam of bluish-tinted Light suddenly shot out from the Crystal and zoomed across the sky. All eyes turned to where the beam was headed. It struck a pointed object submerged in the water. The object started to move before it rose. To everyone's amazement, it was a gigantic robotic man with bluish eyes that were glowing. To Sora, the robot looked more like a giant statue walking around. The figure turned to its right and started to march to the edge of the plateau.

Several more beams of bluish Light flew across the sky. They struck more figures who were identical to the first one. The figures each walked to the edge of the plateau. Here, they stood as though they were soldiers stationed on guard duty. The city was surrounded by the figures who now formed an enormous circle.

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered to himself. "Looks like we've got some giant men around here. Let's hope they hurry, or we're gonna be roastin' like marshy-mellows."

Sora watched in marvel. He saw a flash of white light and turned his head back. Ms. Packard was standing a little bit behind with a camera and tripod set up. He shook his head and turned back.

The lava started to burst out of the rocky wall. Sora was starting to feel very nervous. What were these guys doing? Were they there to save the city? Or not? Whatever the case, he knew time was running out. The lava would soon consume all of the city of Atlantis unless a miracle happened.

Sora knew what that meant. All he and the rest of the people around needed was a true miracle.

One of the gigantic figures reached out and clapped its hands. One by one, all the other giants did the same. When they retracted their hands, a magical blue wall appeared before each of them. The walls grew rapidly. When a blazing piece of rock from the lava struck a wall, it disintegrated.

Sora realized the wall was really a shield to defend the city. He know understood what the king had meant by the Crystal offering protection for both itself and its people. He had meant the Crystal would create a shield to defend the city and its inhabitants. He gave a quick nod, knowing what was going on.

The lava finally burst from the wall and flowed like a raging river straight for the plateau. By this time, the shield had formed a large dome over the city, sealing the Crystal away from harm, too. The lava washed overhead, seeking a way inside. To Sora's relief, the shield kept the molten rock out.

Before long, the entire shield was covered in lava. In a split second, the Crystal unleashed a powerful Light. Sora and the others turned away to shield their eyes. The lava hardened in an instant. Time passed slowly….

"What now?" Donald asked, his voice echoing about the interior of the shield and solidified rock.

Then the Crystal's Light pierced through the solid rock above. It continued down the length of the shield's dome until it reached the plateau. The shield now started to disappear. Chunks of rock started falling all over the place. Sora saw this and yelled, "Look out!"

Goofy used his shield to protect Donald, Launchpad, and himself. Sora had to utilize his magic to reflect the rocks from crushing Milo and himself. The rocks slammed into the outer rim of the plateau and forced the water trapped inside to flow out like waterfalls. None of the rocks struck the gigantic figures standing guard with their outstretched arms.

The sky's bluish color returned. Alongside it, a flurry of clouds had appeared and taken the form of a fog-bank; Sora could no longer see the Crystal hovering in the air. A bright Light shone down from above. Both Milo and Sora looked upward.

There was Kida, slowly descending from the clouds. She was still unconscious but no longer crystallized. Sora and Milo gradually stepped closer to where she was about to land. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and the other team members did the same.

"Now there's something you don't see every day," Launchpad quipped. "A girl falling like an angel."

Donald shoved the duck-pilot's scarf into his mouth.

Kida gently landed on her feet. The Light faded quickly and she started breathing. She opened her eyes and looked around. Since both Milo and Sora were the closest to her position, she said, "Milo… Sora… "

Kida felt something in her right hand. She opened it to find what Sora realized was a tiny bracelet. It had three gems, one was a large red and it was surrounded on either side by a tiny blue one. It sparkled in the light from the crystal around her neck. She sighed. "Mahtim… "

Kida gazed at Milo. Tears started to form in her eyes. She threw herself into the young linguist's hands and started to cry. Milo felt startled for a brief second before he gave her a hug.

Sora smiled a little. He reached into his pocket and found Kairi's good-luck charm. His eyes grew, realizing he had never returned it to her. Oh well… his journey wasn't over yet. It would not be finished for some time to come. He put the charm away.

His mind continued to wander. He remembered how he had been reunited with Kairi in _**The World That Never Was**_ — back when he had infiltrated the castle to destroy the surviving members of Organization XIII. When he had apologized for not returning quickly with Riku, Kairi had given him an unexpected embrace. She had told him it was for real, so he had chosen to return the hug. After that, Donald and Goofy would _**not**_ let him hear the end of it! It didn't help when Kairi had given him a kiss on his birthday. Apparently, based on what he had overheard at the campground, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were _still_ talking about it. If only he could back in time and prevent it from ever happening. If only he could….

"Wow!" Donald's voice perked up.

"Hey!" Goofy's voice added in turn.

"Look at all that!" Launchpad's voice agreed. "It's a submarine city — without any water!"

Sora spun around. He stared in astonishment as he approached the edge of the plaza. In the distance, the ruins of a rather large city could be seen where the water had once been. It was clear they had been submerged for a long time, but the remains were still quite obvious. He smiled, knowing the falling rocks had caused the water to disperse and reveal the ruined buildings.

Milo and Kida approached the others with smiles of their own. Sora noticed they were holding hands. He nudged Milo a little, gazing at it. Milo instantly broke free from Kida; the princess did the same. The two smiled at each other. Sora shook his head, knowing he had just acted like Riku — something he'd _always_ wanted to do.

* * *

Sora was still smiling as he stood with Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. Jiminy had hopped into view and was now standing on the Keyblader's shoulder. Milo stood beside Kida as the princess placed a tiny crystal around Vinny, Audrey, Dr. Sweet, Molière, Cookie, and Ms. Packard.

"Atlantis will honor your names forever," Kida said as she placed four more crystals around Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. She also placed a tiny one around Jiminy. "I only wish there was more we could do for you."

"Thanks anyway," Vinny said. "But, eh… I think we're good."

The demolition expert nodded at a large swordfish-shaped vehicle behind the crew members. Atlantian warriors were loading bowlfuls of golden items onto it via a ramp.

"I want some!" Donald spoke up, his eyes turning a greedy shade of green. Goofy and Launchpad held him down.

"Thanks," Sora said, waving his hand. "But no thanks."

This made Donald sigh in disappointment. "Aw phooey!"

"They'll take you as far as the surface," Milo pointed out for Vinny, Sweet, and the others.

"You know," Vinny said as he gave Milo a quick hug. "I'm gonna reopen the flower shop, and I'm gonna think of you guys every single day, Monday through Friday, nine to five, Saturday till two." He paused in thought as he walked away. "Sunday… I'm gonna take Sunday off probably… maybe I'll go in for a couple of hours, I don't know. August — I'm gonna take August."

"We're _really_ gonna miss you Milo," Audrey said. She was about to punch the linguist, but Milo dodged it. "Two for flinching," she said, dealing two friendly punches before walking away with a wave.

"Milo? I ain't so good at speech-ifyin', but… I want you to have this," Cookie said as he strode up next. "It's the bacon grease leftover from the whole trip."

Milo seemed a bit uneasy. "Cookie," he said, hardly able to grin. "I-I… "

The chef wandered off, not wanting to say goodbye. Sora had to shake his head — especially when he saw Donald fainting onto the ground and both Goofy and Launchpad helping him to his feet.

"Hey, Milo!" Molière declared as he prepared for a hug. The geologist's alarming stench caused Milo to simple pat him on the head.

"Goodbye, Mole," the young linguist said.

"You sure you wanna stay?" Sweet asked. "There'll be a hero's welcome for the man who discovered Atlantis."

"The world doesn't need another hero," Milo replied. This answer caught Sora's attention; his smile faded. "Besides, I heard there's an opening here for an expert in gibberish."

"You take good care of yourself, Milo Thatch," Sweet told him. The two shared a handshake followed by a hug. Sweet squeezed so tightly, he had to jolt Milo's head back and forth to get rid of the crick.

"Can we go home now?" an impatient Ms. Packard inquired.

"Come on ya'll," Sweet told everyone. "Let's get one last shot in front of the fish."

The crew members, Milo, Kida, and Sora's team all approached the swordfish-shaped vehicle. They stood around a large mound of golden trinkets. An Atlantian guard took charge of the camera and tripod. He grinned at everyone. "Say… "

"A-Hyuck," Goofy suddenly blurted.

"A-Hyuck!" Everyone repeated in turn. Once the flash went off, Donald tipped over backwards and fell onto the ground. It looked as though he was in a daze. Goofy and Launchpad gazed at him and shrugged. Sora, Milo, and Kida did the same.

The team members started to board the vehicle. Milo rushed up to Dr. Sweet and handed him a tiny package. He told him something Sora was unable to make out. "Sure thing, Milo," Sweet said as he joined the others on board.

The ramp shut. Before long, the craft was airborne and sailing away. Off it soared until it was no longer in view. Sora smiled; he had the feeling the crew members would one day return to Atlantis to visit both Milo and Kida. He turned to Milo. "What'd you give Sweet?" the seventeen-year-old inquired.

"Mr. Whitmore once told me how he wanted a 'shred of proof' to know this place was real," Milo replied. "He told me my grandfather was laughed at for claiming _The Shepherd's Journal_ and Atlantis were real. But he still found proof."

Sora nodded, recalling the older man he had met aboard the large ship at the start of the venture. He smiled.

* * *

The waterfalls down below were flowing gracefully down the plateau. The ruins of the city were heavily under reconstruction. Sora could also see the ruined structure Milo, Kida, and him had swam into earlier — the one with the mural. He knew the painting was still there, even if the air pocket wasn't.

Sora sighed and leaned onto the stone railing overlooking the ruins below. He heard footsteps and caught a glimpse of the approaching Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad.

"Sora!" Donald said.

"Here you are," Goofy added. "We was lookin' everywhere for you."

"Heh," Launchpad chuckled. "Even in the old kitchens. I found some moldy pizza in one."

Donald started to turn green at the thought of what the pilot had discovered while searching the ruined building.

Sora nodded before turning back to the view. He sighed deeply. "Gee," Goofy observed. "You've been quiet for a long time, Sora. Is somethin' on your mind?"

"Kind of," Sora admitted. "It's just… I was thinking about what Milo said. You know, about the world not needing another hero. I wonder… " He summoned his Keyblade. "…Do I still have to use the Keyblade? I don't know."

"Well, I do," Donald stated in a very strict voice. All eyes turned to him. "We're on an important mission — one Master Yen Sid and the King gave us! We can't stop now!"

Sora nodded and smiled brighter. He knew Donald was correct. Either what Milo had said had got him confused, or he was feeling uncertain about what was next. Whatever the case, he also knew it didn't matter. He still had a job to do. _This_ world was safe, but another one was probably awaiting. "I found it funny how this world's heart didn't have to be inside a keyhole," the spikey, brown-headed Keyblade wielder said. "Maybe the king of Atlantis was right — every world's heart has power you can use. That power's gotta be the Light… right? Which means, though there may always be Heartless on every world, their Darkness can't beat the world's Light. It's like what Kairi showed me and King Mickey said — 'No matter how deep the Darkness, there's always a '_Door To The Light_''."

Both Goofy and Donald nodded. "Yeah!" the duck said.

Jiminy hopped into view from Sora's hoodie. "Of course!" he confirmed. "Remember, there's always going to be some Light hidden somewhere — even when you can't feel it."

Only Launchpad seemed puzzled. "Say, what's this you guys are talking about? I've seen doors, but none of them led into complete daylight. There were always shadows."

Sora shook his head. "I'll tell you some other time," he said.

Launchpad nodded. It was then the crystal around Sora's neck started glowing brightly. Everyone watched as it floated up until the point was facing the sky. A beam of Light shot straight up, revealing a gigantic Keyhole-shape in the air. Sora pointed his Keyblade straight up. A beam of Light formed on the weapon's blade and shot out at the Keyhole. It made a direct hit and caused the Keyhole to unlock in a brilliant Light.

Knowing what had just taken place, Sora nodded. "Guess it's time to go on," he said.

"Yeah," Donald agreed.

"Well then," Goofy spoke up. "Do we have everything we need?"

"Yup!" Sora affirmed, reaching into his pockets. Everyone else did the same. They pulled out a variety of Potions, Ethers, and Elixirs. "Good thing those Heartless still had them."

"And we got 'em back," Goofy added. He paused. "What about your cell-y phone, Sora?"

Sora's eyes lit up in recollection. He reached deeper into his pocket and pulled out the crushed device. He sighed deeply. "Man… my mom's gonna be mad when she sees this."

"Say," Launchpad said. "How about we put it back together?"

"I don't know," Donald said, crossing his arms.

"Okay," Sora agreed. "It's better than doing nothing."

"Except we've got a small problem," Launchpad said. Everyone turned to stare at the pilot. "How do we get outta here?"

Goofy pulled out a small, grey box with a bunch of buttons on it. "Well, why don't we just telly-port out?"

Sora, Donald, and Launchpad stared at the knight. "Where'd you get _that_?!" Donald demanded.

"Thuh King gave it to me," Goofy explained. "He said it would be helpful."

"Okay," Sora agreed. "Let's get going. Other worlds need our help."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all nodded in return. Jiminy hopped into Sora's hoodie before Goofy pushed a bright, blue button. The group rapidly disappeared into beams of light.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad had finally departed from the world of **Ancient Empire**, leaving the world in peace.

* * *

The circular chamber inside **Villain's Vale** was mostly empty, with the exception of Maleficent, Pete, Mortimer, and the Beagle Boys. They were busy watching a projection of Sora and his friends as they soared away in Herbie.

"So," Mortimer said, breaking a long, on-going silence. "Why were the Heartless in such a middle-of-nowhere world?"

"Maybe they wanted some money," one of the Beagle Boys suggested. "Did you see all that gold they had?"

Pete shook his head. "The Heartless would _never_ go after gold!" he declared. "Hearts, maybe… but gold? Come on!"

Maleficent shook her head. "The answer is so simple," he announced, drawing everyone's attention. "The commander brought them there, along with that no-good 'Xehanort follower' who helped him. It was his desire for money that did the trick. But it seems he lost all control of his greed. That was his downfall, and how tragic a downfall it was."

Pete gave a laugh. "Yeah! He stood no chance dealing with such powers! Any idiot with a strong heart can handle them."

"Like _me_, you mean," Mortimer stated, pointed at himself.

Pete snorted his disapproval. It was the Beagle Boys' turn to speak.

"Why would anyone be destroyed by money?" one of the taller ones asked.

"I can't imagine it happening," the other tall one added.

"Yeah," the short one agreed. "It doesn't make sense."

Pete shook his head. After his meeting with Captain Barbossa about a year ago, he knew all too well how much Darkness greed could create. What he had witnessed in the projection had been a more serious case, but he refused to say so. After all, Pete himself had always been a victim of greed and he knew it. He just didn't do anything about it. If anyone else was going to be consumed by greed, he might be n— he _**refused**_ to think about it.

"Let's all just watch Sora and his friends," Maleficent recommended. "There is a weakness we can still use to our advantage. We _need_ to seek it out, or we will be unable to locate the '_Tome of Prophecies_', rule all worlds, and destroy this ridiculous 'holiday season' once and for all."

At that moment, Cinnamon Teal strode into the room. She saw what they were doing and crossed her arms to wait, uneasily. She started to tap her foot softly. Maleficent saw her through her peripheral vision. "What is it now?" she asked.

"Bad news," Cinnamon Teal replied. "Thistle is gone missing. I searched the whole place. She is gone."

Maleficent snorted her disapproval. "Let that fool play her little game. We've got more important things to worry about."

Her raven flew into the room and landed onto her staff. Maleficent started petting it. "Isn't that right?"

The raven gave a sinister grin in return.

* * *

**The** **Mysterious Tower** was filled with racket. Mainly, it was shouting. Up in Master Yen Sid's chamber, King Mickey was watching a display that made him feel sad. In the middle of the study, Riku and Niccole were in a heated argument. The King felt relieved to know his former Keyblade instructor wasn't around to see this (he was off helping Oswald train Kairi), but he still felt saddened watching two friends fighting.

"For the last time," Riku yelled. "I told you what happened!"

Niccole shook her head. "You _really_ expect me to believe you did _not_ trip me?!" she snapped. "There is water spilled all over the floor down there! That was _**not**_ by accident!"

She snorted and crossed her arms. She turned around. "Ever since I met you, everything's gone downhill for me. First it was the Queen of Heart's guards. Next, it was that stupid bag of bugs. Then, I nearly drowned getting you and Tink out of that so-called 'human house'. Among other things, that is _already_ a long list!"

Riku shook his head. "You didn't _have_ to leave Wonderland," he said. "You could have stayed there with the other flowers. I didn't _make_ you leave — it was _your_ choice."

Niccole gasped and spun back. "So, you're blaming _**me**_ for everything!"

Riku shook his head rapidly. "That's _**not**_ what I said! And it wasn't _my_ fault Maleficent caught you when you should've been hiding."

"So, you _**do**_ admit you're blaming me!"

"Maybe a little… "

"A little is a lot! Are you too stupid to understand _**that**_?!"

"Hey! I am _**not**_ stupid!"

Niccole started to shed tears of sadness. "You never did try to rescue me from the dungeon… "

Riku gave a groan of annoyance. How many times did he have to go over this deep regret he had? "I told you a thousand times — Ansem, I mean Xehanort's Heartless, had already possessed my body. There was _nothing_ I could do!"

Niccole turned towards the doorway leading downstairs and marched through. She slammed the door so violently, the bookshelves on either side of the doorway broke free and several books tumbled onto the floor.

Riku gave a deep sigh and shook his head. He wondered if he would _ever_ be able to set things straight with Niccole. Since he had met her in the land of giant flowers, he had never seen her get so angry. The idea of her being capable of such anger was unheard of — until now.

On the other side of Master Yen Sid's chair, Violet peeked her head out. She gave a deep sigh of relief. The argument was over. At least for now. She started to wonder if she should give Riku some advice to straighten this conflict out….

* * *

**A/N: Don't worry! Riku and Niccole's "Side-Story" has only JUST Started! More is to come... sometime soon. Stay Tuned!**  
**Then again, I wonder what Violet's going to do...**

**I HOPE you enjoyed the ending of the world of Atlantis! I actually wrote the entire Chapter rather quickly since I was in a "Creative Mind". As for the battles earlier on, I was imagining KH2 music as I typed away. The song "_Dance To The Death_" for the air battles in the volcanic shaft, and "_The Corrupted_" for when Sora and Milo fight Rourke. IF Atlantis DOES appear in "_Kingdom Hearts 3_", those two songs would work just nicely with it!**

**Some of you might be wondering where Isa went. That answer might not be revealed until close to the END of This Story!**

**Since this was the end of World #1, it is time to give another "RIDDLE HINT" for Disney World #2!**  
**HINT: "SORA AND HIS FRIENDS END UP IN A FOREST THAT SEEMS PEACEFUL, BUT THERE'S MORE THERE THAN MEETS THE EYE! HEARTLESS AND VILLAINS ARE NOT FAR AWAY AS SORA'S TEAM TRIES TO SEE WHAT'S AROUND THE NEXT RIVERBEND! PERHAPS WAR IN THIS NEW LAND IS INEVITABLE... OR IS IT?!"**  
**IF You think you know which Disney Movie I am referring to, please post your answers in the Reviews section for THIS CHAPTER!**

**So Then, I Shall See You All Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	13. Ch13 - The Free-Spirited Native Princess

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: I'M BACK, AND I HAVE BROUGHT CHAPTER 13 WITH ME FROM "JUST AROUND THE RIVERBEND"!**

**I don't have much to say today, except THREE things:**  
**(1.) I'd like to Thank all of you who have been Reviewing lately. THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOUR REVIEWS HELP A LOT MORE THAN YOU REALIZE!**  
**(2.) I am REALLY Excited about the newest trailer for "_Kingdom Hearts 3_". After all, who saw it coming? It seemed NOTHING was going to be shown at E3. Square Enix sure surprised A LOT OF US! The Tea-Cup Ride was a Nice Addition - AS WAS WHEN THEY REVEALED THE WORLD OF _TANGLED_! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL NOVEMBER (OR SO) FOR MORE NEWS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF "_KINGDOM HEARTS 3_"!**  
**(3.) I went to Niagara Falls the day before I started writing this Chapter. "Why did I mention that", you ask? You shall have to READ ON TO FIND OUT!**

**IT'S TIME TO DIVE INTO THE NEXT WORLD! LET'S GO! AND PLEASE READ AND REVIEW, TOO! I THINK DONALD DUCK IS GETTING UPSET THAT HE HAS NOT RECIEVED A REVIEW ABOUT HIM - YET!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 13  
****The Free-Spirited Native Princess**

_Herbie_ soared through the bluish-green space. The world of _**Ancient Empire**_ was long out of sight. The ride was rather steady, considering Launchpad was at the controls. "This ship's like the _Thunderquack_," he commented every few minutes. "It's nothing but smooth flying from here."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy paid the pilot no mind. They were gathered around in the backseat, leaning over one of the tray tables. Lying on it were the slightly crumpled pieces of Sora's cellular phone. A small toolbox was placed on the seat beside the three and Goofy was trying to use a screwdriver to remove something. Donald had a special-designed "soft hammer", while Sora was watching with anticipation.

Jiminy was standing on the table gazing at the pieces. His hand on his chin as though in deep thought. "Hmm," the cricket pondered aloud. "I don't know, Sora. I'm afraid your gadget is done for."

"_**No way**_!" Sora stated in a firm voice. "I _cannot_ go home without my phone! What will my mom say?"

"May-bee she'll already know about Organization XIII," Goofy suggested, glancing over. "May-bee that there guy was once her friend in a former life."

Sora shook his head. "I don't think so. He said he was 'Lea's ex-friend'. He's probably from whatever world Axel — I mean Lea is from."

Donald stopped pounding the broken pieces back into shape. He gazed at the brown-headed young man in perplexity. "Who's 'Lea'?"

"I remember," Goofy spoke up. "Lea was Axel — you know, thuh guy from Organization XIII who helped us. He's at thuh _**Radiant Garden**_ now."

Donald slapped himself in the face. To Sora, this meant the duck magician had completely forgotten who Lea was. How this was possible, he didn't know. After all, while he was a Nobody, the fiery-haired man had kidnapped Kairi from the islands. Much later, Sora had learned from Kairi how Axel had only wanted to keep the young woman safely away from Saïx — a dangerous member of Organization XIII. Clearly, Axel had been a _good_ member of the Organization, unlike the many others. He had even saved Sora, Donald, and Goofy from numerous Nobodies while the three had been walking through a dark portal. To further protect them, he had unleashed all his fire power in a single attack to terminate all those enemies. As a result, he had slowly faded back into the Darkness. Sora had learned from Axel how the latter had only wanted to see his friend, Roxas, again.

Sora started to feel bad for Axel. Why hadn't he tried to help the former member of Organization XIII get what he had wanted? It probably had something to do with the fact he didn't know who Roxas was at the time.

'_But I knew you, Sora_ — _you, Donald, Goofy, Riku, and Kairi_… '

Sora nearly leapt out of his seat and bumped his head onto the ceiling. Had he just heard his own Nobody speaking?! That was impossible! …Or was it?

"What is it?" he inquired in a soft voice.

There was no answer.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy suddenly declared. "All done!"

Sora mind instantly whirled back to the tray table. To his amazement and relief, there was his cellular phone — back in one piece. Its navy-blue color and golden buttons had never looked nicer. The thin, bright green antennae still stuck out the top.

"Yes!" Sora cheered as he reached over to grab the device. "Now my mom will _never_ know what happened!"

He picked up the phone as his famous smile appeared. He spun the phone around to the other side. His heart sank. The screen was cracked in various spots.

"Sorry, Sora," Donald apologized. "It was an accident, and now _I_ have seven years of bad luck." He paused. "_If_ it was a mirror."

"Gawrsh," Goofy said. "May-bee you should just tape it together."

Sora shook his head. The cracks were small, but still noticeable. He had to accept the truth. He would have to tell his mom about it.

With a deep sigh, Sora leaned back in his seat and hit the _recline_ button. The last time he had told his mom bad news, she had nearly had a panic attack. That had been the evening after he had gone home with Violet just after the "_Mark of Mastery Exam_" had ended a few months ago. Perhaps this news could wait until tomorrow or the next day… or the day after that… or two years from now.

"Thanks anyway, guys," Sora told the others. Donald and Goofy nodded in return. With another sigh, the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder placed the phone back into his pocket. He gazed towards the windshield; the colorful space was all there was in sight — other than countless stars.

"How much longer until we reach the next world?" he called.

"I don't know," Launchpad called back from the driver's seat. "I think _Herbie_ does, but he's not saying."

A bright flash of light soared past the Gummi Ship so quickly, the whole ship rocked. Donald and Goofy paused the movie they had just turned on and held on. Sora felt his seat buckle a little as he de-reclined it. "Wha—?!" he said.

Launchpad had both hands on the steering wheel. "We almost hit that comet," he informed everyone else. "But no worry! We're just sliding a little off course."

As the words left the pilot's mouth, _Herbie_ jolted to the right so rapidly, the ship's floor had become a steady incline. "Make that a _lot_ off course."

Launchpad clung to the steering wheel. He turned it to the left with all his might, but _Herbie_ continued to list to the left. The racecar-turned-Gummi ship was willingly heading to the left. The ship and pilot started to fight each other for the controls. The ride hastily became bouncier. The turbulence grew as _Herbie_ flew into view of a small, greenish-blue star.

Before Sora could move, his seatbelt shook loose as he began bouncing about the cockpit. Donald and Goofy were seconds behind. They shouted in complete alarm as they slammed into seats, the ceiling, and the windows. Launchpad continued to wrestle with the ship's controls despite how hard _Herbie_ tried to resist him.

The Gummi Ship spiraled into the view of the world. Clouds soared past the group's eyes as they continued the rough descent down, down, down below.

Sora was starting to feel just as he had when he and Donald had fought over the Gummi Ship's controls and crash-landed into the _**Deep Jungle**_. Sora had fallen out of the escape hatch and landed head-first into the wooden tree-house. He had then been attacked by a leopard named Sabor and rescued by a man named Tarzan. Now, it looked like the group was facing a similar situation as they plunged into the world below.

A view of countless trees dotting a landscape came into view. In the middle of the forest was a large, long river. Launchpad pulled back on the controls and guided _Herbie_ to the top of a cliff edge. The modified racecar landed on the edge of a tall waterfall. Down below, a giant pool of water connecting the river downstream could be seen. _Herbie_ was just teetering on the edge of the falls.

"Aw gee," Launchpad complained as he pounded the steering wheel in irritation. "Another chance to crash, and I blew it."

The pilot's pounding caused _Herbie_ to start tipping. The whole ship leaned over the falls before nose-diving over the edge. Donald and Goofy screamed in panic while Sora stared as speechless as he'd been in years. The water came closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer, closer….

_**SPLASH!**_

_Herbie_'s doors burst open, sending Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy flying out into the water. The little cricket grabbed Sora's hoodie and held on. Launchpad remained in the driver's seat as his seatbelt straps had held tight.

* * *

Sora gradually opened his eyes and raised his head. He shook his head, feeling droplets of water flying every which way. He realized he was lying face-first on a muddy riverbank. He used his hands to prop himself up and looked upwards. To his surprise, he was on the edge of a lush, green forest of what appeared to be thick, old pine trees. A brown hawk swooped through sky above. The scent of fresh water combined with pine needles filled the air. The sounds of the raging waterfall following the impact with the river below still echoed in his ears.

"Man," he murmured softly. "Now I know what's it like to go over Niagara Falls… "

He looked to his left. There was Donald, lying sideways on the riverbank. The duck was only starting to move. Goofy was beyond the two, lying on his back. He was yawning and stretching and struggling to open his eyes.

Sora nodded at the two and carefully clambered to his feet. The duck and tall dog did the same. Sora glanced to the right and saw _Herbie_ had drifted over to the bank. He rushed over, Donald and Goofy directly behind.

Sora was relieved to see Launchpad climbing out of the vehicle, though in a bit of a daze. "Another successful crash! That makes… 4,727 crash-landings!"

Sora shook his head. He heard Donald yelling at the pilot. "What's the big idea, ya big palooka?! You got us stranded!"

As Donald continued to scold Launchpad, Sora saw what the duck was referring to. _Herbie_ had a pair of wings that were bent at odd angles. Why hadn't he noticed those before?

"How long have these been here?" he asked Goofy.

"Well," Goofy tried to explain. "Them wings have been there ever since we left thuh _**Radiant Garden**_. We ain't landed in another world till now."

Sora gave a nod of understanding. No wonder he didn't remember the wings! They hadn't been there the whole time. Chances were, _Herbie_ only used them during flight. Whenever he landed, they probably folded up for storage. Yet, what they'd just gone through had been a _crash_-landing. That was why the wings were still out — and now they were damaged, too.

That was not all the damage he saw. Floating on the edge of the river were a handful of Gummi blocks, a laser cannon (which had been turned off), and a piece of armor. The left side of the windshield was cracked a little the rear tire on the same side was flat.

_Herbie_ honked at Launchpad with anger. The pilot only shrugged. "Sorry, Herbie. How about we put you back together?"

"_**I'll**_ do it!" Donald announced, shoving the pilot backwards on the riverbank.

"_**Yeow**_!" Launchpad hollered as he fell into the river. He sat up in a hurry, a salmon-looking fish in his mouth. He spat it out and scowled. "Talk about your fresh seafood."

Sora shook his head. He glanced around the immediate area. The landscape seemed so peaceful. There weren't any Heartless in sight. Not a single trace of Darkness either. It was clear to him there was no need to stay in this world any longer. The gateway had probably not been referring to it… had it?

Spotting a towering tree a few feet away, the spikey, brown-haired youth marched over and jumped. He grabbed the lowest branch and climbed up. Branch by branch, he clambered up the tree. Good thing he had climbed the palm trees many times back on the islands.

When he reached the top, Sora looked around. "Whoa!" he awed. Hillsides of forest could be seen in almost every direction. The sounds of various birdcalls filled the air. In one particular direction, the distant view of a massive ocean could be seen. Slightly to the left and closer in, a thin pillar of smoke rose from the trees. There was no indication of any forest fires, which allowed the young man to assume someone's campfire was responsible. No Heartless were in sight.

"This place is amazing," he concluded. Before he could start back down, a tiny, green hummingbird soared over in a hurry. The animal glowered at Sora like he was up to no good. Sora stared at the animal in surprise. It looked just like the one he'd seen in Phoebe's photograph back in the _**Radiant Garden**_.

The hummingbird flew off a second after. Sora shrugged a little before clambering down the tree one branch at a time. He reached the ground in time to hear Donald complaining (as usual).

"I _**cannot**_ believe this! The wing is bent _badly_! We need some help straightening it out."

Sora approached the group. Donald was knelt before _Herbie_'s left wing with a hammer or two in his hands. The toolbox was placed on the upper bank beside the duck's webbed feet. Launchpad and Goofy were standing beside.

"I did see a village downriver," Launchpad informed the group. "I saw it just before we went over the Niagara Falls's daughter."

"Where is it?" Sora asked.

Launchpad pointed through the trees beyond _Herbie_. "That way," he replied.

Sora gazed into the forest. Fortunately, no small plants were growing around, which meant there would be nothing major interfering with them when they walked through. "C'mon," he said to the other three. "Let's go get some help."

"Take _that_ big palooka," Donald said, pointing to Launchpad with a glare. "I'll stay here with Goofy."

Sora was a little confused. Had Donald finally accepted Goofy? Less than ten hours ago, he had been refusing to cooperate with the knight, let along Launchpad. So much must have taken place in the last world — stuff in which he was completely in the dark. He needed to pay more attention to what else was going on.

"Okay," Sora agreed, not wanting to argue as it would lead to nowhere. He turned to face Launchpad. "Let's get going."

Launchpad grinned. "Lead the way!"

Sora smiled as he led the pilot into the forest. The pleasant scent of freshly-fallen pine needles flooded the woods as the two strolled on through them. Sora, Launchpad, Donald, and Goofy had crash-landed into the world of **Jamestowne**.

* * *

The forest seemed endless. The further along Sora and Launchpad went, the denser the trees got. At times, they lost sight of the river altogether. The smell had slowly become greater and the woods were thicker.

"Man," Sora said as the forest continued to deepen. "How much further to this village?"

Launchpad paused in thought. "I can't remember. I only saw it for a moment."

Sora sighed deeply. Chances were, the pilot and him were stuck in the middle of a massive forest with nowhere to go. They could wander around for days and still find nothing. Other worlds needed help and they couldn't get there unless _Herbie_ was fixed.

The loud sounds of drum beating in the distance seized the pair's attention. A series of voices followed it. "_Hega_,_ hega_,_ ya-hi-ye-hega_! _Ya-hi-ye-ne-he hega_!"

A loud horn filled the air. Sora and Launchpad jumped. "What was that?" Sora inquired.

"Sounded like a shell horn," Launchpad suggested. "Or maybe a foghorn. They both sound the same."

The voices continued. "_Hega_,_ hega_,_ ya-hi-ye-hega_! _Ya-hi-ye-ne-he hega_!"

As another loud horn echoed about, Sora made up his mind. "Let's check it out."

The Keyblader led the way through the trees. Launchpad was directly behind him. The beating of the drums steadily grew louder. It was not long before the forest opened into a large clearing. Peering through the foliage, Sora could not believe his eyes.

The clearing was located along the side of the river at its smoothest point. There was a village there, just like Launchpad had claimed. However, it was not what Sora had been expecting. The buildings were made of wooden poles and what seemed to be animal skin. They were wigwams. Several were set in neat rows on one end of the village. Open areas for large bonfires were located throughout the entire community. Smoke was drifting into the air.

Sora's eyes lit up. So _this_ is where the smoke had originated! He had seen a mere glimpse of the village from above and didn't even realize it. He also took note of how the people had tan skin and were willing clothing made from animal skins. Sora automatically knew they were a native tribe just from a distance. He had heard the term "Indian" many times at school, but didn't like the word itself. To him, people were people — regardless of how they looked.

A large group of people were gathered around one particularly huge wigwam. Before Sora and Launchpad's eyes, a tall, muscular man stepped outside. Unlike the other people, this man had a black hair covered by a feathered headdress, a buckskin cape, and was holding a wooden staff. Sora was easily convinced this was the tribal chief.

The chief stood outside the building and faced everyone. "These white men are dangerous," he announced. "No one is to go near them."

Sora's eyes lit up all the more. "White men"? He knew from his history homework (though his mom had to walk him through it) that was what natives had often called the European explorers. Of course, Sora himself had never seen a real native tribe — until now. Then again, he had seen an ancient civilization that was still alive. Perhaps there were other worlds where native tribes and ancient civilizations still existed.

The cranked wheels in his mind continued to turn. He wondered if the chief was saying some strangers were using Heartless. How would he find out? There was only one thing to do.

"Let's get closer," Sora whispered to Launchpad.

Launchpad looked worried. "You sure that's a good idea? Those guys could be cannibals! I've seen _plenty_ working for Mister McDee!"

Sora shook his head and pulled the pilot out of the trees. He led the way down a steep hill towards the crowd. As the two grew closer, a loud scream filled the air. People started shouting and then running. Sora and Launchpad were bumped into several times as the crowd of people dashed past them.

"What in the world?" Sora said once the crowd had dispersed.

Launchpad stared straight ahead. "It's those monsters again!"

Sora spun around. He stared in shock. In the middle of the area before the large wigwam, several black creatures were yellow eyes, antennae, and claws were roaming around trying to attack the few people were remained. At once, a group of purple creatures shaped like miniature falcons with bluish wings, red eyes, and a heart-shaped symbol on their chests appeared in the air. The newer monsters swooped through the air and forced the people cowering behind some trees to duck lower.

"_**Heartless**_!" Sora yelled in recognition. He summoned his Keyblade and charged at the enemies. Launchpad stared as the young man jumped into the middle of the horde. Sora glared at the Heartless as they started to surround him.

One particular Shadow Heartless jumped into the air. Sora swung his weapon and slashed it out of existence. A few others tried to get the jump on him, but Sora was moving too swiftly for them. He gave a grin. The Heartless were not putting up much of a fight.

Through the corner of his eye, Sora saw a young woman peeking out from behind a tree. Two of the falcon-shaped Heartless saw her and soared over. Sora was so alarmed, he leapt a little into the air and slid across the ground like it was a handrail. He stuck his Keyblade into the ground and caused a light-bluish line to form. When he reached the Heartless, he saw most of the falcon Heartless had flown over to attack the spikey-haired Keyblader.

"Try _**this**_!" Sora declared as his Keyblade glowed.

A flash of magic followed before Sora's Keyblade vanished and he was standing upon what seemed to be a red, white, and blue-colored surfboard, only with wheels. The board had a motor on it and contained an image of Mickey Mouse's head and ears. Riding the board, Sora slid into the Heartless and leaped into the air before spinning around. A small whirlwind formed, throwing the Heartless every which way. In turn, Sora raced his board after each of them and sent them spiraling in circles. Several Heartless went spinning straight into trees and were eliminated.

Only a few more Heartless remained. Sora's board transformed back in his Keyblade. He was about to deliver a few more hits when a large, muscular man ran over and jumped into the fray.

"_**Look out**_!" Sora shouted.

His warning went unheard. The man pulled out a tomahawk and lashed it out at the Heartless repeatedly. The Heartless were destroyed in no time. That's when the Shadow Heartless swarmed over. Sora started to fight while the unknown man continued to attack the monsters charging at the young woman behind the tree. Sora was both startled and amazed. Here was someone were ferociously attacked the Heartless without any fear whatsoever.

Sora started to pant. This was _really_ wearing him out. Without warning, he saw Launchpad hop over and pull out a blackish-purple gun. The pilot fired the weapon at several Heartless and caused the enemies to vaporize in a cloud of gas.

"_**Launchpad**_?!" Sora declared. "_**What**_ are you—?!"

"It's one of D.W.'s gas-guns," Launchpad answered.

Sora nodded and the two continued to fight. It only took another two minutes before all the Heartless had been eliminated.

Sora approached the large man who'd fought with him. "You're really good," he said. "Who are you?"

The man gazed at the seventeen-year-old with a stern look. "Are you one of those invaders?" he demanded.

Sora looked lost. "Huh?"

The man shook his head. "I have my eyes on you."

Sora crossed his arms. Why did it seem like this man was being rude? Was he really as judgmental as he sounded? He didn't know and didn't really _want_ to know.

"Kocoum," a voice said. Sora, the man, and Launchpad all turned to see the tribal chief approaching them. "Where is my daughter?"

The man, who Sora now knew was named Kocoum, sighed. "I have not found her yet."

The chief sighed and looked down. He saw Sora and Launchpad standing beside the warrior. "Who are you two?"

"I'm Sora," Sora said.

"The name's Launchpad McQuack," Launchpad announced.

The chief smiled. "You are not one of those beasts. You are good, loyal to others, and smart. Thank you for protecting us."

Sora smiled as he placed his hands behind his head. Lately, he had received a few compliments, as well as a few insults. He wasn't used to such stuff. "Sure, don't mention it."

"Chief Powhatan," Kocoum stated. "What makes you so sure we can trust these outsiders?"

"They mean well," the chief replied. "Perhaps they can be of some help to us."

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "But first, I want to know something." The chief and Kocoum turned to face the young man. "How long have the Heartless been running around?"

"What are these 'Heartless' you speak of?" the chief questioned.

Sora hesitated in his reply. "Well… they were those monsters we just fought — the ones attacking everyone."

The chief nodded. "Come inside. We will explain everything to you two."

Sora and Launchpad looked at each other. They shrugged and followed the tribal chief and Kocoum into the large wigwam.

* * *

The interior of the wigwam was darker than Sora expected. The only light came from the doorway, a hole above, and a small, burning fire in the middle of the room. The hole in the ceiling allowed the smoke from the fire to escape. A number of woven benches were situated on one side of the room. The wooden frame of the structure appeared to be a gigantic cage over the group. There was a strange smell coming from somewhere inside. The building made Sora feel both cozy and uneasy at the same time.

A woven stool was located on the far wall from where Sora and Launchpad stood. Seated in it was an elderly man with long, gray hair. His skin tone was only slightly tanned. He reminded Sora of Rafiki, the monkey-shaman he'd met in the _**Pride Lands**_ almost a year ago.

Chief Powhatan stood beside the elderly man while Kocoum stood beside Sora. To Sora, the warrior looked a little like a giant.

"You wish to know more about these strangers we call 'white men'," the chief said to Sora and Launchpad.

The spikey, brown-headed Keyblade wielder and duck-pilot nodded. Sora took notice of the young woman he'd seen the Heartless charging at — the one who'd been hiding behind the tree. Like the others, she had tan skin and was barefoot. She sported small black eyes, a small nose and mouth, and long black hair tied up in a bun. Her outfit consisted of a two-piece buckskin outfit which included a crop top and skirt. She also had a thin white necklace around her neck.

Powhatan turned his eyes to the elderly man. "Kekata, tell them what you saw."

Kekata rose from his stool and carefully stepped up to the fire. He started chanting in a language Sora didn't know. The tribal shaman reached into his cloak and pulled out a small handful of what looked like herbs. He dumped them onto the fire.

"Our shores have been invaded by some _very_ strange creatures," Kekata informed Sora and Launchpad.

Before everyone's eyes, the shaman raised his hands into the air. A huge cloud of smoke and magic filled the air near the ceiling. In it, an image of atypical-looking figures appeared. "These are not men like us," Kekata continued. "But strange beasts with bodies that shine like the sun and weapons that breathe fire. Some are as black as night with glowing eyes like a firefly."

One of the figures held up a blurry item and pointed it upwards. A flicker of flame came from it. Several shadowy creatures appeared around the figures. Sora and Launchpad both gulped with anxiety. To Sora, they strongly resembled the Heartless soldiers he'd dealt with in the last world. The creatures down below looked _exactly_ like Heartless.

"They'll prowl the earth like ravenous wolves — consuming _everything_ in their path," Kekata added before the figures transformed into a pack of wolves and swirled around the room. The smoke circled Kocoum's shoulders for a moment before it dissipated. Sora watched in surprise, wondering if this meant anything.

Kocoum didn't seem to notice. "Chief Powhatan," he declared. "I will say it again. I will lead a group of warriors to attack. We will destroy these invaders — the _same_ way we destroyed the Massawomecks!"

"The 'Mesa-what-its'?" Launchpad inquired.

Kocoum clenched his fist and scowled at the duck-pilot. "The Massawomecks. They were a tribe who threatened to burn our villages to the ground."

Sora shook his head. He could tell Goofy's silliness was already growing onto Launchpad's personality. It probably had been happening for quite some time, but he hadn't noticed until now. Sooner or later, Launchpad would turn into Goofy. Likewise, Goofy might become Launchpad, too.

Powhatan raised his hand. "Kocoum, I told you before," he said. "In that battle, we knew how to fight our enemy, but these white men are still very strange to us. For all we know, they could be using these monsters Sora said are called 'Heartless'."

Kocoum stepped back a couple steps. Sora decided it was his turn to speak. "Maybe my friends and I could help. We've fought the Heartless many times. We can handle 'em."

"Who are these friends you speak of?" the chief asked.

Sora gestured to Launchpad. "Well, there's Launchpad. Then there's also Donald and Goofy. They're busy fixing our ship. I'm sure they'll want to help you out."

There was a long pause as Powhatan glanced to the side. He gazed back up. "I have decided. Sora, you and your friends may help us."

Sora nodded. He was eager to start fighting Heartless everywhere. Chances were, the gateway he'd unlocked earlier had led his team to this particular world after all.

"This is _not_ a good idea," Kocoum stated in a very firm voice. "We do not know these outsiders. How can we trust them?"

Sora sighed, knowing the warrior was just being stubborn.

"Chief Powhatan," the young woman who'd come in late spoke up. "I… I can't find Pocahontas."

Powhatan sighed. Sora looked puzzled. "Pocahontas?" the latter asked.

"My daughter," the chief informed the young man. "I wonder where she has gone. It is not safe outside the village."

Kekata gave a chuckle. "You know Pocahontas," he told Powhatan. "She has her mother's spirit. She goes wherever the wind takes her."

"What 'wind'?" Launchpad said. He licked his right index finger and held it in the air. "There's no wind in here — not even a breeze. No wonder it feels like a toaster oven."

Everyone seemed to stare at the pilot. Then Powhatan turned to Sora. "Please, find my daughter, Pocahontas."

Sora nodded. "I will, don't worry."

Sora and Launchpad both stepped outside the wigwam. As they started for the forest, the young woman from before came rushed after them. They turned around to face her.

"What is it?" Sora asked.

"It is about Pocahontas," the woman said. "She's my best friend. I don't want anything to happen to her."

Sora crossed his arms. He could tell this woman — whoever she was — cared about her friends just like Riku and him cared about their friends and each other. For some reason, he had the feeling this woman was a lot like Riku while the one he hadn't met (Pocahontas) was a lot like he was.

"Okay," Sora said with a nod. "I promise, I'll bring Pocahontas back, miss… "

"Nakoma," the woman said with a smile. "Pocahontas and I grew up together."

Sora nodded. There was something else the two women had in common with Riku and himself. With a wave, Sora and Launchpad both strolled into forest. They had two things to do. First, they would check in on Donald and Goofy. After that, they would locate the native woman, Pocahontas.

* * *

Sora and Launchpad had been gone for nearly two hours. Donald continued to hammer away at the wing. He had made a little progress, which was a lot more than if Launchpad had stuck around. In reality, no help was needed to repair _Herbie_. Donald had just wanted to get rid of Launchpad in the meantime. What better way to do so than with Sora?

"Goofy?" the duck said as he looked up from the wing. "Where's the next block?"

"Comin' right up!" Goofy called over. Donald turned around. There was the tall, hunched over, clumsy Captain of the Royal Guard. He was scooping up the last leftover Gummi block from the riverbank and carrying it over. As he drew close, he tripped on a root sticking out of the mud and fell down. The block went flying and bounced off Donald's head.

"Ouch!" the duck groaned upon impact. He hopped onto his feet and glared at Goofy. "What's the big idea?!"

"Sorry," Goofy muttered from where he lay on the ground. The block suddenly landed back in his hands. "A-Hyuck! What comes up, always comes down."

Donald had heard enough. He reached over and snatched the block. "Gimme that!"

The duck marched back up to _Herbie_ and knelt down to just below the wing. He inserted the block into a gaping hole, which the block fit into with perfection. He started to hammer it into place when a blur of green movement rushed past. Donald shrugged and went back to work. He was almost done hammering when the blur went by again. Then again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. At this rate, it was going to drive his in circles and make him dizzy.

"What the heck is going on?" Donald demanded to know. The blur went by and stopped. To the duck's surprise, it was tiny green hummingbird. The animal glowed at him like he was a criminal. This was _not_ what Donald ever wanted to see.

"Go away," he snapped at the bird. The creature remained hovering by. "I said 'go away'!"

The hummingbird flew up after a couple of squeaks. Donald sighed deeply before returning to his work.

"Hey Donald, look what I found," Goofy announced as he walked over.

Donald turned to see the knight. His mouth fell open. There in Goofy's hand was a small, green purse. "A-Hyuck!" Goofy chuckled, pointing at the item. "Pretty."

To Donald, this was _not_ a "pretty" sight. He knew he didn't have a purse. Nor did Goofy or Launchpad. Of course, Sora never had one. It was too large to be Jiminy's. This meant only one thing, and the duck _**hated**_ to admit it was true.

There had been a stowaway. And it was a girl. The only questions left were, who? And why?

"Where did you get that?" Donald asked.

"It was in thuh trunk," Goofy explained. "Kinda pretty, too."

Donald sighed. The stowaway had probably escaped, whoever she was. He went back to work. He caught a glimpse of Goofy sitting on the riverbank. The knight pulled a sandwich out of one of his vest pockets, unzipped the wrapper, and took a bite. He chewed so loudly, Donald had to cover his ears. He pulled out a pair of ear-protectors from the toolbox by his feet and slipped them on. Then he resumed his work.

Goofy took a second bite of his sandwich. He could feel the jelly and cream cheese against his teeth as he chewed. He was about to take a third bite when a raccoon jumped out of the trees and snatched it. Goofy leapt onto his feet and pointed at the half-eaten sandwich in the animal's claws. "Hey! That's mine!"

Goofy hurried after the critter. The raccoon waved goodbye before placing the sandwich in its mouth and dashing down the riverbank. Goofy was seconds behind him.

Donald could still hear Goofy's footsteps. He glanced back and saw the knight chasing the raccoon around the riverbank. He had to laugh. He turned back to his work when a tiny creature swooped over and glowered at him.

The hummingbird was back.

"Get outta here!" Donald snapped as he swiped the hammer at the animal. The hummingbird continued to squeak at him like it was yelling. Donald had to step back to avoid the creature's pointy mouth. He stepped so far, he tripped over the root Goofy had earlier and tumbled off the riverbank.

With a _**SPLASH**_, Donald landed in the river. He sat up, finding a fish in his mouth. The taste of Launchpad's breath was on it, indicating it was the _same_ fish from before. The hummingbird was laughing like crazy. Donald glared at the little animal. He spat out the fish. "What's the big idea?!"

The block Goofy had "given" to Donald popped off the ship and bounced off Donald's head. "Ouch!"

It was then Sora and Launchpad appeared from the forest. Donald slapped his face. "Oh no… "

* * *

Sora had to shake his head. _Herbie_ was still in pieces, only most of him was already put back together. Goofy was chasing a light-grey raccoon around and around. Seeing the sandwich in the animal's mouth, Sora knew why. He also saw Donald lying in the river as a tiny hummingbird laughed away.

Sora froze. The hummingbird was the _same_ hummingbird he had seen earlier in the treetops. Could it be just a coincidence? He doubted it. It was exactly the same hummingbird from Phoebe's photograph. The raccoon also looked just like the one from the picture, too.

He smiled, certain these were the same two from the picture. The spikey-headed Keyblader strode forwards with a smile. "Hey, you two!" he called to the animals.

Goofy thought he was talking to him and Donald. "Hey, Sora! Didja find the villy-ige?"

Sora nodded. He placed his hands behind his head. "Yeah, well… it's not the kind of village you're thinking of. This place is full of tribal lands."

Donald had just finished swimming to shore when his ears perked up to Sora's words. He swung his head around with a frightened look on his face. "There are Indians _**here**_?!"

Sora shook his head. The duck was probably worried about nothing. Well… maybe _almost_ nothing. Donald tended to focus more on Goofy's clumsy side compared to other things — except the goal of their quest. Perhaps he needed to inform the two they had work to do in this particular world.

"Yeah… but don't call them that. One of them might clobber you, Donald — just like when you clobbered me when I was a Heartless."

Donald glared at the brown, spikey-haired young man. "How come you couldn't forget about _**that**_?!"

"Well," Goofy broke in. "Sora did look like any other Heartless. Them Heartless look alike. I couldn't tell it was him neither."

"Yeah," Sora added. "And Donald told me, 'Confounded Heartless! Get lost, will ya?!' Good thing Kairi was there to bring me back. I might've been a Heartless forever!"

Donald yelled in anger at Sora's "detailed" recollection. Sora and Goofy burst out laughing. Launchpad stood off to the side and shook his head. "Aw gee," the pilot muttered to himself. "They get all the lucky adventures… "

There was a rustling in the trees. Launchpad spun his head to the right. He thought he could make out a silhouette of a person through the foliage. "Hey, who're you?"

There was another rustling in the trees. This one was louder than the first one. It also grabbed Sora, Donald, and Goofy's attention. They turned their focus to where the noise had originated.

"Huh?" Donald said aloud.

"What was that?" Sora asked.

Goofy gulped and tugged at his collar. "It could've been a Heartless, though Donald and I haven't seen none."

Sora glanced at the captain of the guard. "There _are_ Heartless in this world," he stated. "Launchpad and I had to save some people in the village. Man! They were all over the place!"

"_**What**_?!" a startled Donald cried.

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "I'm gonna go check it out," he announced as he stepped up to the foliage. Donald and Goofy were no longer concerned about the hummingbird and raccoon; the two animals had run off anyway. Instead, the duck and tall dog both rushed into a spot behind _Herbie_'s left wing. Launchpad pulled out the gas-gun he'd had earlier and pointed it towards the trees.

Sora's footsteps barely made any sound as he neared the foliage. He was about to slash his weapon around in an arc to clear a small patch of bushes when the rustling occurred again. He shuffled the plants aside and peered into the underbrush.

Sora stared in surprise. Hiding in the shadows of the bushes was a young woman with copper skin, long raven-black hair and twinkling, dark brown eyes. She was tall, slender, and barefoot.

Before he could see more, the woman rushed into the foliage and sped off in a hurry. "Wait!" Sora called. "Who are you?"

The woman kept running. This was _not_ good enough for Sora. _Not_ good enough at all! He sighed in irritation and ran after the stranger. Into the forest he went, hot on the trail. To his amazement, the woman was dodging trees, hopping over logs, and still sprinting away with lightning speed.

'_No wonder_,' Sora realized as he carefully jumped over a log. '_She's more familiar with this world than I am_!'

The woman continued to flee. As Sora drew closer, a series of unmistakable sounds filled his ears. He ground to a halt and veered his eyes around. His mouth fell open. A small group of Heartless had appeared; among them were the falcons.

Sora glared at the enemies. "Outta the way!" he snarled. He swung his Keyblade this way and that, and that way and this. Within twenty seconds, the Heartless either been sliced out of existence, slammed into each other, or collided with the nearby trees. Sora didn't bother to deal with them all. He _had_ to keep up with the young woman.

* * *

With some loud crunches, Sora's shoes crushed a few sticks near the edge of the trees. He ran out of the foliage. He stared up ahead. There was the young woman trying to paddle away on a canoe created from a hollowed out log. The raccoon and hummingbird were with her. Sora had to grin, knowing the two animals were most-likely this woman's friends.

"Hey!" he called. "Wait up!"

The woman stopped and spun her eyes around. She stared at Sora. The brown-haired seventeen-year-old could see fear written in her eyes. He glanced at his Keyblade before allowing the weapon to disappear from his right hand. He started to step closer to the woman. He could now tell she was wearing a buckskin dress with one shoulder strap. She also sported a red tattoo around her right shoulder, and she had a blue necklace containing a white stone around her neck.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," Sora said in an attempt to reassure the woman. He saw Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad emerging from the forest. The woman looked more terrified now. "It's okay. They're my friends."

He extended his hand out to the young woman. "Are you the chief's daughter?"

Donald and Goofy stared at each other. Had Sora not told them everything?

The woman looked at Sora a little funny. Then she accept his hand. At the same time, Sora could feel a slight breeze picking up. Bluish-green leaves were blowing along, with tiny yellowish seeds that seemed to glow when they hit the sunlight.

The woman smiled and allowed Sora to help her out of the canoe. "Yes," she said in plain English. "My name is Pocahontas. You scared me."

"Sorry about that," Sora apologized. "I didn't know who it was." At least he knew who this woman was. She _was_ Chief Powhatan's daughter — Pocahontas. Now, all he wanted to know was why she was out and about when the Heartless were threatening the world's safety. He decided to get the introductions out of the way first.

"I'm Sora," he said, gesturing to himself. He gestured to the others behind him. "Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad."

Jiminy hopped onto the young man's shoulder. "And Jiminy," Sora quickly added.

"'Pocahontas'," Jiminy contemplated out loud. "Doesn't that mean 'Little Mischief'?"

Pocahontas nodded. She gave a smile. "I have never seen anyone like you around here."

"It's no big deal," Sora replied. His eyes turned to focus on the pair of animals watching from the canoe. "So, who are your friends?"

Pocahontas walked back to the canoe. She picked up the raccoon and carried him over to the group. "This is Meeko."

Goofy marched up and snatched his sandwich out of the raccoon's mouth. It was drenched and moldy, so he dropped it a moment later and pulled another one out of his other vest pocket.

Donald had to laugh when he saw Goofy's sandwich land in the river and float away. The tiny, green hummingbird saw this and soared up to the duck and started squeaking ferociously. Donald swung his hand at the little animal, but ended up striking nothing but air. "Get outta here, ya little palooka!"

The hummingbird gave one last squeak before flying over to Pocahontas. The young woman let the animal land on her finger. "Flit just doesn't like strangers," she told them.

"We're not strangers now," Sora said. "But I guess he's stubborn."

Pocahontas nodded. "_Very_ stubborn."

Flit gave a shy squeak. This only made Sora think of how stubborn Donald tended to be. The duck was _very_ distrusting of others, and this sometimes got him into trouble. He couldn't think of any actual times when this had happened, but he still knew it more-than-likely had taken place.

Sora shook his head to clear his mind and get back on track. "Pocahontas, why did you leave the village?"

"My father's the chief of our tribe," Pocahontas replied.

"Gawrsh," Goofy interrupted. "That makes you a princess then."

Pocahontas sighed. "That's the thing. My father wants me to marry Kocoum. But he's so… serious."

"I know what you mean," Sora acknowledged.

He still could not get the warrior's distrust-filled comments out of his head. It was no different than when he'd had to try to convince Phil he was hero material. Yet every step of the way, the satyr had refused to accept Sora, Donald, and Goofy as "_True Heroes_". First, he had declared them nothing more than "_Junior Heroes_" because they had knocked out Cerberus in the coliseum's arena. After they defeated Hades in the Underworld, a new constellation had been created in the sky above to honor their heroism. Of course, Phil had _still_ refused to present them with the title of "_True Heroes_".

He had a flashback, recalling the last thing Phil had told him after the constellation had appeared in the sky far above.

* * *

_Sora smiled at the constellation representing Donald, Goofy, and himself. He could see the duck and dog jumping up and down for joy._

"_How about __**that**__, Phil?" Sora declared. "At least __**someone's**__ accepting us as '_True Heroes_'!"_

"_Yeah, well, it ain't gonna be me," Phil stated as he approached the three. Donald and Goofy turned their attention to the satyr. "And you know why?"_

"_Why not?" Donald inquired. Goofy nodded._

_Phil held up two fingers on his right hand. "Two words. You're only… '_Honorary Heroes_'!"_

_Sora, Donald, and Goofy sighed in disbelief._

"_Aw shucks," Goofy deeply sighed._

* * *

Sora snapped back out of his pondering in time to say one more line. "I wouldn't want any of _my_ daughters marrying someone like that."

"I didn't know you had daughters," Launchpad said to Sora. "What are their names?"

Donald snatched the pilot's scarf and pulled on it. Launchpad stared at the magician. "He doesn't have any kids!" Donald snapped. He paused. "Yet… "

Goofy covered his mouth to hide his snickering. Sora had to sigh deeper than normal. Those two would never forget how Kairi had kissed him. Then again, maybe they were thinking of how much he cared for Kairi. Or maybe it was the fact he liked her… _**no**_ — that _**couldn't**_ be it! Either way, Launchpad had _still_ made a gawky misassumption.

Pocahontas gazed down at the river. The water was flowing gracefully along. "My father wants me to be steady," she told the group. "Like the river."

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad walked up to the edge of the water. Through the corner of his eye, the spikey, brown-haired Keyblade wielder could see _Herbie_ waiting about a quarter of a mile downriver.

There was a loud splash, followed by a pair of brown otters. Donald was so startled, he tumbled over and landed in the river. Meeko and Flit (who had been perched on Pocahontas's shoulders) fell from their places and landed on the riverbank.

"Whoa!" Sora exclaimed. "That was unexpected."

Pocahontas laughed. "But it's not steady at all."

The young woman climbed into her canoe before gesturing for Sora's team to join her. Sora glanced at his friends. They all shrugged, so he returned the gesture. One by one, they all climbed into the canoe which was large enough to fit at least two more people.

Pocahontas started paddling down the river. As she did, Sora could hear her chanting or singing… he couldn't decide which one it was. "_What I love most about rivers is: You can't step in the same river twice. The water's always changing, always flowing._"

She glanced at Sora with a shrug. "_But people, I guess, can't live like that. We all must pay a price. To be safe, we lose our chance of ever knowing what's around the riverbend, waiting just around the riverbend._"

By this point, the group was heading the middle of the river. Meeko was trilling along happily from the front of the vessel. The river's slow current carried the canoe past _Herbie_ and further down the river. As they rounded a turn, Pocahontas continued to either chant or sing. "_I look once more just around the riverbend — beyond the shore — where the gulls fly free. Don't know what for... what I dream the day might send just around the riverbend for me… coming for me._"

A pair of otters splashed alongside the canoe. Goofy leaned out to see them and got splashed in the face. Donald started to laugh when Flit poked his bill. The two otters dove back underwater before emerging on a rock. The pair of animals lay there in the sun.

The journey along the river grew more and more calm. The sounds of birds twittering added to the sound of some small waterfalls the canoe was passing. Meeko and Launchpad both peeked through the falls. Some small fish came falling down and landed on their faces.

Pocahontas turned to Sora. "I feel it there beyond those trees or right behind these waterfalls."

Sora was perplexed. "Feel what?"

The distant sounds of drums caught the group's attention. Pocahontas sighed. "_Can I ignore that sound of distant drumming for a handsome sturdy husband who builds handsome sturdy walls, and never dreams that something might be coming just around the riverbend?_"

Sora was surprised. Was the native princess referring to Kocoum? He could not think of anyone else from the village who matched the description she'd just said, err… chanted or sang.

"What's with all this drumming?" Launchpad questioned. "It doesn't sound like a symphonic orchestra."

"The drums mean trouble," Pocahontas informed the group. "But it's okay. I know where to go. Those 'monsters' out there only come in certain places."

"Really?" Donald asked.

Pocahontas gave a simple nod.

That's when the river picked up speed. Up ahead, the water was descending over a cliff. Sora and his team stared in surprise, knowing this was a waterfall. They gazed at the young woman.

Pocahontas was smiling with excitement. "_Just around the riverbend! I look once more just around the riverbend!_" she declared in her singing (or chanting) style. The canoe plunged over the falls. Donald gulped anxiously as the descended rapidly.

There was a thunderous _**SPLASH**_ as the canoe landed onto the water below. Fortunately for them, it had landed upright. Pocahontas masterfully steered the vessel along some raging rapids. "_Beyond the shore_," the young woman continued. "_Somewhere past the sea. Don't know what for…_ "

The canoe neared an enormous rainbow. Before Sora knew it, they had travelled clear through the colorful display. Pocahontas was still singing/chanting away. "_Why do all my dreams extend just around the riverbend? Just around the riverbend… _"

The canoe suddenly came to a halt in the middle of the river. Sora and his friends saw Pocahontas was staring straight ahead with Meeko and Flit. They turned their eyes the same way and saw why.

The river was splitting into two directions. The one on the left was wide and gentle. The right one was all zig-zaggy and narrow.

"Should I choose the smoothest course," Pocahontas asked as she gazed over the side of the canoe. "Steady as the beating drum? Should I marry Kocoum? Is all my dreaming at an end?"

Sora glanced over the edge. He saw Pocahontas's reflection looking back with uncertainty. He noticed his own reflection was looking back with regret. When Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gazed into the water, their reflections all looked different, too. Donald's looked envious. Goofy's looked a little saddened. Launchpad's seemed both carefree and lonely.

The spikey, brown-headed young man started to think. He wondered… was this river having a magical effect on them?

The wind started to blow. Pocahontas looked up and into it. "Or do you still wait for me, Dream Giver," she said with a relieved smile. "Just around the riverbend?"

Sora and his teammates turned their focus to the native woman. She grabbed her paddle and started to row in the direction of the zigzagged stream. Down they went, veering right, then left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then right, and so on and so forth.

Donald turned green, Goofy held onto the canoe's sides. Launchpad started to grow faint from all the turning.

Sora was too deep in thought to feel dizzy. His mind was wrapped around Pocahontas's personality. He could tell she was as free-spirited as his sister, Amemi. Playful and free-spirited. _That_ was how he would describe the native princess.

He smiled, only to recall how he had not allowed his sister to come along. He sighed. Instead of worrying about it, Sora decided to focus on where Pocahontas was taking him and his friends. Only _she_ knew where they were headed.

* * *

**A/N: THERE YOU ARE! ANOTHER CHAPTER COMPLETED! AND WHAT A CHAPTER!**

**I am sure this is probably clear to you, but I will say it anyway. This world, _JAMESTOWNE_ is based on the Disney Movie, "_POCAHONTAS (1995)_".**  
**I understand a LOT of people dislike this movie, but I thought it was a rather good one. The animation, for instance, is excellent. It is clear to me that the movie's story was NOT intended to be historically accurate from the start. It WAS one of the few) Disney Movies to be based on a legend about someone who actually lived in our world. The other two being "_Robin Hood (1973)_" and "_The Sword In The Stone (1963)_".**

**Anyway, here is a List of Possible Questions you MIGHT be thinking!**  
**(1.) Where's Captain John Smith?**  
**(2.) Why are the Heartless running around?**  
**(3.) Who is the mysterious stowaway?**  
**(4.) Did Donald suddenly start trusting Goofy?**  
**(5.) Why did Meeko take Goofy's sandwich?**  
**(6.) When in the movie did Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad arrive?**  
**(7.) Why is the world called "_Jamestowne_"?**  
**(8.) Where did Pocahontas take Sora and his friends?**  
**(9.) What happened to the fish Donald and Launchpad "caught"?**  
**Most Importantly, WILL SORA EVER APOLOGIZE TO HIS SISTER?!**

**The Answers to at least MOST/SOME of these Questions MIGHT be revealed sometime in the next few Chapters.**

**Plus, the reason why I italicized _Herbie_'s name in This Chapter was because I decided it would be nicer if it were so. It IS the name of the Gummi Ship/Racecar after all!**  
**Yes, the "gas-gun" Launchpad used is Darkwing Duck's signature weapon from the "_Darkwing Duck -TV Series-_", which was a Spin-off of the "_DuckTales -TV Series-_".  
****As A Matter Of Fact, Pocahontas's name DOES mean "Little Mischief". It also means "The Naughty One".**

**In Addition, I HOPE you enjoyed how I included the Musical Segment of "_Just Around The Riverbend_"! That is one of my Favorite songs from "_Pocahontas (1995)_".**

**So Then, I'll See You All Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) ****MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	14. Ch14 - Grandmother Willow And John Smith

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: IT'S JULY 3RD! HAPPY DAY-BEFORE-INDEPENDENCE DAY - AT LEAST HERE IN THE UNITED STATES!**

**SoraLego278: I know Independence Day is Not until July 4TH, but I decided to post This Chapter today instead. After all, I might not have access to a computer tomorrow.**

**Donald Duck: Yeah...**

**SoraLego278: Well, today Donald 'volunteered' to help host this particular Chapter.**

**Donald Duck: I hope Daisy isn't watching, or reading...**

**SoraLego278: Either way, I wanted to congratulate all of you who were able to determine the world of Jamestowne was based on "_Pocahontas (1995)_". I thought the Riddle Hint I gave at the end of Chapter 12 was one of the more challenging ones I've made.**  
**Of course, I wanted to also let you know I do not have any Trivia for THIS Chapter.**

**Donald Duck: Why not?**

**SoraLego278: I have decided to save it until Chapter 15.**

**Donald Duck: Oh...**

**SoraLego278: Well, I guess I could give a DIFFERENT one.  
****DID YOU KNOW? Most Disney Characters are inspired by either one of their previous characters, a fantasy character, or someone who was/is real. They are often based on ****multiple ones. For an example, Jafar's character was partly inspired by the actor, Vincent Price.  
****In the case of the Disney movie, "_Pocahontas_", John Smith's character was inspired by both the REAL John Smith &amp; Indiana Jones. Make sense?**

**Donald Duck: Yeah!**

**SoraLego278: In addition, I will answer at least ONE of the questions from the previous Chapter. As for the point in the movie when this story takes place, I can tell you Chapter 14 might give you a better clue. I will explain it at the END of This Chapter.**

**SoraLego278: Plus, I want to reply to a Guest Review. I cannot reply to these via a PM as the system on here doesn't allow it.**

**"GrovLight"****: I agree with you. _Square Enix_ SHOULD include "_Aladdin III: Aladdin And The King of Thieves_ _(1996)_" in "_Kingdom Hearts 3_". I would also like them to include The Beast's Castle one more time so we can actually SEE the spell being broken; imagine THAT being on the PS4 (I do not believe the End Credits of "_Kingdom Hearts 2_" confirm anything.)!**

**As for My Stories, I can tell you this much, Agrabah will NOT be included in This Story as it does not fit with this story's theme of HOPE/The Light In The Darkness. However, I do have plans to create a Third Story. There is a significant chance of it appearing there - as long as a minimum of 214 Reviews are posted on THIS Story!**

**Donald Duck: I wanna go back to Agrabah!**

**SoraLego278: I hope you will. So, GO AHEAD AND READ! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO!**

**Donald Duck: And make it about ME! Not those big palookas!**

**SoraLego278: Whatever...**

* * *

**CHAPTER 14  
****Grandmother Willow And John Smith**

The river finally slowed down. The sounds of a few birds filled the air. The smell of the water had become much more pleasant over time. Sora was looking around the immediate area. Pocahontas had led the canoe down the zigzagged stream until the group had reached a large pool of water. On the edge of the river, a giant willow tree was situated. Pocahontas steered her canoe through the willow vines up to the riverbank.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad looked around in wonder. The scenery looked so picturesque. Almost like they were inside a painting. The canoe stopped on the edge of the bank. Sora and his team followed her up a large trunk to the top of a stump. The sounds of animals hooting, chirping, and scurrying around started to fill the air.

Sora was still looking around. "Whoa," he marveled. The last time he had seen such a nice landscape was when he had entered the bright green musical score in the _**Symphony of Sorcery**_. However, not even _that_ world's scenery was as fascinating as what he saw around him. It had been a simple layout, even within a piece of music. Trees… flying horses… waterfalls… centaurs… they were _nothing_ compared to the beauty of the environment all around them.

The group sat down on the tree stump beside Pocahontas, Meeko, and Flit. "Is that my Pocahontas?" a voice asked.

Sora was mystified. He glanced around. No one was there — no one except him, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Pocahontas. Was this all in his imagination? Had he been hearing things? How would he determine its source? For all he knew, it was Violet's sister, Indigo. …Then again, the voice sounded rather old and a little like Merlin The Wizard. Since Violet had claimed Indigo was her twin sister, he doubted this voice was the unknown angel's.

"Yes, Grandmother Willow," Pocahontas replied to the voice. "I need to talk to you."

When they saw the native woman was facing the tree's trunk, Sora and his team stared at it. As if by magic, a face appeared. Sora continued to stare in surprise. Donald fainted onto his back. Goofy and Launchpad both covered their mouths to keep from shouting.

"Good morning, child," the tree said. "I was hoping you'd visit today."

Sora could barely contain his amazement. "A _talking_ tree?!"

"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked with his hands still covering his mouth.

The tree's face gazed at the group. Its eyes lit up. "Oh my! Who are your friends?"

Sora gulped, unsure what to say. What could someone say to a living tree? Before Pocahontas could speak, he opened his mouth. "Sora," he introduced. He gestured to his teammates. "Donald, Goofy, Launchpad."

The tree gave a smile. Pocahontas gestured to the tree. "Meet Grandmother Willow."

"Hello," Goofy waved to Grandmother Willow. "It's nice ta meetcha!"

"I've heard of people talking to their plants," Launchpad said. "But never have the plants talked back, until now."

"Oh brother," Donald muttered. "Everyone knows trees can't talk."

Grandmother Willow gave the duck a stern look. Before Sora's eyes, the tree lowered a willow vine. The vine curled back and slapped Donald's tail. "Ouch!" the duck magician wailed in agony. He glared at the tree. "What's the big idea?!"

Sora had to laugh. It was clear (to him anyway) Grandmother Willow had a heart, and a kind, gentle one at that. Unless someone teased her, that is. He then turned to Pocahontas and asked, "So, why'd you bring us here?"

Pocahontas opened her mouth to speak. Grandmother Willow shifted her eyes to Sora and spoke before the native woman could. "Come closer, young man," she said in a voice that sounded strict.

Sora gulped softly before rising to his feet. He strode across the stump to the tree's face. Grandmother Willow squinted to see into the brown-haired youth's eyes. Sora grinned with a hint of anxiety. "You have a good soul," the tree said. "And you're quite the handsome lad, too. Much better than that Kocoum."

Sora's grin grew larger. He placed his hands behind his head and relaxed. Whatever Goofy and the others had noticed about him and Darkness was probably nothing more than a complete mistake. It wasn't uncommon for Goofy to make a good now and then. Donald was constantly panicking about one thing or another. And Launchpad, well… he tended to take things a little too literal.

He nodded. "Thanks, Grandma Willow."

Grandmother Willow gave him a stern look. "I'm _not_ your grandma! You should call me 'Grand_mother_ Willow'."

Sora instantly corrected himself. "Sorry about that, Grandmother Willow." He glanced back to see Donald shaking his head, Goofy stifling a chuckle, and Launchpad trying to shoo a couple mosquitoes.

"He is nice," Pocahontas spoke up at last. "But here's the thing. My father wants me to marry Kocoum."

"Kocoum?!" Grandmother Willow exclaimed. "But he's so _serious_!"

Sora and the others stared at the native princess. "Really?" Sora inquired. "He does?"

"Who's 'Coconut-hum'?" Goofy questioned.

Donald did not bother to correct the knight's mispronunciation. Launchpad quickly filled the two in. "I think he was the one attacking some of those 'Heartless' guys back at the village." The pilot turned to Sora. "Right, Sora?"

Sora nodded. "Right. He's a warrior. He really handled those things."

Pocahontas gave a smirked smile. "I know," she admitted. She proceeded to talk to the group. "But lately, I've been having this dream. I think it's telling me something's about to happen — something exciting!"

"Oh! A dream!" Grandmother Willow declared. "Let's hear _all_ about it!"

Before Pocahontas could start to explain, Sora's ears became filled with dozens of chirpings, croaks, and trilling. He covered his ears, noting the others were doing the same. For some reason, all the animals around them seemed to be causing a loud enough racket to become nearly deafening. He saw Meeko and Flit were adding to the noise.

"Quiet!" Grandmother Willow shouted. When the sounds continued to get louder, she hollered louder. "_**Quiet**_!"

The noise ceased. Sora and the others uncovered their ears. Grandmother Willow returned her focus to Pocahontas. "Now, child, you were saying?"

"Well, in it, I'm running through the woods," Pocahontas began. "And then, right in front of me, is a spinning arrow."

"An arrow?" Donald asked.

Grandmother Willow was equally amazed and perplexed. "How odd… "

"It spins faster and faster," Pocahontas went on. Sora watched as Meeko and Flit's eyes started spinning in turn. "Until suddenly… it stops."

The two animals stopped whirling their eyes. They fell to the ground, dizzy. Sora had to shake his head. Hadn't he seen enough nonsense on his adventures these days?

"What does it mean?" Pocahontas questioned.

Silence followed. Sora sighed, wishing his friend, Violet (the angel) had been there. If anyone could explain a dream like that one, she could. She _was_ the Angel of Dreams! He remembered how often Violet had tried to manipulate the illusions of the Sleeping Worlds, but only a few times did it do any good. He had learned it was not a good idea to interfere with a world's dreams, especially when it could lead to more trouble.

He recalled the time he had stood up for Wart… err Arthur in the dreams of _**Camelot**_. Riku and Violet had tried to tell him to stop, but Sora had continued to firmly state how unfair Sir Ector's rules and regulations were. To him, it was complete and utter injustice. Those were two things he would _**never**_ put up with. He had a strong sense of justice, and he was proud of it… kinda.

"Well," Grandmother Willow finally said. "It seems to me this 'arrow' is pointing you down your path."

"Yeah," Sora agreed, jumping straight into the conversation. "Like it's leading you to your destiny."

Pocahontas's face told the group she was hesitant. Sora knew that look. He had seen the same thing on Donald and Goofy's faces many times. "But Grandmother Willow," she inquired. "What is my path? How will I ever find it?"

Grandmother Willow chuckled. "Your mother asked me the very same thing."

Pocahontas's eyes lit up. So did Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad's. Was the tree _really_ that old? True, trees typically outlived people, but exactly how old was Grandmother Willow?

"She did?" the native princess asked. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her to listen," Grandmother Willow responded. She glanced around the scenery, which was primarily made up of her branches and vines. "All around you are spirits. They live in the earth, the water, the sky. If you listen, they will guide you."

Sora's team looked around in awe. Sora had the feeling he'd heard something like this before. Maybe it was just his imagination… or was it?

"_Ay ay ay ya… Ay ay ya…_ "

A faint voice appeared in the wind. Sora and Pocahontas both overheard and stood up. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Meeko, and Flit continued to watch in wonder.

"I hear the wind," Pocahontas said.

"Yeah," Sora added. "Me, too."

"Yes," Grandmother Willow smiled. "What is it telling you?"

The two young adults stood on the stump for a few seconds. Sora thought he could heard some distant whispers alongside the voice. They were so faint, he couldn't make them out. He shrugged. "No idea."

"I don't understand," Pocahontas admitted.

Grandmother Willow started speaking what sounded to Sora like an ancient Native American chant. "_Que que na-to-ra. You will understand. Listen with your heart. You will understand._"

A strong breeze seemed to descend from above. Sora only knew it was there because he could feel it. And he saw some colorful leaves spiraling down gently. The wind circled Pocahontas's neck before doing the same for the spikey-headed Keyblade wielder. They closed their eyes.

"_Let it break upon you_," Grandmother Willow went on. "_Like a wave upon the sand._"

Sora continued to concentrate. Before long, two images flashed through his mind. He paid close attention, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

* * *

_There was Pocahontas, crouched low on the edge of a riverbank. A small, rushing waterfall was to her right. She seemed to be behaving both cautiously and curiously. She carefully hopped onto the first stone in the river. Then the second._

_A loud splash occurred from behind. Pocahontas spun around and stood up. Through the mist, a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was wearing armor and a helmet, and he also had a musket in his hands. He was pointing the weapon straight at the young woman._

_A few moments passed. The man lowered his gun and stared at the woman before him. He rose to his feet and could now see the concern in her eyes. He removed his helmet and stepped into the water to approach her. Before he could, Pocahontas was dashing away as fast as her feet could take her._

"_No! __**Wait**__!" the man called. "Please!"_

_Pocahontas did not stop running. She dodged trees, ducked under branches, and jumped over logs. She was almost to a canoe sitting on a riverbank. Meeko and Flit caught up with her. The two animals hopped into the boat as the native princess started to paddle away._

"_**Please**__!"_

_Pocahontas spun around in alarm. There was the young man from the waterfall. He gently placed his musket against a tree. "Don't run off," he said._

_Pocahontas looked at him funny._

"_It's alright," the man as he slowly approached. "I'm not gonna hurt you." He smiled and offered his hand. "Here, let me help you out of there."_

_Pocahontas shook her head in confusion and said something in an unknown language._

_The man seemed to comprehend. "You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?"_

_He continued to offer his hand. Pocahontas looked at it anxiously. "It's alright," he said again._

_The wind started to blow. Pocahontas gave a hint of a smile at the man and carefully accepted his hand. The wind flowed around their hands lying tying a knot. Pocahontas smiled and stepped out of her canoe._

"_Who are you?" the man inquired with a curious look._

_Pocahontas took a deep breath and answered. "Pocahontas."_

"_What?" the man asked. "What did you say?"_

_Pocahontas smiled. "My name is Pocahontas."_

_From the canoe, Meeko and Flit were astonished. The man gestured to himself. "I'm John Smith."_

* * *

_It was storming outside. The rain was pouring down. The wind was howling. Yet, it was relatively calm inside a large, golden tent. Inside the structure, a rather large man with long black hair tied into short pigtails with red ribbons, thick black eyebrows, and notable lavender eyelids. He was wearing a long V-cut shirt with lavender collar and cuffs, crimson knee-length pants, lavender socks, and black boots. The man was throwing map after map from the table onto the floor._

_He grabbed a particular map and winced in worry. "I'm doomed! I should be wallowing in riches by now, but I haven't found as much as a speck! It's got to be here somewhere. **Where** could it be? I've mined the forests, and the hills, and the swamps, and… nothing!"_

_He clenched his fists. "**Why** can't I find it? **What** am I overlooking?!"_

_A sharp yellow of pain filled the air. The man spun around gasped. A thin, young man with brown hair and brownish-tan clothing. He had an arrow sticking through his head._

"_I… I," the young man pulled off what happened to be a broken arrow with a curved piece of wood in the middle. It looked a little like an April Fools' toy. "I made it myself!"_

_The larger man marched over and snatched the arrow in anger. "__**Wiggins**__! Take that silly… !"_

_There was a rustling outside the tent. The two men watched as a figure in a black-hooded coat stepped inside. His hood was on, so they couldn't see his face._

"_Who are you?" the man named Wiggins asked._

"_I have reason to believe you are searching in all the wrong places," the figure replied in a nasal-sounding, high-pitched voice. "I know this land. I have been here many times before. I know what you seek is far from where you have been searching."_

_The larger man snorted. "And where do you suppose the gold is?"_

_The man pointed at the arrow. He gave a creepy laugh before opening a dark portal. He stepped through the opening before the portal vanished from view._

_The large man stared at the arrow. His eyes lit up. "Of course! The Indians!" He grabbed the young man and pulled him closer. "Wiggins! Why do you think those insolent creatures attacked us?"_

_Wiggins paused in thought. He counted on his fingers. "Because we invaded their land, cut down their trees, and dug up their earth?" He paused again. "Do you really think they could be leading those strange monsters in the forest?"_

_The large man strode up to the table. He gazed back with a sinister look on his face. "It's the __**gold**__!" he declared. "They have it, and they don't want us to take it from them. Well, I'll just have to take it by __**force**__ then, won't I?"_

_Wiggins nervously gulped._

* * *

Sora's eyes opened. What had he just seen? Two flashbacks? They sure seemed to resemble what he'd seen Violet's necklace show back in the _Realm of Sleep_. Perhaps these were a series of events that had unfolded prior to his team's arrival? If so, he had even _more_ questions to ask.

Had Pocahontas actually met someone at a waterfall like that? He hadn't seen such a small waterfall in this world. When had that taken place? Who was the man? Sora assumed he had said his name, but had been unable to make it out. He was all the more puzzled by the second scene. Who was the guy in the black coat? He had sounded somewhat familiar…. Who was the larger man in the tent? Could he have been behind the Heartless threat in this world? The only man he had been to make any identification with was the one referred to as "Wiggins". He couldn't make out anything else.

Unless… he _was_ sensing a strong Light in the wind. It held the same tranquility, calmness, and serenity he had felt while diving through the tunnels of Light. Could he be feeling the world's Light in the wind? Did this mean the world's heart was close by?

Pocahontas opened his eyes in surprise. "It says something's _here_!" she declared. "'Look for the strange clouds'?"

"_**Huh**_?!" Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad said at once.

"Climb my branches," Grandmother Willow suggested. "See if you can see anything."

Sora and his friends nodded. Pocahontas clambered onto a branch and started climbing. Sora and the others were seconds behind. Launchpad was having a little trouble, so Grandmother Willow gave him a boost with one of her vines.

* * *

When they reached the treetop, everyone gazed into the distance. To Sora's amazement, he could see large, white shapes near the edge of the forest. He squinted a little. Where had he seen shapes like this? He mind started whirling…

The _raft_! Of course! He had almost completely forgotten about the raft. The sail! He put two and two together and realized what they were seeing. These weren't "strange clouds". They were sails! The sails of a ship, no doubt!

"What do you see?" Grandmother Willow called up.

"Clouds," Pocahontas replied. "Those strange clouds."

"They aren't clouds," Sora informed the native woman. "They're sails… from a ship. Has someone new been around here?"

Pocahontas's eyes lit up. "Yes," she confirmed. "You."

Sora shook his head. He was having just as difficult a time talking to the young woman as he did speaking with Kida. "No, no! I mean, have you seen anyone _else_ you didn't know?"

Pocahontas paused in thought. Her eyes lit up a second time. "Yes. John Smith… "

"Who is John Smith?" Goofy questioned. Sora saw Donald staring at the knight in surprise. Goofy had actually asked a question _without_ making a mistake.

"He's… a friend," the native princess answered. "We met and… he's nice."

"Heh, heh," Launchpad chuckled. "What a lucky guy."

"Yeah," Goofy added. "Sounds like you're more than just friends." He pointed at Sora. "Like Sora an' Kairi."

"_What_?!" Sora exclaimed. He saw Pocahontas smiling. His hands flew into the air. "You're wrong!"

Donald showed a mocking grin. "We know who you're thinking about, Sora. She kissed you, remember?"

"And your face became all red," Goofy chuckled. "A-Hyuck!"

Sora covered his face as Donald and Goofy burst out laughing. He felt so humiliated. Why did the anthropomorphic duck and dog have to keep reminding him of what had happened at his birthday party? Why did they have to do it in front of Pocahontas? The native woman was smiling at him. He _really_ wished they'd give it up!

"_Sora and Kairi, sitting in a tree_," Launchpad started to call out (though he was practically tone-deaf). "_K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love! Then comes marriage! Then, here comes Sora — with a little carriage!_"

"_**Cut it out**_!" Sora snapped. He had heard enough. It was bad enough hearing Donald and Goofy consistently saying such stuff. "That _**wasn't**_ in the script! Let's get focused! We've got a job to do! The Heartless are still running around!"

Pocahontas looked puzzled. "What are 'Heartless'?"

"Come back down!" Grandmother Willow shouted. "There are some horrible-looking creatures here!"

Sora gave a nod. "Yup! That's the Heartless, alright."

The brown-haired young man leaped down the tree branch by branch. Donald slid down the trunk. Goofy swung his way down like an acrobat (kinda). Launchpad simply jumped to the ground. Pocahontas climbed down the way she'd come up.

* * *

Back on the ground, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Pocahontas found themselves face to face with a horde of shadowy creatures. The monsters possessed yellow eyes, ant-like antennae, and claws. Among them were a few hawk-shaped creatures, similar to the ones that had attacked the village.

"C'mon!" Sora declared as he summoned his Keyblade. He charged into the swarm. Donald pulled out his wand and Goofy took out his shield. The two rushed after the Keyblader. Launchpad pulled out the gas-gun he'd used earlier and started shooting at the Heartless. Pocahontas watched from the side-lines, a determined look on her face.

The Heartless were relentless. Sora had to swipe his weapon this way and that, this way and that, this way and that — repeatedly to keep from getting attacked. Goofy shoved his shield through a handful of Shadow Heartless and eliminated them moments later. Donald used his magic to freeze a few of the hawk-Heartless and then set them ablaze. The creatures were terminated in a flash.

The Heartless kept coming. Sora grabbed a nearby tree and shouted, "_Power of __**Light**_!"

In a single flash of Light, his Keyblade transformed into the red, white, and blue-colored surfboard from earlier — the one with the wheels. He dashed across the Heartless, destroying each and every enemy he touched. He continued to do this for several seconds.

The Heartless had been mitigated down to only a few hawk-shaped ones. Just as Sora's Keyblade transformed back, two of the creatures soared up to Pocahontas. "_**Oh no**_!" Sora yelled in alarm.

He charged over. On the way, he saw something surprising happen. Pocahontas reached out her arms and closed her eyes. "Spirits of the earth," she called.

A gust of wind surrounded her and she rose into the air a few feet. She reopened her eyes and pointed at each of the Heartless. The wind sent columns of air spiraling into the monsters. The Heartless were thrown about and crushed when they slammed into the nearby trees.

Sora was astonished. He had never though the native princess was capable of such power. Chances were, she didn't know it either. Did she?

Pocahontas landed back onto her feet. The wind died down. She looked around in surprise. "Huh? What happened?"

Sora gave a quick nod. Pocahontas had used the power of Light and didn't even know it.

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered, seeing how the Heartless were finally all gone. "Guess this means we have a lot ta do."

Sora sighed. He knew Goofy was right on the money. He turned to Pocahontas. "Let's go see where those 'strange clouds' are. There might be a clue."

Pocahontas gave a short nod. "Maybe there is."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gathered around the two. They were all about to go marching off into the forest when they heard a rustling in the foliage. They stared in surprise.

"More Heartless?" Donald said, a hint of worry in his voice.

Sora's Keyblade returned to his hand. "I'll check it out."

He carefully neared the edge of the clearing. The rustling grew louder. He didn't care. If there really was a Heartless hiding there, he would find it. No problem. He reached for a small patch of underbrush beneath some towering trees.

_**CLICK!**_ Sora froze. The end of a musket was pointing straight at him. He did his best not to show how shocked he was.

"_**Sora**_!" Donald and Goofy yelled in alarm.

Sora took a deep breath and positioned his Keyblade back. He swung the weapon straight ahead and sliced it into the bushes. The blade struck the gun and knocked it onto the ground a few steps away. The sound of the Keyblade hitting something metallic could be heard.

"Hey!" a voice said from the bushes.

Sora scowled. "Who are you? Show yourself!"

A figure strode out from the underbrush. Sora was taken by complete surprise. It was a muscular young man sporting blonde hair and blue eyes. He had a dark-brown satchel, and was wearing a long, faded blue shirt, long blue trousers, and tall brown boots. His chest was covered by a piece of metal armor, and he had a matching conquistador helmet on his head. Sora was beyond amazed. This was the same guy he'd seen in the vision.

"Sorry about that," the man said with a grin. "I thought you were, well you know, someone else."

Sora took a deep sigh of relief. He allowed his Keyblade to disappear and smiled.

"John Smith," a pleased Pocahontas declared. She came hurrying over to the young man. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you again," Smith answered. He removed his helmet and carefully hung it on his back.

"'Again'?" Goofy questioned aloud. "Gawrsh."

Smith saw the other three standing near the riverbank. "Friends of yours?"

Pocahontas nodded. "Yes."

"I'm Sora," Sora introduced himself. His teammates each did the same.

"Donald."

"The name's Goofy."

"My name's Launchpad McQuack. If it's got wings, I can _crash_ it."

Smith smiled at them. "Here's something you don't see every day. Two talking ducks and a talking dog."

Sora had to shake his head. His mind was starting to wrap around who Pocahontas's friend was and why he'd come to see her. Deep down, he had a feeling it had something to do with the Heartless. He turned to Smith. "So, how'd you two meet?"

"At a waterfall," Smith explained. "I was out scouting the terrain. My men and I have just landed in this new world, and we set up a colony called '_Jamestowne_'."

Sora nodded. He understood what the blonde-haired young man was saying. He had seen this happen in the vision. Smith had encountered the native woman while searching for… something or other. Perhaps, he was investigating the source of the Heartless. There was only one way to find out. "Hey," the seventeen-year-old started to say. "Do you know where the Heartless are coming from?"

"'Heartless'? So _that's_ what they're called," Smith replied. "I don't know where they came from, but my men were attacked by a swarm of dark monsters and some Indians. I wasn't there, but I learned about it from my friend, Thomas. They seem to think the Indians are responsible. We have built a whole fort to protect ourselves."

Sora crossed his arms. If what John Smith had just said was true, then the men under him were convinced the Heartless had come from a native tribe. He was sure it was Pocahontas's tribe. Of course, he also knew Chief Powhatan, Kekata, and Kocoum believed the Heartless originated with a group of "beasts". He now had the feeling the so-called "beasts" were really Smith and his men.

Sora reached a conclusion. Both Smith's men and Pocahontas's tribe were certain the Heartless were being controlled by the other. The next question to answer was… which side should he believe? Was the answer itself linked to both? How would he find out?

"Where are you from?" Launchpad asked Smith. Sora shook his head. There was one question he hadn't thought of asking.

"The city of London," Smith replied. "Like I told Pocahontas, it's a very _big_ village."

"What's it like?" Goofy inquired.

"Well, there are streets filled with carriages, bridges over rivers, and buildings as tall as trees." Smith gestured to Grandmother Willow as an example.

"Wow!" Donald awed.

"Cool," Sora added. "Wish I could go there and see those things."

"You will," Smith spoke up. "We're going to build them here. We'll show Pocahontas's people how to use this land properly. How to make the most of it."

Sora was puzzled. He saw Pocahontas was shaking her head. He had the feeling she'd already heard all this stuff before. "What do you mean by 'make the most of it'?" the brown-headed Keyblader asked.

"Simple," Smith explained. "We'll build roads and decent houses and… "

"…And may-bee all them houses will be ticklish!" Goofy interrupted. Everyone stared at the knight. Goofy shrugged.

"Where'd that come from?" Sora asked.

"Who cares," Donald grumbled. "He doesn't know any better, just like her."

The duck pointed to the native woman standing behind him. Pocahontas frowned before marching off towards her canoe. Everyone else watched her leave.

Sora scowled at Donald. "Thanks a lot, Donald!"

"What did I say?" the duck inquired.

Sora pushed the thought aside and hurried to catch up with the native princess. "Wait up!"

Smith was way ahead of the spikey, brown-haired Keyblade wielder. He stopped Pocahontas just before she could paddle away. "Wait, wait! Don't worry about what he said. There's so much we can teach you. We've improved the lives of savages all over the world."

At the mention of the term "savages", Pocahontas glared at the blonde-haired man. "'_**Savages**_'?!"

Sora waded over to the boat. He knew he had to say something. Clearly, Pocahontas had never heard such a word used before. "He doesn't mean _you're_ a 'savage'."

Smith nodded. "Let me explain."

Pocahontas splashed the two with her paddle. "Let go!"

"No," Smith stated. "I'm not letting you leave."

A frustrated Pocahontas leaped from her canoe and into the branches of the willow tree above. Sora watched her climbing away. Higher and higher she went. He and Smith hurried after her.

"Look, don't do this," Smith called as he clambered up the branches.

"Yeah," Sora said as he climbed the tree's trunk. "Everyone knows 'savage' is just a word. It refers to people who're uncivilized."

Pocahontas was still outraged. "Like me."

"No," Smith shook his head. "What I mean is… "

It all happened super-rapidly. Sora watched as Smith reached for a branch above his head. The branch snapped. Down plunged the young man to the ground below. His helmet fell after him and landed directly on his head. Sora and Pocahontas returned to the ground level. The latter approached Smith and gently lifted his helmet so she could see his eyes. Sora watched while Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad walked over to him.

"What you mean is, not like you," she said. "You think I'm an ignorant savage, and you've been so many places, I guess it must be so." She handed him his musket. "But still I cannot see, if the savage one is me, how can there be so much that you don't know? You don't know… "

Pocahontas started to stroll away. Curious about where she was headed, Sora and his team followed behind. So did John Smith. They stopped when the native woman picked up a long, wooden stick and stuck it in the ground. The shape of the stick reminded Sora of a flag. "_You think you own whatever land you land on_," she said in a voice that sounded like chanting. "_The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim_."

She let go of the stick and approached a rock and tree beside the riverbank. She touched the rock and tree. Out of the blue, a flock of pinkish butterflies appeared from the surrounding trees. "_But I know every rock and tree and creature has a life, has a spirit, has a name._ _You think the only people who are people are the people who look and think like you. But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew you never knew._"

A large cloud suddenly blocked out the sun. The clearing was now covered in shadow. Sora started to recall how much this reminded him of how his journey through the _Realm of Sleep_ had been. Maybe he was dreaming now? Probably not. How could he be dreaming when he was wide awake and alert? It didn't make any sense.

Pocahontas gazed up at the sky and continued. "_Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?_"

She turned to Sora and Smith and extended her hand. "_Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?_"

Sora shrugged and accepted her hand. Smith did the same. Pocahontas led them along as they ran into the forest. Trees lined either side of them. Pocahontas seemed unafraid of this. "_Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest. Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the Earth._"

Before Sora knew it, the three had run out of trees and were sliding into a meadow. "_Come roll in all the riches all around you. And for once, never wonder what they're worth._"

They neared a large stream. "_The rainstorm and the river are my brothers. The heron and the otter are my friends. And we are all connected to each other in a circle, in a hoop that never ends._"

Sora watched as a pair of falcons… or hawks flew to the top of a tall tree. "_How high will the sycamore grow? If you cut it down, then you'll never know._"

A second later, Sora found himself with Pocahontas and Smith on the top of a gigantic cliff. In the distance was a red sunset. A strong wind was blowing all around. "_And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon. For whether we are white or copper skinned, we need to sing with all the voices of the mountains. We need to paint with all the colors of the wind._"

The native woman handed the two young men a pile of dirt she had scooped from the ground. Sora let it slide through his hands. "_You can own the Earth and still, all you'll own is Earth until you can paint with all the colors of the wind… _"

* * *

"Sora?"

Sora opened his eyes in a flash. To his amazement, he was standing in the clearing. Last he recalled, he'd been on the edge of a cliff. He looked around in perplexity. "What… happened?"

"The wind blew on you," Donald replied.

"Yeah," Goofy agreed. "You was in some kinda daze."

"I tried to wake you," Launchpad shrugged with a grin. "But you were sleeping while standing. I thought only Gizmoduck could do that."

Sora's eyes finally landed on two people standing on the edge of the riverbank less than five feet away. He smiled, knowing they were just Pocahontas and John Smith. He mind started wandering. Where had he been? Was everything he'd seen, experienced, and heard nothing more than a dream — a complete illusion? He didn't know, and wasn't sure how he'd find out.

He saw a gust of wind blowing high around the trees. Spotting the colorful leaves with it, he smiled. It was clear all he'd been through _was_ a dream. But not one of his own. It was a dream the world had shown him. Why? He didn't know. At least he knew where it had come from.

"This place is _incredible_," Smith marveled at the nearby landscape. "And to think, we came all this way just to dig it up for gold."

"_**Gold**_?!" Donald's eyes burst to life. To Sora's perspective, the mage was starting to fill with greed. He shook his head, having seen this same behavior during his last visit to _**Agrabah**_. The duck had almost grabbed a valuable gem from the Cave of Wonders, but Aladdin had ordered him to "snap out of it".

Later, when it was revealed Abu had secretly swiped the gem from the cave, Donald had snatched it and started to eye it carefully. Goofy had muttered, "I guess some things are just hard to resist," which had urged Donald to throw the gem. When it never landed, Abu had spotted the item still in Donald's hands. The duck had been slightly embarrassed.

With all this replaying in his mind, Sora had to grin.

Pocahontas looked confused. "What's 'gold'?"

Donald stared at her in disbelief. "_You_ _**don't**_ _know what_ _**gold**_ _is_?!"

"It's golden and shiny," Launchpad told the native princess. "I should know. Mister McDee dragged me along on many of his expeditions to find golden objects. Too bad we only got _half_ of them."

Sora rolled his eyes. "Okay… don't know where that came from."

"Maybe I should explain this," Smith offered. He turned to Pocahontas. "It's yellow. It comes out of the ground. It's really valuable."

Pocahontas's eyes lit up. "Oh! We have lots of it."

"Oh boy!" Donald declared in a happy tone. His eyes were more filled with greed than ever before. Goofy shrugged at the sight. Sora shook his head, again.

Pocahontas walked over to Grandmother Willow's roots. She picked up a handwoven bag. She reached into it and pulled out a long, green object that Sora could tell was part of a plant. She pulled down one of the leaves, revealing something yellow. "See? Gold," she said.

Donald stared at the plant in shock. "Aw phooey!"

"That's not gold," Goofy commented. "It looks like corn."

"Yeesh!" Launchpad murmured. "And I thought I was the naïve one."

Sora smiled as friendly as he could. "I think they're right. That's not gold."

Smith shook his head. "No," he told Pocahontas. He pulled out a small, yellow coin. "Gold is like this."

Pocahontas looked at the coin with fascination. She reached for it. "There's nothing like that around here."

Before she could take the coin, Donald seized it and started to eye it. He was so busy focusing on the item, he failed to see Meeko approaching. The raccoon jumped over and snatched the coin. "Hey!" Donald shouted as he chased Meeko. "Give that back!"

Sora, Goofy, Launchpad, Smith, and Pocahontas all laughed. Donald tried to grab the raccoon, but Meeko was too fast. The animal dashed around a low-lying branch, but Donald slammed head-first into it. Meeko was able to stop long enough to nibble on the coin. Unable to bite into it, he tossed it aside like a piece of trash. Donald raced after the bouncing coin and snatched it. "Aha!" he proclaimed with pride. "I got it!"

"So," Launchpad asked. "There's _really_ no gold?"

Pocahontas shrugged. "Not that I've seen."

Smith shook his head. "All this way for nothing," he grinned. "Well, those boys are in for a big surprise."

"Will they leave?" Sora asked. "Since there's no gold."

Smith grin grew. "Some of them might."

Pocahontas looked worried. "Will you go home?"

Smith now looked hesitant. "Well, I don't really have much of a home to go back to. I've never really belonged anywhere."

"You could belong here," Pocahontas suggested, leading the young man to the stump beside the giant willow tree. Sora could see a hint of sincerity in the native woman's eyes. He continued to wonder what she was leading up to when a faint voice caught his attention. When was the last time he had heard it? It sounded so… familiar….

At once, Smith gasped. "What was _that_?!"

Pocahontas smiled. She a playful look in her eyes. "Did you see something?"

"No… no way… I… I didn't see anything," Smith told her. "Did I?"

Sora had a feeling the blonde-haired man had seen something, or _someone_ unexpected. Having just met the strange in question, he believed he knew who it was.

"Look again," Pocahontas instructed.

Smith stared at the willow tree. Sora and his team did the same. Slowly, but surely, a face appeared in the bark. It smiled at them. It was especially smiling at Smith. "Hello, John Smith."

Smith looked as though he had just seen a ghost or worse. "Pocahontas, that tree is talking to me."

"Then you should talk back," Pocahontas recommended.

"Don't worry," the tree said. "My bark is worse than my bite."

Sora shook his head. He knew this was only Grandmother Willow. True, he _had_ just met the tree earlier, but it still made him question why this particular tree could speak. Pocahontas had "shown" him how the world was full of hearts — something he had finally realized. Only thing he still wondered, why was Grandmother Willow the only one who could talk?

"Say something," Pocahontas urged.

"What do you say to a tree?" Smith inquired.

"Anything you want!"

Smith cautiously stood up and looked at the tree's face. "So, uh… "

"Come closer, John Smith," Grandmother Willow told him. She eyed the young man carefully. Sora remembered how she'd done the same for him earlier. "He has a good soul, and he's handsome, too."

Smith smiled. "Oh, I like her."

Pocahontas smiled all the more. "I knew you would."

"Me, too," Goofy chuckled. "It's not every day ya meet such a nice tree."

"You said it," Launchpad agreed. He paused in thought. "Though, I'm not sure what 'it' is."

"Yeah," Sora affirmed. His famous smile was showing on his face. He was enjoying every minute of this. Perhaps one day, he should write a book about his adventures. Someone would read it and see everywhere he'd been. The people he'd met would be the characters. Of course, chances were, no one would believe the story, even though it had really happened.

"Smith! Smith! Where are ya mate?"

The group spun their eyes in the direction of the accented voice. Two men carrying rifle-shaped guns were approaching the clearing. They were both dressed in a similar manner to Smith. One had long, black hair. The other had red hair and a matching beard.

"Uh-oh!" Goofy worried.

"We can't let them see us," Smith informed the group. He and Sora ushered everyone behind Grandmother Willow's trunk. There wasn't enough room, so Donald and Goofy jumped into the bushes. Launchpad did the same, which only made Donald frown. They watched as the two men approached.

"This place give me the creeps," the red-haired man gulped. "Savages could be hiding anywhere. Maybe those beasts are with them."

"Aye," the black-headed man said in turn. "Well if you spot any, don't ask questions. Just shoot."

Sora felt his heart racing. For some reason, the turn-of-events unfolding around him just made him feel more and more anxious. He wasn't sure why. He saw Grandmother Willow frowning at the pair of men. The tree lifted raised a long root before the two men. They tumbled to the ground.

The black-haired man glared at the red-headed one. "Watch your feet, you big oaf!"

"It wasn't me!" the other man replied in defense. "It was the tree!"

The first man seemed to take this as a complete fantasy. "Oh, of course," he sarcastically returned. "The tree just felt like lifting its roots, and… "

The two men stared in alarm. Grandmother Willow had just lowered her root before their eyes. They gulped nervously. "Let's get out of here," the black-haired one suggested in a worried voice.

Before they could move, the sounds of things appearing seized everyone's attention. A small group of Shadow Heartless had appeared on the riverbank. Among them were a few larger Heartless Sora recognized as Large Bodies. These Heartless were big and bulky, and wore armor on the front side. He remembered how they could only be struck from behind. He sighed softly.

The two men stared at the Heartless in fear. "_**It's them again**_! _**Run**_!"

They took off like a gunshot. "But what about Smith?"

"He's a big lad! He can take care of himself!"

Once the two men had left, Sora summoned his Keyblade and glared at the Heartless gathered on the bank. He charged into the horde and started to fight. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were directly behind him. They slashed, struck, and slammed their weapons through the creatures. Sora quickly found himself surrounded by Large Bodies. He sighed in annoyance. He was about to slash at all of them at once when Goofy leaped into the middle and spun around wildly. "Oh boy-o!"

The knight's shield went clear through all the Heartless and vanquished them all. Sora thanked Goofy before returning to the battle at hand. It wasn't long before all the Heartless had been vanquished.

"I'm glad you're on our side," Smith congratulated Sora's team. He turned to Grandmother Willow. "Same with you."

"There's still some snap in these old vines," the tree replied.

Smith grinned. "I'd better get back before they send the whole camp out after me."

Pocahontas seemed sad. "When will I see you again?" she asked.

"Meet me tonight — right here," Smith answered. He started to walk into the forest after the two men.

Sora shook his head and sat around the area with his teammates. Well, he didn't exactly "sit". He leaned against a nearby tree, crossed his legs, and put his hands behind his head. He saw Donald plopping onto the ground beside the stump. Goofy was lying on his back with his legs crossed. His hands were tucked behind his head and he was watching the clouds far above. Launchpad was sitting on the riverbank, skipping some stones. They were all relieved the Heartless were gone.

"Well," Grandmother Willow perked up. "I haven't had this much excitement in two hundred years."

Pocahontas sighed deeply. "What am I doing? I shouldn't be seeing him again. I mean, I _want_ to see him again."

"Who wouldn't? I want to see him again."

"But still, something inside me is telling me it's the right thing."

"Perhaps it's your dream."

"My dream?" Pocahontas's eyes seemed to light up. "Do you think he's the one the spinning arrow was pointing to?"

Grandmother Willow simply nodded. Sora and his friends all turned to their focus to the two. They each gave a nod in turn.

"Yeah," Sora approved.

"Why not?" Donald added.

"Don't be thinkin' too much," Goofy recommended.

"Makes sense to me," Launchpad remarked. "Even though I haven't any cents on me. Unless it's common sense… "

Sora shook his head at the pilot's comment. He wondered if Pocahontas had a point. Perhaps he didn't need Violet around after all. Maybe all he needed to do was bring both the native woman and English settler together. The only question was, how? At least he had until nightfall. There was a chance he could also learn why the Heartless were roaming about, too.

What did he have to lose?

The sounds of drums beating in the distance stole everyone's undivided attention. Pocahontas now showed worry on her face. "The drums," she realized. "They mean trouble. They're louder." She turned to the others. "We shouldn't be here."

"We can we go?" Sora asked. "Back to the village?"

Pocahontas nodded. "My father will know what's happening."

Sora nodded. He recalled having met Chief Powhatan earlier. Maybe he could be of some help. Perhaps the Native Americans had discovered the real source of the Heartless. Maybe another member of Xehanort's Organization was lurking in the foliage. Could Pete or Maleficent be responsible? He hadn't seen either of them for quite some time. Were they even around anymore? He wasn't sure. But he couldn't afford to take any chances. He made up his mind.

"Yeah," he agreed with the native princess. "Let's go back to the village."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all nodded. Sora knew why. Donald and Goofy had never seen the village. Launchpad just wanted to do something. Hopefully he was not planning on crashing for a long, _long_, _**long**_, _**long**_ time….

* * *

**A/N: That's that! Another Chapter completed.**

**Donald Duck: And I got a gold coin! Well, what's next?**

**SoraLego278: You'll just have to wait and see. Now, I need to explain where in the movie this story takes place. It actually doesn't follow the movie exactly, as you can tell in this chapter.**

**Donald Duck: Why not?**

**SoraLego278: Mainly since I REALLY wanted to include the "_Colors of The Wind_" segment. I also wanted to have John Smith and the settlers already there. I originally wrote a version of Sora, Donald, and Goofy visiting Pocahontas's world a few years ago. It follows the movie, but it also feels strange when I read back over it. It lacks the style a Digital Storyteller would use and feels rather boring. That's why I decided to change things around. It made it more interesting for me - and creative, too. Of course, I don't like the way something is written, there's a pretty high chance none of the readers would like it either. That's just common sense when it comes to New Media.**

**Donald Duck: You sound like Walt Disney.**

**SoraLego278: Okay... Of course, there is a chance the majority of the next couple chapters will follow the movie. I won't say how either. If you've ALREADY seen the movie, you probably have an excellent idea about what's going to happen... maybe. If you haven't, that's alright. You can just wait for Chapter 15.**  
**By the way, I did hide a Fourth Wall Joke in there... somewhere. See of you can find it!**

**Donald Duck: Oh boy!**

**SoraLego278: Lastly, what ELSE does Goofy think is "Ticklish?"**

**Donald Duck: Who knows?**

**SoraLego278: So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**

**Donald Duck: Aw phooey! I want some REVIEWS!**

**SoraLego278: You will get some - I promise. PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**  
**DONALD IS GETTING UPSET ABOUT HAVING NO REVIEWS ON HIM!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**

**Donald Duck: Bye-bye!**


	15. Ch15 - The Ripples And A Blinking Star

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: I'M HERE - AT LONG LAST! WELCOME BACK! WELCOME BACK! WELCOME BACK! WELCOME BACK!**

**So, I understand I haven't posted for a few weeks. Why? Three reasons.**  
**(1.) I went back to playing "_Final Fantasy VII_", again.**  
**(2.) I wanted to see if you would post more Reviews (Donald's glad about THIS part!).**  
**(3.) I had a little trouble writing this particular Chapter.**

**That aside, here's the TRIVIA I promised!**  
**DID YOU KNOW? David Ogden Stiers was the actor who played Governor Ratcliffe AND Wiggins in Disney's "_Pocahontas (1995)_". Yet, that was not all the roles he did for Disney. He was also the Narrator for the "_Winnie The Pooh_" movies for a long time. He voiced Dr. Jumba Jookiba in Disney's "_Lilo And Stitch_ _(2002)_" and "_Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep_". He played Cogsworth in all the "_Beauty And The Beast_" movies and "_Kingdom Hearts 2_". He even voiced The Archdeacon in the Disney version of "_The Hunchback of Notré Dame (1996)_".**  
**That aside, you can tell Disney hired one talented actor to play all those roles. I imagine they chose him because he was on the older show, "_M*A*S*H_".**

**Now that I've got THAT out of the way, I wanted to tell you a few things.**  
**(1.) I went to see the Disney-Pixar movie, "_Inside Out_", TWICE in the last few weeks. I've considered using it in these stories. "How?", you ask? Only time will tell...!**  
**(2.) Donald's REALLY happy with the Reviews he received! Would you like to see more characters help introduced the Chapters?**  
**(3.) I don't really like the show "_Welcome Back, Kotter_", so PLEASE do NOT assumed I do just because of how I opened This Chapter.**  
**(4.) Let me know what you think about ALL that I stated above! Any/All feedback will be GREATLY appreciated!**

**Finally, it is TIME TO READ ON! PLEASE REVIEW, TOO! I THINK SORA'S A LITTLE JEALOUS SINCE DONALD GOT REVIEWS!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 15**  
**The Ripples And A Blinking Star**

Their footsteps echoed through the forest. The sun overhead was slowly descending. Long shadows were starting to creep across the land. The sky was becoming a reddish color. Night was coming. The air was growing cooler.

Sora kept focused on his task at hand. Before him, Pocahontas led the group through the woods. Behind, Donald and Goofy were panting as they tried to keep up. Launchpad was behind them, also a little out of breath.

Sora gave a soft sigh of relief. At least the Heartless hadn't shown up for a while. _That_ was a good sign as far as _he_ was concerned. Wherever there were Heartless, there was bound to be trouble — that had been his experience. Even when he had brought down Organization XIII, he had been forced to deal with thousands of Heartless. He'd even defeated one thousand Heartless in a single battle! Hopefully, he would never have to do _**that**_ again! It had worn him out completely.

_Come on, there's nothing to worry about_, he thought to himself. He glanced into the trees for a second. An image of a giant creature sporting a long neck, orange beak, and covered in golden feathers crossed his mind. He shoved it aside. For some reason, his mind had started to play tricks on him since the group had left Grandmother Willow. Why was that?

The group finally reached the village. They stopped. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad fell to the ground to pant, huff and puff, and simple catch their breath. "I hope we're not too late," Sora said aloud.

He saw Pocahontas staring into the distance with worry written on her face. Curious, the brown-haired young man glanced into the same direction. His eyes lit up. Near the other side of the village, a large number of long canoes were rowing to the edge of the riverbank. Seated inside were an army of warriors with spears, tomahawks, and archery equipment. Chief Powhatan was waiting on the bank to greet them. The other members of the native tribe were gathering around their leader.

Sora gave a very deep sigh. "We're too late… " He started to wonder if Powhatan had summoned all those warriors because Sora and his team had taken too long to find Pocahontas. Then again, the chief probably needed them to protect the village from the Heartless. Maybe the Heartless had attacked the villagers while they were away?

Nakoma came running up to the group. Sora recognized her from before. He recalled she was the native princess's best friend. "Pocahontas!" she exclaimed. "Are you crazy?! What were you doing out there?!"

"It's okay," Sora reassured her before Pocahontas could speak. "She's safe."

Nakoma nodded. "Thank you."

"_There_ you are!" Sora's ears perked up to the voice. His team, Nakoma, and Pocahontas all whirled their attention to an approaching warrior. One look, and Sora sighed. It was Kocoum.

Kocoum barely glanced at Sora's team. This made Sora cross his arms, Launchpad scowl, Donald glare, and Goofy shrug in confusion. He put his arm behind Pocahontas as though protecting her. He gazed out at the arriving army. "Look at them. Now we have enough warriors to _destroy_ those white demons!"

From the riverbank, Chief Powhatan and the warriors' leader both turned their eyes to the crowd around them. "Now that we are joined by our brothers, we will defeat this enemy," the chief called.

Sora gulped nervously. His fearful thoughts were correct. The native people _did_ believe John Smith and the other settlers were up to no good. He was sure this was due to the Heartless roaming about. What other explanation could there be?

"He's the chief?" Goofy inquired, pointing at Pocahontas's father. "Gawrsh."

Donald slapped the knight's hand. "It's not nice to point!"

Goofy rubbed his hand. "Well, it is when you're usin' 'sign-y lane-girl-age'."

Sora glanced back at his friends. "Don't you mean 'sign language'?"

Goofy gave a nod. Sora smiled. All of a sudden, Pocahontas took off running. They stared in surprise.

"What's going on?" Donald asked.

Sora shrugged. "Only one way to find out."

Sora and his team started off. They followed the native woman straight to the largest wigwam in the village. The spikey, brown-headed Keyblade wielder recognized it as the same one where Kekata had informed him and Launchpad about the threat of the Heartless earlier.

Pocahontas ran up to her father. Chief Powhatan stopped and turned to see her and the group approaching. He smiled at Sora. "Thank you for bringing my daughter home safely."

Sora grinned and placed his hands behind his head. "All in a day's work, as usual."

"Father," Pocahontas spoke up. "I need to speak with you."

Powhatan gestured to the inside of the wigwam were several warriors were gathered. "Not now, my daughter. The council is gathering," he said as Kocoum rushed inside the building. The chief turned to see Sora's team. "You're welcome to help us in the upcoming battle. I trust you to be there."

Sora looked a little hesitant. "Well… "

"We don't have to fight them," Pocahontas blurted. "There must be a better way."

Powhatan gazed at his daughter. "Sometimes our paths are chosen for us."

"Couldn't we try talking to them?" Sora suggested. "I don't think they're behind the Heartless trouble."

The chief shook his head. "They do not want to talk."

"But if one of them did want to talk," Pocahontas persisted. "You would listen to him, wouldn't you?"

Powhatan seemed to be about ready to drop the conversation. "Pocahontas… "

Pocahontas's eyes filled with concern. "_Wouldn't you_?"

Powhatan gave a very deep sigh. "Of course I would," he admitted. "But it is not that simple. Nothing is simple anymore."

With another sigh, the tribal chief headed into the large wigwam. Pocahontas watched him leave with tears forming in her eyes. Before Sora could think of what to do, the native woman turned and sped off into the village. Sora and his team watched as she disappeared from sight.

Sora gave a deep sigh, wondering how much longer this quest of his was going to take. He had been hoping to be down with plenty of time before Christmas. At this rate, it would be Christmas Eve, the day after Christmas, or even New Year's Eve before he had restored order to the worlds once again.

"What will we do now?" Donald asked.

Sora looked down at the ground. "I don't know. I'd hate to say this, guys, but I don't have a clue what to do."

Launchpad started whirling his head around. "Where'd Goofy go?"

That's when it became clear the knight had wandered off. Sora sighed again. "Man, why can't things just work out for once?"

The group started walking through the village. They strolled past wigwam houses guarded by warriors. They stepped alongside the gracefully-moving river; Sora could now tell what Pocahontas had meant when she'd mentioned how her father wanted her "to be steady like the river". They walked around small campfires with children playing. They moved to the edge of the forest, but there was no sign of Goofy.

Sora threw his arms up in annoyance. "I'm just about ready to give up."

"Yeah," Donald agreed, equally frustrated.

_**CHOMP! CRUNCH!**_

The sounds grabbed the group's attention. They spun their heads around. Before them stood an enormous field of healthy, green cornstalks. Seated on the ground beneath one of them was the tall, clumsy knight Sora had come to know as Goofy. He was relaxing with his legs crossed, leaning against a tall, thick stalk. In his hands was a half-eaten corn-cob.

Sora gave a sigh of relief and shook his head. It was déjà vu all over. Goofy had worried the others like the time when he'd been knocked unconscious by a flying piece of debris… or had he been buried alive in a sudden rockslide in the gorge near Villain's Vale? Whatever had taken place, Sora was glad to see his friend.

Donald rolled up his sleeves and stomped over to the knight. "What's the big idea?!" he snapped. "You got us all worried!"

"Gee," Goofy muttered between swallows. "I didn't mean ta get ya worried."

Launchpad strolled up to another stalk beside the two. He plucked a corn-cob from the plant, unhusked it, and plopped onto the ground to chill. He started to eat. "May as well get some time off for dinner," he chuckled.

Donald rolled his eyes. "I can't believe this… "

Sora covered his mouth to conceal his laughter. He shook his head. This sight was something else! Goofy and Launchpad were two of a kind, only the pilot was slightly more comical while the knight was just plain clumsy.

Some footsteps from behind caused everyone to swing their attention to behind Sora. There stood Pocahontas. "I need to see John Smith," she said. "Would you come with me?"

Sora looked uncertain. "Are you sure? He said to meet him at Grandmother Willow tonight. Remember?"

Pocahontas gave a short nod. "I know, but… he _needs_ to talk to my father. Would you bring him there?"

Sora nodded. "Alright. We'll bring John Smith to Grandmother Willow." He glanced up at the sky. "The sun's setting anyway."

Pocahontas nodded before pointing into the distance. "The shores are over there. He must be close to them."

Sora nodded. "Thanks."

He rounded up Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad from their places. Before long, Sora was leading the group through the cornfield. Behind them, Pocahontas was watching with a faint smile. Sora had to admit it.

Perhaps there was still a chance to prevent a battle between the natives and settlers….

* * *

The sun was much lower in the sky. The shadows were nearly at their maximum point. The air had cooled off a lot more. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad had fought their way through a series of Heartless hordes while following the river. At one point, they had peeked around a large rock and saw _Herbie_ resting on the bank. Donald had rushed over and hastily finished repairing the Gummi Ship — without bothering to ask the other three for assistance. They were now on the edge of a clearing near where Pocahontas had claimed the shoreline was.

As they stepped into the clearing, it became apparent the area was dark. Not the kind of darkness due to lack of light, but the type of Darkness you could feel… and sometimes smell (if your nose was keen enough). A loud animal sound filled the air. The group froze in their tracks.

"What was that?" Donald questioned.

Goofy gulped. "Sounded really spooky."

Launchpad was standing proudly above the others. "I'm sure it was nothing," he chuckled.

Not paying any attention to what his teammates were doing, Sora approached the edge of the trees and peered through. On the other side, he saw what appeared to be a wall made of long, wooden poles. The tops of the poles were sharpened like pencils. The thought of returning to school in January rattled Sora's mind so much, he desperately shook it away.

"Guys," he said, signaling his friends over. "Look at this."

He heard Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad hurrying over to him. Without warning, Goofy jumped onto his shoulders. Donald hopped onto the knight's shoulders. Launchpad clambered up to the top, squishing Donald's head in the process. Sora could barely stand, no thanks to all the weight on his shoulders.

The three awed in marvel.

"Gawrsh!"

"Wow!"

"Looks like a bunch of pencils lined up."

Sora could no longer hold his friends up. He collapsed onto the ground. Goofy, Donald, and Launchpad landed onto him one-by-one. There they were, lying in a heap in the thin grass and dry dirt. Sora shook his companions aside before rising to his feet. He brushed some dirt of his clothes before gazing back at the wall. Launchpad was correct; it did look similar to a bunch of pencils.

His eyes followed the wall to the left. Not far from the group's position, he saw a couple men standing near the top of the wall with a pair of what seemed to be giant axes on rods. He instantly assumed it was the main entrance into the structure.

"C'mon," Sora said to his team. He pointed to the supposed entrance. "Let's check it out."

Goofy, Launchpad, and Donald rose to their feet. They followed the brown-haired young man to the entrance of the building.

When they reached the entrance, Sora had the group stop in place. He put a finger to his lips, causing the others to cover their mouths. He pointed at the opening in the wall. A young man apparently in his twenties was standing guard with a large gun in his hand. Sora didn't know much about guns, but he thought it looked a little like the one John Smith had been carrying around. Other than that, he also took notice of how the stranger was slender with red hair and wearing a dark-green cap, light-green shirt, brownish pants or shorts (Sora could not tell), and brown shoes.

"Gawrsh," Sora overheard Goofy whispering to Launchpad and Donald. "Looks like some kinda guard."

"Yeah," Donald whispered back.

"He must be guarding something important," Launchpad added in a hushed voice. "There's a fort in there."

Sora started to take a step closer. One of his oversized shoes snapped a twig. The sound grabbed the young man's focus. He spun around and pointed his weapon in the sound's direction. Sora and the others froze. The guard closed one eye while aiming the gun at the group.

Sora's eyes grew wide. His first instinct was to summon his Keyblade. However, he had just taken note of how scared the strange young man was. He chose not to move.

"Y… you there," the man nervously called. "Who… who are you?"

"Sora," Sora replied. He had the feeling this was something like an interrogation. He gestured to his friends. "Donald, Goofy, Launchpad."

The man continued to point his gun at the group. A second man approached from inside the fortress. Sora's eyes lit up, recognizing the blonde hair. He smiled with relief, knowing it was John Smith.

"Thomas," Smith said as he approached from behind. "What's going on?"

Thomas whirled around in surprise. He pointed at Sora's group. "John! We've got strangers."

Smith gazed out at the four standing on the edge of the woods. He shook his head and grinned. "Easy, Thomas. They're friends."

Thomas lowered his gun and started to take in gasps of air. "Oh, I could've killed them!"

"Not aiming like that, you couldn't," Smith corrected. "Keep both eyes open when you shoot. You'll see twice as well."

Sora and his teammates approached the fort. Sora calmly placed his hands behind his head and smiled all the more. "Glad to know you're someone we can trust."

"Huh?" Donald inquired, clearly startled by Sora's remark. Usually, the spikey, brown-headed Keyblader would automatically trust _anyone_, even if they were a complete stranger. At times, this quirk of his had gotten the group into trouble. At other times, it had proved vital in helping others. Unless Sora was unaware of the seriousness of the situation at hand.

John Smith waved Sora and the others over. "Hello, Sora. Nice to see you again."

"Same here," Sora admitted. He glanced over to see if Thomas was paying attention to them. When he saw it wasn't so, he relaxed and continued. "Pocahontas sent us. Her tribe is planning to attack. They think everyone here is responsible for the Heartless out there."

Smith paused in thought for a couple seconds. "I know what you mean. Perhaps we should talk with Governor Ratcliffe, explain the situation."

Sora looked perplexed. "Who?"

"He's our leading official," Smith explained. "If anyone could negotiate a peace treaty, it'd be him."

Sora crossed his arms. For some reason, he had a slight sense of doubt in what John Smith was telling him. He didn't know why, how, or whatever. He just had a funny sensation about all this. He chose to go along. "Okay," he finally said. "Where is he?"

"_**Smith**_! Where are you?"

The deep, booming voice caused Donald to scamper behind Goofy, his tail feathers shaking. Everyone else veered their focus toward a huge, gold tent. Striding in the direction of the group was a rather large man with long black hair tied into short pigtails with red ribbons, thick black eyebrows, and notable lavender eyelids. He was wearing a long V-cut shirt with lavender collar and cuffs, crimson knee-length pants, lavender socks, and black boots. Behind him was a thin, young man with brown hair and brownish-tan clothing.

Sora nearly shuddered when he saw the two. He remembered them both from the second image he had viewed while the group had been at Grandmother Willow's tree.

"I am over here, sir," Smith called to the larger man.

The two men marched up to the group and stopped. The larger man looked stern and strict, which reminded Sora of Donald on a very bad day. It also made him think of his English teacher, Mrs. Bookie. He stared when he saw Sora's team. "Who are these four?" he demanded.

"Sora, sir," Sora gulped. Deep down, he had the feeling there was something dark about the governor. The sensation was similar to the times he had encountered Maleficent and Pete on his previous quests. Of course, he hadn't seen the two so far on this quest, but he did know something funny was most-likely happening. The only question was… what?

"Donald," Donald introduced, shaking anxiously.

Goofy gulped. "Goofy… "

"Launchpad McQuack," Launchpad muttered, feeling a tad nervous.

"I found them while I was out scouting the terrain, sir," John Smith clarified. "They mean us no harm. They helped protect me from those 'strange monsters'."

Smith turned to Sora's group. "And this is Governor Ratcliffe. The one behind him is Wiggins."

The thinner man poked his head out and waved at the group. "Hi! I'm Ratcliffe's manservant. Wherever he goes, I go."

"Just like me an' Donald," Goofy chuckled. "We follow Sora wherever he goes."

"And I'm new to the team," Launchpad proclaimed.

Donald shook his head when he heard this.

Ratcliffe was busy looking over the group. He nodded before returning his gaze back to John Smith. "Excellent," he said with a half-grin. "Then you must all know the Indians' whereabouts. We'll need all the information we can get for the battle."

Smith looked shocked and angered. "What 'battle'?"

"We will eliminate these savages once and for all," Ratcliffe informed them.

"_No_!" Smith stated. "You can't do that!"

"Oh?" Ratcliffe smirked. "Can't I?"

"Yes," Sora agreed with John Smith. "You don't have to fight them."

Thomas approached the group. "John?" he inquired, a puzzled look on his face. "What's gotten into you?"

"We met one," Sora clarified before Smith could open his mouth. He could tell Donald wanted to scold him for meddling too far.

Thomas looked shocked. "You _what_?! A savage?!"

"They're not savages," Smith explained. "They can help us. They know the land. They know how to navigate the rivers."

"They also got a nice form of 'so-sea-it-y'," Goofy chuckled. "A-Hyuck!"

Upon hearing this, Donald slapped his own face. He muttered a long series of illegible garble that ended with, "…Aw phooey!"

Goofy reached into one of his vest pockets and pulled out an extra corn cob. "See? They've got lots of this stuff."

Thomas gazed at the cob in wonder. "What is it?"

Smith smirked at the sight of the item in Goofy's hand. "It's better than hardtack and gruel, that's for sure."

Wiggins poked his head out again. "I like gruel."

Ratcliffe was unimpressed. He marched forwards and snatched the cob from Goofy's hands. "They don't want to feed us, you ninnies!" he scolded, waving the cob violently. He threw it onto the ground and stomped on it, crushing the corn into mush. "They want to kill us — _all_ of us! They've got our gold, and they'll do anything to keep it!"

"There is _**no**_ gold around here!" Sora barked in anger. He had heard enough of this misunderstanding.

Donald nodded with a glare. "Yeah! I was _**so**_ disappointed!"

Thomas gasped in surprise. Some other settlers strolled over, having watched the heated argument. They were murmuring over what Sora had just said.

Ratcliffe gave a small grin. "And I suppose your little Indian friend told you this?"

"Yes," John Smith confirmed with a serious face.

"Yeah!" Sora seconded.

"_**Lies**_ — _**all**_ of it!" Ratcliffe shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. "Murderous thieves! There's no room for their kind in civilized society."

"That's _**not**_ fair!" Sora argued.

"Yes," Smith agreed, siding with the seventeen-year-old. "This is _**their**_ land!"

"This is _**my**_ land!" Ratcliffe retaliated. A thin layer of dark clouds appeared around his body. "_**I**_ make the laws here. And I say anyone so much as _looks_ at an Indian without killing him on sight, will be tried for treason and hanged."

Sora's glare remained. He had seen the hint of Darkness radiating out from the governor. Clearly, this man was intent on getting his hands on gold, even though there wasn't any in the landscape. His lust for gold… Sora wondered, could that be what was summoning all the Heartless?

Ratcliffe marched back to his tent. Wiggins was directly behind the large man. Once they were gone, Thomas walked back to the entrance to continue his post. John Smith turned to Sora. "Sorry you had to see that," the former apologized. "The governor's been real testy ever since those 'Heartless' you speak of attacked our camp with the Indians."

Sora crossed his arms in thought. Perhaps the answer to the problem was directly in front of him. The only way he could get a definite understanding was by further investigation of the governor. He felt a little silly, knowing this idea was similar to how a certain medical examiner might start looking for clues. What was the name of that older show, again? The one his mom and dad had watched on a daily basis? All Sora could recall was it had something to do with the letter "Q". But what?

Sora uncrossed his arms and turned back to John Smith. "Could you stay with Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad for a few minutes? I need to check something out."

"Sora?" Donald asked.

"Are ya sure you won't miss us?" Goofy added.

Sora turned back to his friends. "I gonna sneak over to that guy's tent. Maybe I can learn something important."

Donald and Goofy frowned. "Sora… "

"I'll be back," Sora said before turning away. He marched over to the large, golden tent near the far end of the camp. Beyond it was a giant, wooden ship with three, four, or five masts. Sora didn't bother to check. He was too focused on his current destination.

* * *

Sora reached the tent within minutes. He started walking slower and slower as he closed in. By the time he reached the canvas, the sunset was almost over. He knelt down beside the canvas and leaned gently on the side. He could hear Ratcliffe and Wiggins speaking from the inside.

"I've never been a popular man," he heard Ratcliffe sigh.

"I like you," Wiggins said.

"And don't think I don't know what those backstabbers at court say about me."

"Oh yes! All that talk about you being a pathetic social climber who's failed at everything he's—"

"I'm _very_ well aware that this is my last chance for glory. But mark my words, Wiggins, when King James sees the gold those savages were hiding, success will be mine at last."

"And how will we find this gold?"

"The battle, Wiggins. Once we eliminate those savages, all the gold will be mine, _mine_, _**mine**_!"

Sora gulped when he heard Ratcliffe. He sensed a hint of Darkness coming from within the tent's canvas. He froze. The Darkness was gradually getting stronger. Truly, this was the source of the Heartless. Unless… He looked around the area. There was not a single Heartless in sight.

Sora paused to think. Something seemed way off. How could Ratcliffe be responsible for controlling the Heartless when there weren't any Heartless around for him to control? Maybe there was a stronger Darkness out there somewhere? How would he ever find out for sure?

He yawned and stretched. The sky was dark and stars were starting to appear. Night had fallen. Sora's lit up. He had completely forgotten to tell John Smith to head for Grandmother Willow! He leapt to his feet and sped off through the camp.

About halfway through the fort, he stopped. Sora glanced to his left, spotting a campfire with several people gathered around. He was too far to feel the heat of the flames, but close enough to hear what the settlers were talking about.

"Ratcliffe wouldn't take us halfway around the world for nothing."

"But what if Smith is right? What if there is no gold?"

"If you ask me, Ratcliffe's been lying to us since we left London."

"Listen to you, you bunch of idiots. Those savages and beasts didn't attack us for nothing. They're hiding something."

"If they do have the gold, I reckon we'll have to fight them."

Sora paused for a couple moments. His mind continued to spin. Had the world wanted him to stop there and listen to all this chit-chatter? He could now tell the settlers truly _did_ believe Pocahontas's tribe was using the Heartless. They were convinced the Heartless were guarding the native's gold stash. Of course, the Keyblade wielder already knew there wasn't any gold in these hills, but he also couldn't say again to the settlers without interfering with the World Order more than needed.

He turned his eyes into the darkness. To his relief, he saw Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and John Smith sneaking around the fort's walls. He hurried after them. When he reached the group, Sora smiled and whispered, "Guys!"

The four noticed the spikey, brown-haired youth and grinned. "Didja find somethin' out?" Goofy asked.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. Ratcliffe's determined to get his hands on gold, even if there isn't any."

"Sounds like someone else we know," Launchpad muttered, glancing at Donald.

The duck magician glared at the pilot. "Hey!"

John Smith turned to Sora. "We're on our way to see Pocahontas," the former informed the latter.

Sora gave another nod. "Let's go."

They carefully crept up to a small gap in the fort's walls. One by one, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Smith snuck through the opening and disappeared into the darkness of the forest. They had no idea they had been seen.

* * *

Thomas peered through the opening in the picket fence. To his surprise, there was John, dashing into the woods. He had just seen Sora and his gang head out there, too. What were they thinking? There were hostile monsters lurking out there. Not to mention, a bunch of savages, too. Why would they be running into the forest in the middle of the night? It was too dangerous — even for an experienced explorer like John.

He felt a hand shove him from behind. Thomas gasped and spun around. Through the dim light of the moon above, he could see a large silhouette — one of a man. He automatically knew who it was. After all, the shadows made him look darker than usual.

Governor Ratcliffe.

"Follow him," the governor ordered.

Thomas stood at attention. "Yes, Governor."

"I want to know where he's sneaking off to."

"Yes, sir."

"And if you happen to see any Indians," Ratcliffe added. He tossed a musket into the young man's hands. "Shoot them."

Thomas looked over the gun in his hands. He felt a tad uneasy. His mind went back to the skirmish a few days before. He had tripped over a log and fired his gun into the wrong direction. Ratcliffe and demanded he shoot at the attackers and later ordered him to learn how to handle a gun. He turned to follow John and Sora's group.

"Oh, and Thomas?"

Thomas turned back to see Ratcliffe. "You've been a slipshod sailor and a poor excuse for a soldier," the governor muttered. "_Don't_ disappoint me again."

As Ratcliffe walked away, Thomas sighed softly. He walked slowly away to follow John's trail. There was _no_ way he would fail to follow the governor's instructions… again.

* * *

Pocahontas was running. The moon overhead provided enough light to allow her to see across the village. She was now on the edge of the clearing and near the massive cornfield. The air was cool compared to daytime. The wind with all the colorful petals had seemingly disappeared.

It did not matter. She had to meet John Smith.

She was about to head into the cornfield when a voice called out to her. "Pocahontas!"

Pocahontas spun around. Through the darkness, she saw the shape of her childhood friend hurrying over. "Nakoma!"

"Don't go out there," Nakoma said, a stern look written on her face. "I lied for you once. Don't ask me to do it again."

Pocahontas turned to leave. "I have to do this."

"He's one of them!"

"You don't know him."

Nakoma was so frustrated, she ran around the native princess to make eye contact. "You go out there, you'll be turning your back on your own people."

Pocahontas sighed. "I'm trying to _help_ my people."

"Pocahontas, please," Nakoma begged. "You're my best friend. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't," Pocahontas replied. "I know what I'm doing."

She passed the young man and took off into the cornfield. She could still hear Nakoma shouting to her.

"Pocahontas, no!"

* * *

Nakoma was shocked and worried alike. Pocahontas was gone. For all she knew, the man she'd seen her friend with before was up to no good. She could not take any chances. So what if Pocahontas trusted him? He could turn on her without warning.

She needed to get help. Nakoma turned around and ran back into the village. She found a fire lit just outside Kocoum's wigwam. The warrior was outside, busy sharpening his knife for the upcoming battle. She ran up to him. "Kocoum?"

Kocoum stopped what he was doing and turned to face her. "What is it?"

Nakoma paused, unsure if she was doing the correct thing. "It's Pocahontas."

Kocoum rose to his feet. His eyes were filled with alarm. "What's wrong? Is she all right? Those monsters have not attacked her, have they?"

Nakoma hesitated once more before speaking. "I think she's in trouble."

* * *

The sky was pitch-black. Or at least it might have been, given it was visible from deep within the forest. There was no wind moving, evident since the branches of the trees were not swaying a single inch. The scent of Darkness was starting to fill the air. Animals of all shapes and sizes were scurrying around, seeking shelter in case of an approaching storm.

It was during this when Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and John Smith finally reached Grandmother Willow. They found Pocahontas already there, speaking with the elderly tree.

"The earth is trembling, child," Grandmother Willow stated. "What's happened?"

Pocahontas looked concerned. "The warriors are here!"

"What?" Sora declared as he and his friends reached the native woman. "Already? This can't be good."

Donald rolled his eyes. "When is it ever 'good'?"

"Pocahontas!" John Smith said as he raced over to her. "Listen to me. My men are planning to attack your people. You've got to warn them."

Pocahontas's eyes lit up. "Maybe it's not too late to stop this," she realized. "You have to come with me and talk to my father."

Smith shook his head. "Pocahontas," he sighed. "Talking isn't going to do any good. Sora and I already tried talking to my men but everything about this land has them spooked."

"Yeah," Sora said. "I don't get it. Why can't you get this whole misunderstanding cleared up?"

Smith turned to the brown-haired Keyblade wielder. "Once two sides want to fight, nothing can stop them."

"That can't be," Donald stated. "I have stopped fights many times!"

Goofy and Launchpad started chuckling. "More like ya started dem fights many a-times," the latter teased.

"Hey," Donald snapped. "That wasn't funny!"

Goofy and Launchpad went on laughing. Donald started yelling in anger, which only caused Sora to laugh with the others.

"All right, that's enough!" Grandmother Willow snapped louder than before. Everyone instantly became silent. They swung their undivided attention to the tree. "It's enough to make your sap boil. Now then, there's something I want to show you. Look."

The old tree gently lowered her vine towards the water below her roots. In the process Goofy picked up a small, smooth stone and tossed it into the river. The stone skipped as it bounced past Grandmother Willow's vine. It sank twenty skips later.

Pocahontas's eyes lit up. "The ripples… "

John Smith was unimpressed. "What about them?"

"So small at first," Grandmother Willow told the group. "Then look how they grow. But someone has to start them."

Sora shook his head. "They're not going to listen."

"Young man," Grandmother Willow said to the spikey-haired Keyblader. "Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one. Don't you see? Only when the fighting stops can Pocahontas and John Smith be together."

John Smith turned to face Pocahontas. When she smiled, he glanced at the others. They were all smiling.

"Yeah," Sora encouraged.

"Go on," Donald agreed.

"Sure," Goofy added.

"Nothing tried, nothing a-learned," Launchpad encouraged in turn.

Smith grinned, knowing he had lots of encouragement from his friends. He turned back to Pocahontas. "All right. Let's go talk to your father."

Pocahontas smiled all the more. She threw her arms around the blonde-haired young man. He quickly returned the embrace. Sora gave his famous grin. Donald and Goofy covered their eyes. Launchpad covered his mouth. Grandmother Willow closed her vines, even though Sora and his friends could still tell what was happening.

Pocahontas and John Smith leaned in close to one another. They shut their eyes and pressed their lips together.

* * *

Thomas was stumped. The trail of footprints left by John's shoes had come to an end on the edge of the riverbank. He came to a halt, seeing a wall of vines blocking his way. He carefully used his rifle to move the vines aside. He squinted into the darkness.

A pair of silhouettes caught his eye. He froze, recognizing one as his friend, John. The other was a young woman with long, black hair. She was wearing a dress made from animal skin.

Thomas gasped in total shock, realizing what he was seeing. John was kissing an Indian.

* * *

Kocoum squinted to peer into the darkened clearing on the edge of the riverbank. He had followed Pocahontas's trail clear through the forest to this stop. He peered into the distance. His eyes lit up when he saw the native princess standing there with a young man sporting blonde hair.

And they were kissing! He felt a surge of envy rush through him. His facial expression swiftly transitioned into a scowl, followed by a sneer. His hearts started pounding faster and faster. He could _**not**_ stand by any longer. He _**needed**_ to take action — _**now**_!

Several strange creatures started to appear around him. It didn't matter. He let out a loud war cry before leaping into the clearing.

* * *

The loud shout stole Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad's attention. They swung their eyes to the far side of the clearing. There was Kocoum, the warrior who had outright criticized Sora's combat abilities. He was rushing into the clearing in a heated frenzy. Pocahontas and John Smith spun around in surprise. Kocoum jumped and shoved the latter of the two onto the ground. He pulled out his tomahawk and started to lash out at the blonde-haired young man.

"_**Kocoum**_!" Pocahontas exclaimed in alarm. "_**No**_!"

Sora and his team watched in shock as Smith resisted the warrior and knocked him aside. Kocoum pulled out a sharp knife and attacked again. Pocahontas grabbed the warrior and tried to drag him aside, but Kocoum pushed her onto the ground.

Sora was astounded. Had Kocoum followed Pocahontas here? Was he _really_ going to kill John Smith?! Whatever the case, the spikey, brown-haired young man wasn't sure how to respond. He hadn't seen an incident like this one take place for a _**long**_ time.

It was then something else caught Sora's eye. He swerved to head to the left. His eyes lit up. A horde of shadow-covered creatures emerged from the ground. Among them were some larger monsters with huge bodies. Some flying hawk-shaped ones also appeared.

"_**Heartless**_!" Sora declared, summing his Keyblade to fight. He charged into the group of enemies and started to slash, slice, and slam his weapon into the Heartless.

Donald saw what Sora was doing and immediately joined him. Goofy and Launchpad were last in line to help. They struck down Heartless after Heartless after Heartless after Heartless after Heartless after Heartless after Heartless after Heartless after Heartless after Heartless after Heartless after Heartless after Heartless after Heartless after Heartless, etc.

The Heartless kept on coming. Sora began feeling woozy. He glanced around the clearing. Where were all these creatures coming from?! He hadn't seen anything like this for a little over a year. Nonstop Heartless… no wonder he felt so worn out now.

Sora then spotted a familiar young man running past the hostile creatures with a gun in hand. "Thomas?" he realized. "What's he doing here?"

Thomas reached the opposite end of the clearing and pointed his gun at Kocoum. A few Heartless started to attack him. Sora was about to rush over when the gun fired. It all happened super-quick. The Heartless were obliterated… Sora felt something bounce off the armor on his right shoulder… the bullet struck Kocoum's left arm. The warrior fell backwards. He reached out and grabbed the blue necklace around Pocahontas's neck. The necklet snapped apart, startling the native woman. Kocoum continued to fall and landed into the water on the river's edge. Pocahontas rushed over to him.

Sora slashed his Keyblade through the last of the Heartless before hurrying over to the fallen warrior. True, Kocoum had been very critical about his fighting methods, but that didn't mean he deserved to be… he didn't want to think about it.

John Smith returned to his feet. Spotting Thomas, he was taken by surprise. "Thomas!"

Thomas neared the riverbank and stopped. "Is he… ?"

Pocahontas turned to the young man. "You hit him."

"You mean," Sora sputtered. "He's… "

Pocahontas shook her head. "No, he's not dead."

Sora gave a deep sigh of relief. At least _there_ was some good news — for once. Thomas looked startled. "I thought that… "

Pocahontas glared at Thomas. "Get away from him!" she snapped. "You almost killed him!"

Thomas was shocked beyond belief. A series of questionable voices could be heard in the distance. Thomas looked around wildly, uncertain about what was going to happen.

"Thomas, get out of here," Smith yelled to his young friend. "Get out of here!"

Thomas took off running in a right hurry. He was well out of sight within seconds. Sora and his friends gathered beside Pocahontas as they watched him leave. Moments later, several warriors from Pocahontas's tribe rushed into the clearing and seized Smith. They dragged him off toward the village. A few others retrieved Kocoum's unconscious body.

Sora sighed really deeply after the native warriors had left. "Man… what's going on? Why can't something go right?"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad shrugged. "Who knows?" they said together.

Pocahontas was silent. She slowly strolled in the direction of the village. Sora's team watched her walk away. They followed shortly after. Sora sighed again, knowing the incident he had just witnessed was only a hint of the trouble yet to come.

* * *

The clearing was quiet. Not even the animals gathered around in the trees were making any noise. The whole area seemed gloomier than usual. Up above, some clouds were slowly starting to cover the star-filled sky. The strong scent of something dangerous was slowly filling the air little by little.

A rustling in the trees. Out stepped a figure. Not just any figure, mind you. Rather, it was a slender, teenage girl sporting long, sandy hair, shiny blue eyes, and mildly-tanned skin. Her outfit consisted of a pink shirt and skirt, zipped red jacket, and blue tennis shoes. A yellow-colored hairband was nestled neatly in her hair and she had a star-shaped necklace around her neck.

She stepped out into the glade. She walked slowly up to the broken necklace lying on the ground. She stopped and bent down to pick it up. She gazed at the pieces in her hand. She sighed.

"This is so sad… if only something could be done."

* * *

The village was mostly quiet by the time Sora and his team arrived. They found the tribe gathered outside in two lines. Many of them were gasping or weeping. At the end stood Chief Powhatan. He watched in shock as two warriors carried the unconscious Kocoum on by. He gave a stern look at the head of the returning warriors. "Who did this?"

"Pocahontas was out in the woods," the warrior replied. "Kocoum went to find her and this white man attacked them."

The warrior pointed to the captive John Smith. The young man was scowling at the natives with a fearless look in his eyes. Sora watched as Powhatan pointed the staff in his hands at Smith's neck. "Your weapons are strong," the chief said. "But now our anger is stronger. At sunrise he will be the first to die!"

Pocahontas stepped closer. "But father… "

Powhatan gave a stern look to his daughter. "I told you to stay in the village. You disobeyed me. You have shamed your father!"

Pocahontas looked discouraged. "I was only trying to help."

"Because of your foolishness, Kocoum is _injured_!" Powhatan snapped. He gazed back to Smith. "Take him away."

Sora raced up to the chief before Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, or anyone else could stop him. "Hey!" he shouted. "_Don't_ blame her! We didn't know someone was gonna get hurt!"

Powhatan scowled at the Keyblader. "I told you to protect my daughter. With Kocoum injured, you will stay and keep her safe."

Sora was shocked. Here he had been trying to prevent a possible battle from happening. Now, it seemed hopeless. Besides, what if the Heartless got mixed into the fight? Neither side would stand a chance! "But… "

"That is all!" Powhatan snapped before marching away. The other natives followed him back into the village.

Sora gave a deep sigh. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gathered around him.

"Sora," Donald scolded. "You _shouldn't_ have said that!"

"Yeah," Goofy agreed. "How are we gonna stop a fight that ain't even started yet?"

Launchpad shrugged. "Ya got me there."

Sora gave an especially deep sigh. "I know. But… I just don't know _what_ to do. It feels like everything we try to keep peace in the world goes wrong." He stared at the moonlit ground. "Maybe… maybe this is something we can't do."

Donald looked saddened. "Sora… "

"Don't give up," Goofy reassured the seventeen-year-old. "Remember what thuh King said? 'There's always a Door to the Light'. May-bee we just gotta find thuh right door."

Launchpad glanced around the immediate area. His eyes landed upon some nearby wigwams. "I dunno… I don't see any doors around here."

Sora shook his head. Talk about having bad luck! First, he had watched Pocahontas futilely try to persuade her father not to go to war. Next, he had been unable to reason with Governor Ratcliffe. Then, he had watched a fight break out between Kocoum and John Smith. Now, it seemed war was inevitable in the world he was wandering in. Could anything else get worse?

He glanced back at Pocahontas. The native princess was kneeling on the ground with a saddened face. A shadow loomed over her. To Sora's surprise, there stood Nakoma. The young man rose to his feet and strode over. A startled and confused Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad followed suit.

"Kocoum was just coming to protect me," Pocahontas sighed as Sora and the others approached.

Nakoma sighed. "Pocahontas… I sent Kocoum after you," she admitted. "I was worried about you."

"Really?" Sora asked in surprise. "_You_ sent him out there?"

Nakoma nodded. "I thought I was doing the right thing."

Pocahontas shook her head. "All of this happened because of _me_," she said, tears starting to form in her eyes. "And now I'll never see John Smith again."

Sora sighed deeply once more. He gazed down at the ground. His mind went back to the time he had learned his friend, Tron, had been de-rezzed by the corrupt program, CLU. Even though that had been inside the _Realm of Sleep_, Sora had known Tron wasn't _**really**_ gone. He had grown quite depressed for a while anyway, certain he would probably not get to meet his friend in the world's dreams.

It wasn't until later Sora had learned Tron _was_ alright — he had been reprogramed into the hostile program, Rinzler. Sora had even fought his friend to save him from CLU's control. He had succeeded, though that particular Tron was only a piece of old data from long ago. The _**real**_ Tron was safely inside Ansem's computer in the _**Radiant Garden**_.

Either way, Sora also knew what Pocahontas was going through was no different. Well, the only notable difference was how the world wasn't in a dream. Either way, Sora knew one thing for sure — losing a friend wasn't as bad as never seeing them again.

Nakoma knelt down and helped Pocahontas to her feet. "Come with me," the former said.

Curious about where they were going, Sora's team followed behind. They found themselves approaching a large wigwam on the inside of the village. A warrior stood guard on either side of the building's entrance.

"Pocahontas and her friends want to look into the eyes of the man who injured Kocoum," Nakoma told the guards.

The two warriors glanced at each other for a quick second. "Be quick," one told the group.

Pocahontas and Sora walked past and inside the wigwam. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad sat down outside the structure to wait. The minutes seemed to last longer than hours….

* * *

The interior of the wigwam was rather cool compared to the air outside. The only light came from a hole in the ceiling above. A patch of moonlit descended into the large, round room, illuminating the only person inside. He was tied to a wooden post with his hands behind his back.

Sora and Pocahontas walked up to the blonde-haired young man. Pocahontas knelt down and grabbed the man's attention. "Pocahontas!" the man exclaimed, recognizing his friend.

Sora nodded. Yup! John Smith was in here, just like Nakoma had claimed.

Pocahontas looked down. "I'm so sorry."

Smith grinned. "For what, this? I've gotten out of worse scrapes than this. Can't think of any right now, but… "

Pocahontas shook her head slowly. "It would've been better if we'd never met. None of this would've happened."

Sora looked down. It was clear Pocahontas was about ready to wish everything that had happened hadn't happened in the first place. Sometimes, he also wished he could rewrite history. Of course, such things were really impossible… weren't they?

"Pocahontas, look at me," Smith said. Pocahontas did so. "I'd rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without knowing you."

Sora looked up at the opening in the ceiling. Beyond he could see countless stars shining down. What Smith had said, it sounded familiar… it almost felt like Sora himself felt whenever he was around Kairi. He liked how her auburn hair flowed gently in the sea breeze. Her eyes were blue like the sky. Her laugh made him show his famous grin… sometimes he would grin first, which caused her to giggle. He liked that.

The spikey-headed youth shook his mind free from the random contemplation. Instead, he found himself thinking about a noise or two he had barely heard back at Grandmother Willow. While Pocahontas and John Smith were… well, you know… he had thought he'd heard a sound. It had sounded a little like a twig snapping. His mind had been so wrapped up in the moment, he'd assumed it was his imagination… or was it? Had someone — or some_thing_ — been lurking in the trees' shadows around the old willow tree?

He decided he ought to inquire Smith about such things. After all, the young man had explored a vast portion of the landscape. Could he know something Sora himself did not?

Sora lowered his eyes to meet John Smith's. "John Smith, did you ever see anyone, or anything, strange out there?"

Smith's eyes seemed to light up a bit. "Yes," he answered. "I saw a strange creature standing in the middle of a meadow a few days ago. I was scouting the terrain."

"_**Really**_?!" Sora exclaimed. "What'd they look like?"

Smith thought back as he explained. "It looked like a woman. She was wearing green. When I saw large wings on her back, I thought it was bird in my imagination. But then, she waved her arms and a bunch of those monsters you called 'Heartless' appeared. I tried to get a better look, but she was gone before I could."

Sora crossed his arms in thought. For some reason, the only girl he knew with wings was Tinker Bell. But she was a fairy, and she was tiny. What Smith had seen didn't make sense. Then again, it did sound like someone was controlling the Heartless.

His mind suddenly went back to when he had transformed into a fairy in the _Realm of Sleep_. He had been in Tinker Bell's world then. Of course! Maybe this strange girl was from… whatever the name of Tinker Bell's world was… but how had she become so much bigger? Something seemed off.

Sora didn't have time to think about it. It was then Nakoma peered into the wigwam and said, "Pocahontas?"

Sora sighed, knowing their time in there was up. He turned to Pocahontas. "We need to go now."

Pocahontas looked at John Smith once more. "I _can't_ leave you… "

"You never will," Smith informed her. "No matter what happens to me — as long as you think of me now and then — I'll always be with you — forever."

Pocahontas took one final look at her friend before strolling out of the wigwam. Sora followed behind. He glanced back long enough to see John Smith looking into the sky far above through the ceiling's opening.

'_Man'_, Sora thought to himself. _'They were so close… '_

* * *

Outside, Sora found Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad waiting for him. Goofy and Launchpad were laying against the building with their arms behind their heads and their legs crossed. Donald was sitting down playing a game of solitaire. In the distance, the flames of a giant bonfire could be seen. It illuminated the scenery just enough for the duck to just make out what he was doing.

Sora looked around the area and saw Pocahontas walking away. "Wait up," he called to her. The native princess turned around. "Where're you going?"

"I'm going to see Grandmother Willow," Pocahontas replied.

"Your dad asked us to protect you," Sora told her. "If you're going, we're going too."

"We are?" a surprised Donald said. Goofy and Launchpad nodded at the magician. Donald glared at them. "I wasn't asking you!"

"Come," Pocahontas gestured for the group to follow her. Sora took off after her. Donald scooped up his cards and followed. Goofy and Launchpad hopped to their feet and did the same.

They followed the native woman to the edge of the river. Here, they climbed aboard Pocahontas's canoe and paddled away. The stream was dead calm, as usual. The one thing Sora noticed was different was how quiet it was. Earlier that evening, the whole area had been filled with the chit-chatter of many animals. Now it sounded like the inside of a ghost town.

Something else caught Sora's focus. The air was still. Up till the skirmish about two hours before, there had been at least a gentle breeze blowing about. The wind was gone. There was no indication of the pleasant-feeling wind with the colorful leaves.

Pocahontas gazed into the dark water of the river for a moment or four. She gave a very deep sigh before returning to her paddling. Sora gazed into the water afterwards, but all he saw was his own shadow. He shook his head and reached into his pocket for Kairi's good-luck charm.

He felt something else. Sora hastily removed his hand. To his surprise, he was holding a glowing trinket. It was a sky-blue yo-yo-shaped item with a light-chartreuse five-pointed star. The object was giving a light-blue glow. He recognized it as the same trinket that mouse back at the _**Radiant Garden**_ had given him.

He wondered… could this be one of those "Summons"? He recalled how Simba, Bambi, Genie, Dumbo, Tinker Bell, and Mushu had helped him out on his first quest. Still, they _had_ been what the Fairy Godmother had called "Summon Gems". On his second quest (the one to stop Organization XIII), Chicken Little, Genie (again), Stitch, and Peter Pan and Tinker Bell had all been ready to assist him on a moment's notice. He also remembered how they had come to help whenever he had held up their charm to the Light in… whatever world he was.

He had the feeling he would be collecting some additional "Summon" allies as he journey continued. He had something else to look forward to. The only question left about this was… who was his first ally?

He shrugged the thought aside and continued to help the other paddle down the river towards the elderly willow tree.

* * *

"_**Help**_! _**Somebody help**_! _**Help**_! _**Help**_!" Thomas hollered as loudly as he could. He raced into the camp. He nearly ran straight into Ben and Lon, who happened to be on guard duty. It was easy to identify the two settlers. Ben had black hair. Lon had red hair and a beard. The two had gone out searching for John Smith earlier, only to return with stories about a "spooky tree lifting its roots". That, and they had been attacked by the terrible monsters.

"Easy, lad," Lon said. "What is it?"

Thomas was nearly exasperated. "It's Smith!" he exclaimed. "They _**got**_ him!"

"_Who_ got him?" Ben inquired.

"The _**savages**_!" Thomas declared louder than before. "And those monsters! They captured him — dragged him off!"

Ben and Lon were shocked. Several other settlers came out of their tents in alarm, having overheard the news. "_Where_'d they take him?!" Ben questioned, alarm written on his face.

Thomas pointed into the forest. "They headed North!"

"How many were there?" Lon asked.

"I don't know," Thomas replied. "At least a dozen."

Ben was furious. "Filthy beasts!"

"Ratcliffe was right," Lon realized. "Those savages might be hiding the gold, and they took Smith captive until we agree to leave!"

"We've _**got**_ to save him!" Thomas said, finally catching his breath. "He'd do the same for any of us."

"Thomas is right!" Ben agreed. "We've got to do something."

"And so we shall!" Ratcliffe boomed as he marched over, Wiggins directly behind. "I told you those savages couldn't be trusted. Smith tried to befriend them, and look what they've done to him. But now I say it's time to rescue our courageous comrade. At daybreak, we _**attack**_!"

The settlers all shouted in agreement. Ratcliffe marched into the middle of a platform overlooking the men. Wiggins began placing pieces of black armor onto the governor. He also included a blood-red cape. "What can you expect from filthy little heathens? Their whole disgusting race is like a curse."

All of the men stood at attention as their leader continued to speak. "Their skin's a hellish red. They're only good when dead. They're vermin, as I said — and worse! They're _**savages**_!"

"_**Savages**_!" the settlers yelled in turn.

"Barely even human," Ratcliffe declared as he tossed muskets down to the men below. "Drive them from our shore! They're not like you and me, which means they must be _**evil**_! We must sound the drums of war!"

Ben pointed a sword into the air. "Let's _**kill**_ a few, men!" he yelled loud enough for everyone to hear.

Ratcliffe waited for Wiggins to add his sword. "Now it's up to _**you**_, men!"

"They're _**savages**_!" the settlers chanted in reply. In the midst of the crowd, Thomas gulped very, very, very, very, very, very, very anxiously. He could sense a strong dark power coming from the others around him. He saw a black cloud forming high above the fortress. He knew this meant only one thing.

Trouble — and _**lots**_ of it.

* * *

The native village was filled with noise. The bonfire in the middle was burning brightly against the darkness around it. All the warriors were gathered, preparing for an upcoming battle. At the center of the crowd, Chief Powhatan was briefing everyone.

"This is what we feared," he informed the crowd. "The paleface is a demon. The only thing they feel at all is greed."

Kekata was busy helping the now-recovering Kocoum over. The warrior had a bad scrape on his right arm. The bullet was gone, but it still stung from time to time. "They're different from us," the shaman declared. "Which means they can't be trusted."

"I wonder if they even bleed," Kocoum yelled.

The warriors shouted in reply. "They're _**savages**_!"

"Killers at the core," Powhatan shouted. He threw down his staff and picked up a larger one shaped like a club. "We must sound the drums of war!"

The chief turned to gaze into the wigwam where John Smith was being held. "First we deal with this one, then we sound the drums of war!"

From within a nearby wigwam, Nakoma was watching the display. She watched a cloud of what seemed to be dark magic form in the sky well above the village. She gulped, feeling a strong dark presence from within the cloud.

* * *

The forest was deathly quiet. The sky above grew darker. Soon, no stars could be seen. A giant cloud started moving above. A second one formed in the opposite direction. The two clouds grew closer and closer together. Within minutes, they collided. A flash of powerful energy struck the ground. At the impact site, numerous creatures started to appear. They were black as night itself with claws, antennae, and creepy yellow eyes. Some were bigger than others. Some could spin like the wind. Others could fly through the air.

In the middle of it all, a figure approached the mysterious creatures. It was a young woman with reddish-orange hair, blue eyes, and pinkish lips. Her outfit was complex. It seemed to be a dress with a dark-green color, was a small purple skirt in the middle around her waist, and it had a leaf-like design. Her feet were covered by pinkish-purple shoes. She also had a purple-colored hairband with a tiny, green wine wrapped around it. There was a golden-colored vine wrapped around her right wrist like a bracelet and she had a strawberry-designed tattoo on her right shoulder. What also stood out about her appearance was a set of transparent wings that seemed to be shaped like leaves.

This was no ordinary woman.

She gave a sinister smile at the creatures gathering before her eyes. "Yes," she said to them. "Cover this land. Take over whatever is there. But don't hurt any trees, flowers, or any other plants. Plants are our friends — not our enemies."

* * *

Riku was leaning against the wall of the circular chamber. The day was moving slow. Ever since he had gotten into the heated argument with Niccole, she'd returned to her training for the rest of the day. Kairi was busy, too. The only ones left in the study were Master Yen Sid, Mickey, and Violet.

He sighed. Couldn't something interesting happen? Until classes started up again, he had nothing to do….

At once, Master Yen Sid shifted his eyes to the star-shaped window. Mickey did the same. The latter gasped in alarm when he saw something. Violet looked through and gasped, somehow knowing what it was.

Curious to know what the others had seen, Riku turned and peered through the window. He looked around outside. Other than a close star starting to twinkle rapidly, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Wait. A star twinkling quickly? He took another look. It wasn't twinkling. It was… blinking? He wondered what this meant. Whatever the case, he could tell from the others' reactions it wasn't good. Not good at all.

He wondered if they were looking at a world where Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were at. Whatever the case, he knew something funny was going on. And he wanted to know what… whenever he got around to it that is.

* * *

**A/N: YIKES! THIS DOES NOT LOOK GOOD - NOT GOOD AT ALL!**  
**Well... I needed a Cliff-Hangar for next time, anyway.**

**So, I have the feeling you want me to clarify some things for you.**  
**(1.) When I included the "song", "SAVAGES", I was NOT trying to offend anyone out there! I used the "alternate lyrics" (not from the movie itself) only so I could show the seriousness of the situation. After all, a whole world is on the verge of falling to Darkness. That is NOT something to be taken lightly!**  
**(2.) Try to GUESS who the young woman that picked up Pocahontas's necklace is! _HINT:_ She was featured in this story already!**  
**(3.) What creature was Sora thinking about at the start of This Chapter?**  
**(4.) What "_Medical Examiner_" was Sora referring to while sneaking about the camp? _HINT:_ Think of a T.V. Show from the Late 1970s, Early 1980s. It's currently on _Netflix_. I saw it on there, too.**  
**(5.) I decided to downplay the incident with Kocoum and John Smith? Why? I wrote it that way in the Storyline Summary I created.**  
**(6.) Try to GUESS who the strange woman with the Heartless is!**  
**(7.) What happened to Meeko and Flit? Stay tuned!**  
**(8.) It's True! Whenever you use Sign Language, it is polite to point. How else does the receiver/audience know who you are referring to?**  
**(9.) HERBIE has been repaired. This means, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad will be able to leave once they are done there!**  
**(10.) Try to GUESS who the "_Summon_" Sora has is! HINT: Think of a Disney/Pixar character with a similar color scheme.**

**Well... I'm all out of things to say - UNTIL NEXT TIME, THAT IS!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	16. Ch16 - The Compass And A Familiar Face

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE! WELCOME TO CHAPTER 16! THAT'S CORRECT! WE ARE MUCH CLOSER TO FINISHING THE STORY! ALL WE HAVE LEFT IS - (Calculates # of Planned Chapters)- About 54 MORE CHAPTERS TO GO!**

**That aside, I wanted to say a few things before I let you read the LAST CHAPTER for the world of JAMESTOWNE.**

**Firstly, I wanted to reply to some of you who asked me about the "_FFVII Remake_".**  
**Yes! I was also a little surprised by the announcement. Personally, I would rather they not include the "dress sequence" earlier in the game. What they say and "show" in that part is all stuff I disapprove of. So, I tend to rush through that segment so I can get to the best parts of the game's story. I also feel a tad anxious... IF they did include it, wouldn't that make the game rated "M" instead of "T"? I will NEVER play an "M"-rated game! I'm pretty particular about what games I play.**

**So, here are the answers to SOME of the questions I asked at the end of Chapter 15.**  
**(1.) There is no answer needed. This one was NOT a question.**  
**(2.) You'll have to READ THE CHAPTER to find out!**  
**(3.) A Chocobo \- It was a reference to "_Final Fantasy VII_".**  
**(4.) "QUINCY M.E." - This show starred Jack Klugman as a half-Coroner/half-Detective character named Quincy.**  
**(5.) There is no answer needed. This one was NOT a question.**  
**(6.) You'll have to READ THE CHAPTER to find out!**  
**(7.) There is no answer needed. This one was NOT a question.**  
**(8.) There is no answer needed. This one was NOT a question.**  
**(9.) There is no answer needed. This one was NOT a question.**  
**(10.) You'll have to READ THE CHAPTER to find out!**

**Plus, I included a "Special Scene" at the END of This Chapter. You'll have to READ ON TO SEE IT!**

**Lastly, I wanted to inquire why hardly anyone read Chapter 5. What was wrong with THAT Chapter? I spent A LOT of time working on it, too!**

**So, without further ado, here's... CHAPTER 16! READ ON TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! AND PLEASE REVIEW, TOO! THERE'LL BE A "_FINAL JEOPARDY!_" QUESTION WHEN YOU FINISH!**

**-(JEOPARDY! Theme Song Starts)-**

* * *

**CHAPTER 16  
****The Compass And A Familiar Face**

The night was seemingly endless. The stars above had vanished into a thick, black cloud blotting out the sky. The trees of the forest were still. Silence rang about the land, with the notable exception of the distant war drums. The air was still, not even a mere breeze could be detected. The tranquil wind with its colorful leaves had disappeared.

The river was still flowing as steady as it had before. Yet, none of it drew Sora's attention. He was dismayed. It had been a while since he'd felt this way. Back when he had learned how Organization XIII's true goal actually involved him using his Keyblade… and he had learned Kairi was being held captive — _**that**_ was the last time he'd been in such a deep slump.

The world was full of Darkness. It was clear there was about to be a significant war come daybreak… _if_ you could call it "daybreak", that is. Knowing how thick the Darkness around him was, Sora had the feeling any daylight in this world would be just as dark as night itself. …Wouldn't it?

He was currently seated on the stump before Grandmother Willow. He saw a depressed Pocahontas kneeling beside him. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were sitting on the riverbank, tossing stones, snapping dead twigs, and half-snoozing. For the last few minutes, Pocahontas had informed the old willow tree about the current situation. "They're going to kill him at sunrise, Grandmother Willow," she finished.

Grandmother Willow nodded before speaking. "You have to stop them."

Pocahontas gave a deep, deep sigh. "I can't."

"Child, remember your dream?" the tree inquired.

"Yeah," Sora agreed, recalling the native princess's account of a spinning arrow. As far as he could tell, the arrow was supposed to be pointing her to her destiny. However, she had assumed it was pointing to John Smith. Perhaps she was correct — Pocahontas was destined to prevent a war from breaking out… wasn't she? Or was she just supposed to save John Smith's life?

Pocahontas shook her head. "I was wrong, Grandmother Willow," she wailed suddenly. She ducked her head into her arms. "I followed the wrong path. I feel so lost… "

"Come on," Sora spoke up. "This is no time to beat yourself up. I feel just as badly as you do, but I'm _not_ gonna let anything happen to this world — or any other worlds! We _**need**_ to take action before the battle starts!"

Pocahontas didn't respond to him. "_Is there nothing I can do?_" she wept. "_Will this really be the end? Is it only death that waits_… _just around the riverbend?_"

When she continued to cry, Sora gave an especially deep sigh. Last time he had inadvertently caused a girl to cry was when he had refused to allow his sister to come along on this important quest. Now he wished Amemi was there… perhaps she would know what to do under these circumstances. Now he would never know.

Everything looked absolutely hopeless….

There was some rustling in the nearby trees. The noise seized Sora and the others' focus. Even Pocahontas looked up, startled by the sounds. "What is… ?" she started to say.

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Stay here," he told the native woman. "There could be trouble."

Donald pulled out his wand and Goofy held up his giant shield. All three of them approached the edge of the clearing. The sounds continued. For a moment, Sora thought he saw the silhouette of a figure lurking in the shadows. It looked a little like a teenage girl.

"Hey!" Goofy declared as he grabbed the stranger's arm. The figure pulled away. The knight fell to the ground, still hanging onto the figure's arm. "Gawrsh."

Donald hurried over, grabbed the tall dog's feet, and started to pull. Sora sped into action and helped his friends. The scene looked a little like a tug-o-war competition, only with Goofy instead of rope. Sora struggled to hang onto his friend's legs. He and Donald gave one final yank and down they fell to the ground. Goofy landed into their laps. He was still clinging onto the strange figure's arm. The latter had fallen into view.

Sora was shocked and completely surprised alike. It _**was**_ a teenage girl — one with long, sandy hair, shiny blue eyes, and slightly-tanned skin. She was dressed in a pink shirt and skirt, a red jacket, blue tennis shoes, and she had a yellow hairband. She also had a star-shaped necklace. He could not believe his eyes. "_**Amy**_?!"

Amemi gave a shy smile. "Hi, Sora."

Sora was having a difficult time believing his eyes. Here he was, far away from home, in a completely different world. Yet, his own sister was here — directly before his own eyes.

Everyone rose to their feet. Goofy was looking at Amemi in wonder. "Say, ain't ya Sora's purty sister?"

Donald elbowed the anthropomorphic dog. "Yeah, she is!"

Launchpad marched over and shook the sandy-haired girl's hand so rapidly, it looked like a blur. "Pleasure to meet ya! The name's Launchpad McQuack! If it's got wings, I can crash it!"

Amemi shook her head while retaining her smile. "Yes, I remember you, too," she replied. "You were at Sora's birthday party."

Sora crossed his arms. He had a serious look on his face. "Amy, how'd you get here?"

Amemi looked hesitant. "Well… "

Goofy reached into one of his vest pockets and pulled out the purse he'd recovered from _Herbie_'s trunk. "Is this yours?"

Sora shifted his eyes to the small item before returning to face his sister. "_You're_ the stowaway?"

Amemi nodded. "Yes," she confessed. Her smile faded. "I'm so sorry, Sora. But I had to."

Sora frowned. "You could've gotten hurt! You might've disrupted the World Order! Don't you _know_ what this means?! You could have caused _**lots**_ of confusion and mayhem!"

Amemi folded her arms. "I _had_ to! You wouldn't let me come along!"

Sora was not in the mood for this. Before Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad could say anything, a heated dispute broke out between the two siblings. All they could do was watch from the sidelines, not wishing to get involved.

"You were _**supposed**_ to stay home! It's _**too**_ dangerous!"

"You _**always**_ use that same excuse!"

"So _**what**_?!"

"Well, _**some**_ of us are tried of hearing it! _Kairi's_ been offended by it for a long time!"

"That's _**not**_ the point! You were _**not**_ supposed to be here! We'll have to take you home!"

Now Amemi was scowling. "Fine! Then I'm telling Mom you bossed me around, and you know how she feels about _**that**_!"

Sora was about to wince in frustration. Now his little sister was blackmailing him. He was not about to tolerate such a statement. "You better not, or I'm gonna tell everyone your _deepest_ secret!"

Amemi gasped. "You _**wouldn't**_!"

Sora grinned. "You think I wouldn't?"

"All right! That's _**enough**_!" Grandmother Willow shouted from across the clearing. Sora and Amemi instantly stopped their dispute. They stared at one another for a few minutes.

Finally, Sora sighed deeply and shook his head. "Well… I guess the islands are a little out of the way."

Amemi grinned a little. "I won't tell anyone if _you_ won't."

Sora gave a nod. "I know. We're not allowed to tell. Our job to keep the World Order, fight Heartless, and keep peace." He gave a sigh. "It's not that easy."

Amemi's grin faded. "I see… maybe you do need my help." She reached into her pocket and held up a broken piece of jewelry. "I found this lying on the ground here."

Sora was surprised to see the blue stones. "Pocahontas's necklace? How? We saw Kocoum break it."

"I recovered it," Amemi explained. "We can put it back together."

Donald and Goofy both nodded in turn. This caused Sora to smile and nod his approval. The brown-headed young man stepped forwards and gave his little sister a caring hug. She smiled and returned the embrace.

"Ouch!" Donald yelped suddenly. Everyone swung their eyes to him. The duck was rubbing his head with one hand and pointing his fist into the opening in Grandmother Willow's bark. There was Meeko, the raccoon Pocahontas had apparently befriended. "What's the big idea?!"

Goofy bent down and scooped up a round object from the ground. "Here," he said. "This's what he dropped. A-Hyuck! Sure is shiny!"

Sora stepped over and took a look at the item. "A compass?" he said, realizing what Goofy was holding definitely was the thing hikers tended to use to help them know which way was North.

Amemi took a closer look. "Yes, it is a compass," she admitted. "But whose is it?"

Donald snatched the item from Goofy's hands. "It's mine! I found it!"

Meeko jumped from the tree and slid down a vine. He swung over and swiped the compass from Donald's hands before tossing it to a surprised Pocahontas. The native woman started to examine the object. "The compass?"

She noticed a small red arrow was moving as she turned the compass. "A spinning arrow… " Her eyes lit up, realizing what she'd just said.

Grandmother Willow must have heard her, too. "It's the arrow from your dream!" the willow tree exclaimed in amazement.

"I was right!" an excited, relieved Pocahontas smiled. "It was pointing to him."

"See?" Sora said. "There is a Light, even in the deepest Darkness!"

Goofy shook his head. "Huh… "

Sora glanced at his friend. "What's wrong?"

The knight rolled his eyes. "A few hours ago, you acted like you'd forgotten what thuh King said about the 'Door to the Light'. Now you remember it."

Sora beamed. "So?"

Goofy chuckled. "It makes ya wonder why people never remember stuff. You'd forget everything if we let ya, Sora."

"Oh, thanks!" Sora laughed. Everyone else did the same.

Amemi approached her brother. "It's nice to see you smiling again, Sora."

Sora nodded. "You too, Amy."

Amemi smiled brightly. From Sora's perspective, it seemed her sandy hair was giving a distant reddish glow. Not only that, but a series of colorful leaves caught in a gust of strong wind was blowing around the clearing. His smile faded as he gazed into the distance. "Oh no!"

Everyone else turned to see what had grabbed the brown, spikey-headed youth's focus. They could see the blood-red sun starting to poke out from beyond the horizon. Pocahontas stared with alarm. "Sunrise!"

"We need to _**do**_ somethin'!" Goofy declared.

Donald started to panic. "Hurry or its hopeless!"

Amemi gulped. "This can't be good," she murmured.

"It's not too late, child," Grandmother Willow called out. "Let the spirits of the earth guide you!"

A column of the wind with the colored leaves swirled around the native woman her dark hair bounced around wildly. Sora watched as the compass arrow spun around and around like the main wheel from a game show he used to watch on television.

The arrow suddenly stopped and everyone gazed into the distance. It was pointing into the direction of the rising sun. The sky was now a bright red color. Pocahontas gave a look of clear determination. "Alright!" Sora yelled, certain this was a good thing. "Let's go!"

Within seconds, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Pocahontas were rushing away into the distance. "You know your path, child," Grandmother Willow shouted as they left. "Now _**follow**_ it!"

* * *

The sun was a blood-red color as dawn broke. Governor Ratcliffe took a few moments to admire the shade. It was just as he had imagined a war would really be. The sight of red blood flowing on the ground… he would _love_ to see it coming from the dead savage Indians. Once they were dealt with, he would raid their village and collect his goal. After that, the village would be burned until there was nothing left except ashes.

He grinned. This was one day he wanted to always remember. He drew his sword and held it high in the air. "This will be the day!" he called. He pointed the weapon's blade into the distance. "Let's go, men!"

Behind the governor, all the settlers marched in a group. Each of them was armed with a musket and wearing a helmet and metal body armor. Ben, Lon, and even Thomas were among them.

The only one missing was Wiggins. The thin, young man had been so terrified of the thought of going into battle, he had taken cover inside Ratcliffe's giant tent.

"Now we make 'em _**pay**_!" Ben rallied for everyone.

"_**Devils**_!" Lon agreed with his friend.

"_**Kill**_ them!" Ratcliffe shouted in turn. "What are we waiting for?! They're nothing but _**savages**_!"

"It's them _**or**_ us!" Ben and Lon said together.

Thomas looked around in alarm. He did his best to remain inconspicuous, but it was difficult. The idea of him going into battle to fight people he barely knew troubled him. John apparently had trusted those Indians. Now, here he was about to wipe them out for good.

* * *

Chief Powhatan could tell the wind that usually blew across the landscape had stopped. Everything was still. The bright-red tint of the sunrise was more than enough to tell him it was time.

Time for battle.

"This will be the morning," he said aloud. He turned back to see all the warriors gathered around. In the middle was the large wigwam with the imprisoned young man. He gestured to the guards. "Bring out the prisoner."

The guards marched into the building and came out with the captive blonde-haired man. Kocoum marched up to the chief. His arm was partly swollen, but at least it was healing… somewhat. "Now without a warning," he rallied. "We will see them dying in the dust!"

"_**Demons**_!" Kekata agreed with him. "They're just a bunch of filthy, stinking _**savages**_!"

The warriors all shouted in agreement. Powhatan's scowl remained. Perfect. This was exactly what he needed to win the day. He turned into the direction of the rising sun and started off. The army of warriors followed behind, Kocoum leading them.

* * *

The colorful wind was still flowing before them. Pocahontas was moving so fast, it took a lot for Sora to keep up with her. Behind him, Amemi was struggling to keep up the pace. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were slowly trudging along, though the term "slow" would've been used quite loosely.

Pocahontas suddenly stopped. She stared into the distance. "I don't know what I can do," she said. "Still, I know I've got to try."

She spread her arms out. "Eagle, help my feet to fly. Mountain, help my heart be great. Spirits of the earth and sky, please don't let it be too late!"

Sora nodded. He could tell those words were not just coming from the native woman's lips, but also from her heart. He watched as she spread her arms and started to soar across the ground. The display reminded him of a cheetah combined with a flying hawk.

He signaled for the others to follow. "_**C'mon**_!"

Within moments, the group was rushing after the native princess. They followed her clear through the forest. A few times, a small group of Heartless showed up. Each time, Sora yelled, "_**Outta**__ the way_!" and swung his Keyblade to smash the monsters into the nearby trees.

It didn't take too long for them to arrive on the edge of the forest. A steep ridge was located beyond the trees. The side facing the trees was a steep drop, similar to a cliff. They rushed out of the forest and found themselves face-to-face with quite the scene.

Standing on the top of this ridge was Chief Powhatan. Kocoum was a few feet behind him. Gathered all along the ridge and below it were a few hundred warriors. On the edge of the forest stood Ratcliffe and the army of settlers; they were staring up in alarm.

Sora was shocked. It seemed the battle was on the verge of starting. To make matters worse, John Smith was lying on a rock directly on the ridge's summit. Powhatan was holding a giant club-shaped staff and preparing to deliver a fatal blow onto the young man's head.

"_**Oh no**_!" Sora shouted when he realized what was about to happen. The odds were certainly against him. Him and his friends, that is. There was no way they could make it up there in time. He immediately glanced around for Pocahontas. She was gone.

"_**Sora**_!" Donald shouted, pointing to the top of the ridge. "_**Look**_!"

The seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder spun his eyes back to the ridge. To his surprise, he saw Pocahontas hurrying up the rise to where her father stood. Through the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Amemi starting to charge up to help. He stuck out his arm to stop her. "This is her fight, Amy."

Pocahontas hastily threw herself between her father and Smith. "_**NO**_!" she hollered.

Everything grew silent. Thanks to the look on Powhatan's face, Sora could tell he was startled to see his daughter blocking his way. There was no movement on either side. All eyes had shifted to the native princess.

"If you kill him you'll have to kill me, too," Pocahontas told her father.

"Daughter," Powhatan said in a stern voice. "Stand back!"

"I _**won't**_!" Pocahontas retaliated. "I love him, father!"

Sora overheard Donald and Goofy gasping in complete shock. He didn't understand why. The two of them had already known Pocahontas and John Smith were in love. He looked around and saw Kocoum still standing beside the native chief; a look of total shock was written on his face. All of the native warriors looked the same. Down below, Ratcliffe and the army of settlers were perplexed.

Pocahontas glanced around the dimly-lit clearing. "Look around you. This is where the path of hatred has brought us." She leaned her head onto Smith as thought protecting him. Her eyes turned to gaze at the surprised look in Powhatan's eyes. "This is the path _I_ choose, father. What will yours be?"

Powhatan slowly moved his gaze across the native warriors lined up on the ridge. They positioned their arrows into their bows, ready to fire on a second's notice. He gazed over the army of settlers; they were all arranged with weapons in hand. He glanced back at his daughter.

Sora gulped a little. His anxiety was starting to rise. Hopefully Chief Powhatan would make a positive choice. This was one of those moments he had heard was often called a "crisis point" in storytelling. It was the part where a character had to make an important decision. One of those was the climax… although the spikey, brown-haired Keyblade wielder wasn't sure if this could be called a climatic event… or could it?

Whatever the case, Sora did know he could sense the chief was feeling a tad uncertain about what to do.

A gust of wind picked up. It was swarming with lots of colorful leaves. Sora and his team watched as it blew over to where Powhatan and Kocoum stood. The two took a deep breath as the gale blew by. The wind continued down to where Sora could see Thomas standing among the other settlers. The two beside the young man looked like they were having a change of heart.

The wind proceeded toward Sora and his friends. It circled the group a few times before moving on. As it blew around him, Sora could feel a strong sensation of tranquility. It would have rivaled what he had felt while venturing through the tunnels of Light in the _Realm of Sleep_.

He knew what it was. Light — the world's heart was hidden somewhere in that gust of wind and colorful leaves.

The moment continued for several seconds. To Sora and Amemi, it felt like ten minutes or more. At long last, Chief Powhatan made his decision. He held his club-like staff with both hands and raised it high into the air. In a loud voice, he declared, "My daughter speaks with wisdom beyond her years. We've all come here with anger in our hearts, but she comes with courage and understanding. From this day forward, if there is to be more killing, it will not start with me."

He lowered his staff and turned to Kocoum. "Release him."

With a nod of approval, Kocoum marched forwards and cut the rope binding John Smith's hands. The freed blonde-haired man rose to his feet. Pocahontas did the same. They smiled and shared a heart-felt hug.

Sora smiled. He caught a glimpse of Amemi smiling with a few tears of happiness. Launchpad grinned with a hint of love sickness in his eyes. Goofy blew his nose, clearly for a happy ending. Donald grinned brightly, even as Goofy handed him another used tissue.

Sora shook his head. When he saw Thomas and the other settlers lowering their weapons, he knew for certain the war had been prevented. He could also see the native warriors dropping their own weapons. The sky's blood-red color had faded out when the wind had appeared. It now looked like a typically early morning sunrise. A touch of blue and violet mixed together. Was that supposed to be a shade of… indigo?

Now he wondered if Violet's sister was close by. The angel had claimed her sibling was "The Angel of Hope". After witnessing scenes of hopefulness come to life before his eyes, the seventeen-year-old Keyblader was deep in pondering.

* * *

Thomas smiled when he saw John and his native friend hugging. On either side of him, Ben and Lon were grinning. So were all the other settlers.

The only one not grinning was Governor Ratcliffe. The large man marched forwards and drew his sword. He pointed it at the ridge. "Now's our chance. Fire!"

Seeing this, Thomas stepped forward. "No!"

Ratcliffe was shaken. Was someone _really_ disobeying his orders?! "What?"

Thomas scowled. "They let him go!"

Ben walked up from behind the young man. "They don't want to fight!"

Ratcliffe glared at the two. "It's a trick! Don't you see? Fire!"

Thomas and Ben stood their ground. Lon joined them. All three men remained scowling at their leader. Ratcliffe was beyond astounded. He was on the verge of an apparent munity. No way would he tolerate such insubordination!

He snatched a musket from one of the other settlers. "Fine! I'll settle this myself!"

He pointed the weapon directly at the native chief. Perhaps he could still eliminate the enemy's leader. Then, maybe they would fork over all their gold to him.

* * *

"_**Oh no**_!" Sora's eyes lit up in alarm. There was Ratcliffe aiming a gun straight at Pocahontas's dad. He needed to _do_ something! He nudged all his teammates in a hurry. "C'mon!" he called, pointing at the scene before them.

When Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi saw what was happening, they nodded and followed the brown-headed young man past a number of warriors up the ridge. As they neared the top, they witnessed a shocking series of events.

John Smith saw Ratcliffe with the gun aiming straight at Chief Powhatan. He broke free from Pocahontas and jumped straight into the native chief. "No!"

Ratcliffe fired the gun. Powhatan fell back a few steps as the bullet struck Smith's side. Down below, Thomas was alarmed. "_**John**_!" he shouted.

Sora and his team were appalled. Their friend had willingly jumped into the line of fire to save Pocahontas's father. Smith landed onto the ground, moaning in agony. Pocahontas leaped onto him, distress written all over her face.

It was at this moment when Sora and his friends reached the two. Sora looked closely at John Smith. Amemi glanced at the spot where the bullet had struck him. She covered her mouth. Donald took out his wand and waved it over the blonde-haired young man. Nothing happened. The magician was downright stunned. Goofy and Launchpad exchanged puzzled glances.

* * *

Ratcliffe was shocked at what he'd just seen. John Smith had just leaped into his line of fire. It had all happened so quickly, there'd been no time to react. He gazed at the settlers.

Thomas glared at the governor. "You shot him!"

"He stepped right — right into it!" Ratcliffe gulped with nervousness in his voice. "It's his own fault!"

Ben glared at the large man. "Smith was right all along!"

"We never should have listened to you!" Lon agreed with a glare of his own.

The settlers surrounded Ratcliffe. "Get the gun!" Ben yelled.

The men rushed at Ratcliffe all at once. The governor tried to resist them, but there were too many. He was apprehended within seconds. "_**Traitors**_! Unhand me, I say! How _**dare**_ you!"

Thomas seized the musket from the governor's hands. "Put him in chains!"

"I'll see you all hanged for this!" Ratcliffe sneered at the young man.

Thomas smirked a bit. He was not the least bit afraid of Ratcliffe's threats. "And gag him as well."

The settlers dragged the captive Ratcliffe away from the scene. The larger man continued to fight them, but it was in vain. Thomas smiled. He looked back up to the top of the ridge. His smile faded. The ground started to shake. He scanned the clearing. Seeing he was among the few left, he rushed behind a fallen log on the edge of the trees. Maybe he _had_ stood up to Ratcliffe. Maybe he _was_ the new leader of the settlement. That didn't mean he was any less nervous.

* * *

Sora gave a deep, deep, deep sigh. Although the war had ended, it was clear there had still been a casualty. John Smith was alive, but he was injured. If only he had foreseen this terrible incident. Sadly, Keyblade wielders could not predict the future exactly. Besides, he needed to maintain the "World Order".

He made up his mind. If ever something like this was going to happen, he would rush in and prevent trouble. He looked around, seeing all of the settlers and native warriors (including Kocoum) had left.

Amemi took a deep breath and inspected Smith's injury. Goofy covered his and Launchpad's eyes with his huge shield.

Donald was complaining a mile a minute. He wildly waved his wand around. "_**What**_?! _**Why**_ isn't my magic working?! _**Where**_ are my Ethers?! _**What's**_ going on?!"

"_This_ is where it should've gotten interesting!"

Sora and his team swung their eyes around. Pocahontas and her father did the same. Within seconds, a giant creature charged out of the forest and stopped at the base of the ridge. Sora could hardly believe his eyes. It was shaped like an enormous bear with red claws, grey and blue fur, and yellow eyes. The snout was a black color, which was to be expected. When he saw the animal had the Heartless emblem on top of its head, he gasped.

It was a gigantic Heartless.

However, it was what was on the creature's back that stood out all the more. There stood a young woman sporting reddish-orange hair, blue eyes, and pinkish lips. Her outfit was very complex. To Sora, it seemed to be a dress with a dark-green color, a small purple skirt in the middle, and it had a leaf-like design. Pinkish-purple shoes covered her feet. She also had a purple-colored hairband with a tiny, green wine wrapped around it. There was a golden vine wrapped around her right wrist like a bracelet and she had a strawberry tattoo on her right shoulder. She also had a set of transparent wings that seemed to be shaped like leaves.

Sora was equally astonished and mystified. The figure seemed to resemble Tinker Bell, a fairy he had originally met aboard Captain Hook's ship in _**Never Land**_. He remembered how the little fairy had kicked Donald's face for teasing her. She'd given him the Pixie Dust he needed to fly. He'd also seen her in the dreams of the then-Sleeping World of _**Pixie Hollow**_. Of course, he knew that had been a while back. That world was not only awake, it had been reunited.

Still, who was _this_ fairy-like person?

"Who are you?" Sora inquired. Perhaps it was time to simply break the ice.

The young woman scowled at the spikey-haired youth. "You had to ruin _everything_! This world would've been ours."

"Huh?!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy said together. Amemi and Launchpad didn't speak; they were lost in what was going on.

"You know what I mean! Maleficent wasn't kidding. You are annoying, Sora."

Sora was shocked. "You _know_ Maleficent?! But… she's gone. Last I checked, she'd taken control of Organization XIII's world. What happened?"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all exchanged glances. Sora thought he saw them looking a little nervous. He shoved it aside.

"You _know_ what happened!" the woman shouted. "Now, let's get on with those introductions. I'm Thistle, a Garden-talent fairy."

"A fairy?!" Donald exclaimed.

"Gawrsh," Goofy declared. "Do ya know Tinker Bell?"

Thistle glared at the knight. "_**Never**_ mention that fairy's name! If it wasn't for her, I… " She remained glaring. "Forget it! You ruined my plans here! It's time for some revenge!"

She fluttered into the air. "Here's where it _really_ gets interesting!"

The Heartless charged at the ridge. It slammed its head straight into the rise. Sora didn't have a moment to respond. The impact had sent him, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi tumbling down to the ground below. Pocahontas had covered John Smith, preventing either of them from falling. Chief Powhatan had masterfully maintained his balance.

On the ground, Sora landed onto his feet. Amemi did the same. The other three landed on their sides. They rapidly rose to their feet and pulled out their weapons; Donald with his wand, Goofy and his shield, Launchpad and his gas-gun. Sora summoned his Keyblade and hopped in front of his sister. He glared at the Heartless. "Let's go!" he shouted.

With nods of their own, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad charged at the humungous enemy. They smacked, clobbered, and bumped into the Heartless. The creature retaliated. Donald was thrown back. Goofy went spinning on his shield. Launchpad was shoved aside and slammed straight into the side of the ridge.

Sora was worried. What could he do now? At once, something clicked in his mind. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the charm with the star on it. He held it into the air. "Come on!" he called aloud. "Let's do this!"

The charm gave a brilliant glow. Before Sora's eyes, a bright flash of Light occurred. A figure appeared. At first, they looked like a glowing star. Then it cleared up. Standing on his right shoulder was a tall, slender girl with light amber skin, salmon-pink lips, short sky-blue hair, and large azure-blue eyes. She was wearing a light-chartreuse, sleeveless dress that was decorated with bluish flowers. She was also giving off a light-blue glow. She looked around in amazement. "Wow!"

Sora was surprised. This was _not_ what he had expected. He carefully placed the yo-yo-shaped charm back into his pocket. "Who are… you?"

The girl turned to face him. She gave a brighter than normal smile. "I'm Joy. Nice to see you, Sora."

Sora nodded. "Yeah, Joy. We've got a problem." He pointed to the Heartless heading straight for him.

When Joy saw the creature she smiling all the more. "No problem! All we need is _lots_ of happiness!"

Sora stared at the tiny girl. "Are you _**serious**_?! One of my friends was just shot! _How_ can I be happy?!"

"Happy memories," Joy explained. "Think of something positive. _That_ shouldn't be too hard for you."

Sora hastily searched his mind for a happy memory. His eyes remained locked onto the approaching Heartless. His mind suddenly stopped. He recalled something… something he had never seemed to remember, until now.

* * *

_Sora slowly opened his eyes and looked around as he sat up. Seeing nothing but the blazing afternoon sun shining in a cloudless blue sky over what appeared to be an endless ocean, he laid back down for more sleep. As his head gently landed onto the sandy beach, a voice shouted, _"Sora!"

_Startled, Sora sat up and turned around. A teenage girl with auburn hair was looking down at him with a giggle in her voice. He said, _"Give me a break, Kairi."

_Kairi smirked in reply. _"Sora, you lazy bum! I knew I would find you snoozing down here."

_Still in a daze, Sora thought that Kairi was in his dream with him._"No, you got it all wrong!"_ he shouted in a flash. _"This huge black thing swallowed me up! I couldn't breathe! I couldn't… "

_Kairi __slapped her friend's face. _"Are you still dreaming?"

_Sora __was shocked. Kairi wasn't catching on. _"It wasn't a dream! …Or was it? I don't know. What was that place? It was so bizarre!"

"Yeah, sure,"_ Kairi said, as she started walking towards the ocean._

_Sora suddenly had his mind filled with hundreds of questions. He looked towards __his friend __and asked, _"Say Kairi, what was your hometown like? You know, where you grew up?"

_Kairi was looking towards the horizon. _"I told you before, I don't remember."

"Nothing at all?"

"Nothing."

_Sora sat up, his oversized, yellow shoes were about to fall off his feet. Knowing that Kairi missed her hometown he __asked another __question, _"Do you ever want to go back?"

"Well… I'm happy here."

_Sora shook his head. _"Really… "

"Then again, I wouldn't mind going to see it."

_Sora smiled. _"I'd like to see it too, along with any other worlds out there. I want to see 'em all."

_Kairi turned to him. _"So what are we waiting for?"

"Hey! Aren't you guys forgetting about me?"

_Sora and Kairi gazed in the direction to see where the voice had come from. Further down the beach beside a large, wooden raft stood their fifteen-year-old friend, Riku. He smiled as he continued. _"So, I guess I'm the only one working on the raft."

_The two walked over to the raft and sat on the flat deck next to one another. Riku shook his head and said, _"You two are so lethargic! By the time you are ready to go, I'll have set sail on the raft, explored every inch of the outside world, and have returned in one piece."

_Kairi giggled. _"So you noticed. Okay, we'll finish it together."

_Riku smiled._ "If you two help, it'll take ages to finish this thing. At least, you both remind me of someone from my favorite video game… "

_Seeing his smile, Sora and Kairi both burst into laughter. Riku quickly joined them. To them, it was a typical day._

* * *

Sora smiled brightly. "Yeah!" Joy urged him. "That's it!"

At once, Sora's Keyblade glowed brightly. Joy gave a determined look. "Let's go!"

Sora gave the charging enemy a determined look of his own. He rushed at it, Keyblade in hand. The two grew closer and closer and closer and closer and closer and closer and closer and closer and closer… and closer. They collided in a flash of Light. Sora slashed his way clear through the Heartless. The creature crumpled to the ground as the flash faded away. A large captive heart was sent drifting into the air as the Heartless faded out of existence. Sora grinned all the more. The enemy had been defeated in a single hit. He twirled his Keyblade happily. A hint of some background music filled the air for a moment. He shrugged it aside. "Well, that takes care of that!"

Joy pointed into the sky. "Sora, what about her?"

Sora shifted his gaze upward. He glared at the figure hovering above. Thistle glared back. "_I_ can take her on!" the brown-headed Keyblader declared.

Thistle was angered. "You _**really**_ get under my wings!" she snapped. She reached out a hand and a dark portal appeared. "I will see you again, somewhere else!"

Without another word, Thistle soared into the portal. It sealed up moments after she'd vanished inside. Sora turned to Joy. "Thanks a lot, Joy!"

Joy nodded. "I'll be waiting for when you need me again, Sora!"

In less than a second, Joy disappeared in a flash of Light. The charm in Sora's pocket stopped glowing. He smiled, knowing Thistle was gone and Joy had returned to her own world… whichever world _that_ was.

He gazed his eyes back at the ridge. Chief Powhatan and Pocahontas were kneeling at John Smith. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi approached him. They all looked at the ridge, too. "What's going to happen now?" Amemi inquired.

Sora sighed. "I don't know… "

"I do."

Sora's team spun around. They relaxed, seeing it was only Thomas poking his head out from behind a fallen log.

* * *

The edge of the river was once again filled with life. Birds were flying, fish were swimming, and otters were playing. The sky was a bright shade of blue. The trees looked just as serene as a painting. Gathered on the shore were Sora's team, Thomas, a few settlers (Ben and Lon included), Wiggins, and the injured John Smith. Smith was lying on a makeshift stretcher. In the harbor beyond was the large wooden ship Sora had seen earlier, the one with all the sails.

Amemi knelt down to Smith's level. "Will he make it?" she asked.

"The sooner he gets back to England, the better," Thomas explained.

"I hope the wind's with him," Donald muttered.

Sora nodded. He had already been made well aware of how the gunshot wound would be fatal unless John Smith was returned to England. "Is the ship ready?" he asked.

"Any minute now," a settler with black hair (Sora had learned his name was Ben) said. He smirked. "Just loading the last bit of cargo."

Nearby, a handful of settlers were taking a gagged and chained Ratcliffe into longboat. "How dare you!" the governor snarled, his voice muffled. "Untie me at once! I'll have your heads for this!"

Sora smirked a grin. "Better safe than sorry."

Donald and Goofy both nodded. Launchpad grinned. Amemi had to smile. "True enough," she quipped.

Behind them, Wiggins was shedding tears. "And he came so highly recommended… "

Thomas knelt down to John Smith. "The ship's almost ready," he informed his friend. "We'd better get you on board. We'll lose the tide."

"No, not yet," Smith said. "She said she'd be here."

Goofy looked around. He suddenly pointed into the distance. "Hey! Look."

Sora and the others turned their eyes to where Goofy was facing. Coming out of the forest was Pocahontas, followed by a number of the people from her tribe. She nodded to them. They placed baskets of corn before the settlers keeping watching at the tree-line. The settlers removed their hats as Pocahontas strode past them and approached John Smith. Thomas walked up to her. "Going back is his only chance," he told her. "He'll die if he stays here."

Pocahontas put her hand on the young man's shoulder. She nodded, so Thomas gave nod of his own. Sora could tell the native woman understood what he'd said. She walked past Sora and his friends. She smiled at them before reaching Smith's stretcher. She knelt down to her friend. "Here," she handed him a small bag. "It's from Grandmother Willow's bark. It'll help with the pain."

"What pain?" Smith grinned. "I've had worse pain than this. Can't think of any right now, but… "

Chief Powhatan was the next one to step forward. He placed a blanket made from animal skin on Smith's stretcher. "You are always welcome among our people. Thank you, my brother."

Sora smiled as he watched Pocahontas's father step back. He could tell whatever had started the idea of war in the native chief's mind was long gone.

Powhatan stopped before Sora. "Kocoum asked me to tell you he's sorry for doubting you."

Sora beamed. "Where is he?"

"Back at the village. He's keeping an eye out for more of those monsters. At least we know they did not come from here."

Sora nodded. "Yeah."

Powhatan smiled. "Thank you for stopping a terrible war."

Sora gave another nod. "You know it."

As the chief left, Sora and his team strode up to John Smith. Meeko and Flit suddenly darted past. Flit landed onto Smith's finger. Smith grinned. "I thought you didn't like strangers."

The hummingbird just smiled. Meeko reached into Smith's hands. Finding nothing, he scowled and ran off with Flit.

With the animals out of the way, Sora's team approached a second time. "Sorry this had to happen," Sora said.

Smith smiled. "It's okay."

Sora nodded with another smile.

"Get well soon," Goofy added. "A-Hyuck!"

"Bye-bye," Donald waved.

"Nice to make more a-friends," Launchpad chuckled.

Amemi was the last to step forward. She held up a blue necklace complete with a white stone in the middle. Pocahontas was amazed at the sight. "My mother's necklace," she realized.

Amemi nodded. "I fixed it for you."

Pocahontas smiled and accepted the item. She carefully placed it around her neck. Amemi stepped back after waving to Smith. She stood beside her brother.

Pocahontas held John Smith's hand for several long seconds. Some tears started to form in her eyes. Seeing this, Smith knew his friend felt the same about this situation as he did. "Come with me?" he asked.

Pocahontas was a bit surprised. She glanced at her dad. Powhatan smiled. "You must choose your own path," he said.

She gazed at Sora's team. "Let your heart decide," Sora told her.

Pocahontas's eyes hovered on the settlers and her people for several long moments. She slowly turned her eyes back to her injured friend. With tear-filled eyes, she finally gave an answer. "I'm needed here."

Smith gave a slight nod. "Then I'll stay with you."

"No," Pocahontas shook her head in a hurry. "You have to go back."

John Smith was worried. "But I can't leave you."

Sora wanted to look down. The emotional scene before him was starting to get to him.

"You never will," Pocahontas replied. "No matter what happens — as long you think of me now and then — I'll always be with you. Forever."

Sora and his friends shielded their eyes as Pocahontas and John Smith shared a final, farewell kiss. They looked back in time to see the stretcher being lifted and carried to a waiting longboat. Pocahontas held onto Smith's hand as long as possible before they were out of reach. Chief Powhatan walked over and placed his hand onto his daughter's shoulder. At the boat, Thomas, Ben, and Lon saw their friend off.

It didn't take long for the longboat to reach the ship. Smith was lifted aboard. The anchor was raised and the sails were lowered. The ship was now underway.

Sora continued to watch. He gave a deep sigh. For some reason, he was wondering if Pocahontas would ever be reunited John Smith….

Pocahontas started to walk away from her father. As she began picking up speed, Sora saw her. Curiosity filled his mind and heart alike. He took off after her. When they saw the spikey, brown-haired Keyblade wielder chasing after Pocahontas, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were next.

The chase continued up an especially steep hill. They further than ran, the harder it became to proceed. Fortunately, Sora could sense the world's Light was calling him and his friends. They stopped beside Pocahontas at the top of a very tall waterfall. Sora was amazed, realizing it was the _same_ waterfall he'd seen during the speedy descent and crash-landing into this world. In the distance, they could all see the ship sailing for the horizon.

Amemi stopped her sprinting a tad late. She dangled on the edge of the cliff. Sora reached out and grabbed his sister. They smiled. It was then a strong wind picked up from behind. Pocahontas's long, black hair flapped around. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad held down their hats while Amemi held down her skirt. Sora watched as the wind blew in a curvy style straight to the ship. Spotting the many colorful leaves in it, Sora nodded.

The wind reached the ship's deck in a matter of seconds. John Smith took a deep breath and opened his eyes. He grinned when he saw Pocahontas, Sora, and the others standing at the top of the waterfall. He waved at them.

Pocahontas and Sora waved back while everyone else smiled. Through the corner of his eye, Sora saw Pocahontas smiling. He smiled, knowing this meant only one thing.

John Smith and Pocahontas would be reunited again someday. There was plenty of hope to go around.

Pocahontas's necklace started glowing. The native princess didn't notice, but Sora and his teammates did. It sent a beam of Light high into the air. A giant keyhole-shape appeared. Sora summoned his Keyblade. A beam of Light shot out across the sky and struck the keyhole directly. It unlocked in a surge of Light.

Sora smiled, knowing the gateway to the next world had been unlocked. He was about to put his Keyblade away when the wind before the group started moving in a different form. The shape they now created resembled a keyhole. Sora's Keyblade started to glow. A beam of Light formed at the end of the weapon and shot out at the keyhole. There was an audible lock before the wind broke up the shape and drifted about like normal.

Sora nodded. He gazed into the sky and beamed. "There is always some Light deep in the Darkness."

"You got it," Goofy agreed.

"You said it," Donald added.

"Let's get goin'," Launchpad said in turn. "_Herbie_ might be all a-moldy by the time we find him."

Amemi nodded. "Let's go."

It wasn't long before Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were back aboard _Herbie_. They departed from the riverbank and travelled back into space. The world of **Jamestowne** would now be at peace.

* * *

The chamber was rather crowded, for once. Maleficent, Pete, the Beagle Boys, Mortimer, Cinnamon Teal, Judge Claude Frollo, Don Karnage, and McLeach were watching Sora's team on the projection in the middle of the room. Maleficent snorted at the image before strolling to the railing outside.

The Beagle Boys were bewildered. "Why did the Heartless go there?" one of the tall ones asked.

"Yeah," the other tall one agreed. "It was really empty."

"And watery," the third added.

Maleficent snorted once more. "Thistle," she said aloud, reaching her hand out. Her raven landed onto her finger. "She has chosen to take matters into her own hands. If she returns, she will be facing the consequences of her actions."

"What punishment do you mean?" Karnage inquired.

"Something that will serve justice," Frollo stated.

McLeach was staring at the projection in question. "Why? Why did they think that governor was controlling the Heartless?"

"Easy," Pete spoke up. "He wanted lots of gold, see? He was greedy. Greed is Darkness. That's how they were drawn to him. But Thistle's jealousy is much bigger. She kept the Heartless under her control."

Maleficent slowly turned around. Her eyes were wide and alert. She looked like she was shocked. "Why Pete," she marveled. "That is absolutely correct. I'm impressed."

"No big deal," Mortimer stated. "I could've said the same thing. Ha cha cha!"

Maleficent took a closer look at the projection. "I see… Sora and those fools are heading for one of your worlds." She turned to Frollo. "I trust you can handle this?"

Frollo gave a serious grin. "Yes, I can."

"Indeed," the sorceress affirmed. She turned to Pete and the Beagle Boys. "You four will go with him. Use the Heartless wisely. This will be a 'test' to see how well you can work together and take over a world."

* * *

The landmass was quiet. Not even crickets were chirping. The lonely tower rose up into the dark sky. The sky of outer space, that is. Riku was sitting on the steps, looking up at the stars. He had already seen some of his favorite constellations. He was still looking for a few Kairi had created.

The door opened. Riku glanced back. Out stepped a young woman with wings, antennae, and a violet-colored outfit. He turned his eyes back to the stars. It was only his friend, Violet. She took a seat beside him.

"Is the star still shining?" the angel asked.

Riku nodded. "Yeah. It stopped blinking."

Violet gave a relieved sigh. "Thank goodness."

Riku gave a second nod. The two continued to watch the stars. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Violet replied. "Master Yen Sid is still training Kairi and Niccole. Niccole sure is outraged. She devastated twenty-two monsters within a virtual-reality simulator Mickey is operating."

The angel looked at Riku. "Did something occur between you both?"

The silver-haired young man shook his head. "No."

Violet crossed her arms. "You are fibbing, Riku."

Riku gazed at her. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

Riku smirked. "Yes, I am."

"No you are not," Violet paused, realizing she had been tricked by a cliché joke. She sighed. "I am completely aware of how you fibbed to me. I _saw_ the dispute. You both can become quite agitated."

"_**What**_?!" Riku was shocked. Somehow the angel had witnessed the incident a few hours before. He glared at her. "I'm not trusting _**you**_ with any more secrets!"

He stormed back into the tower. The door slammed behind him. Violet felt her antennae wobble in the resulting vibration. Violet gave a deep sigh. This was something she had never foreseen occurring.

She gazed into the middle of the empty sky. "Did I say _anything_ incorrectly?"

* * *

The fog was thick. The sky was full of it. It could not even be seen from the ground level. It wasn't even fog. Mist. It happened regularly. Why not? The town _was_ located somewhere along the coastline. Large forests surrounded the town on three sides while the fourth opened into a small harbor.

One long, paved road led directly through this town. On either side was either a business, shut-down facility, or apartments. A couple traffic lights were positioned at regular intervals and an occasional car or two could be seen.

At one corner was a large building that had been boarded up for ages. The roof was peaked and a large clock-tower was visible. The clock's hands were positioned at about _**8:14 P.M.**_ — the time it had seemingly stopped on.

Somewhere in this town was a small diner. The name "**GRANNY'S**" was lit up above it. Inside, two people sat at a booth, drinking some hot chocolate. Both were wearing black-hooded coats, which the others around them assumed were raincoats.

One was a young man with short, red hair. The spikes at the end of each hair strand partly-shrouded the man's face and kept his eyes hidden in a light shadow. His eyes seemed to be glowing a combination of yellow and orange.

The other was a middle-aged man with a long, black ponytail and small, round eyeglasses. He looked a little like a Native American, too.

The red-haired man was reading a book with a scarlet cover.

"_When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end._

_The goddess descends from the sky._

_Wings of light and dark spread afar._

_She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting._"

The man with the ponytail frowned. "'_LOVELESS_'? Again? Is that your solution to everything?"

"The '_Gift of the Goddess_'," the first man grinned. "You know what it is?"

The second man snorted. "Why should I care about simple poetry? I read _LOVELESS_ — cover to cover. Nothing of importance, if you ask me."

The red-headed man turned the book's page. He continued to read the next few lines,

"_My friend, do you fly away now?_

_To a world that abhors you and I?_

_All that awaits you is a somber morrow…_ "

"Enough," the other man snapped. "Unless you can explain all those rhymes, I don't want to hear any of it."

The first man put his book down. "The answer is quite simple. The gift is the Darkness, the Darkness we have here and now. It will lead us to the Realm of Light, where we may find ourselves embracing it inside _Kingdom Hearts_."

The man with the eyeglasses shook his head. "Pathetic arguments. Everyone knows _Kingdom Hearts_ has been locked away, deep within the Darkness. No manner of Darkness can get inside. It is safe, where no one may find it."

The door opened. In stepped a young man with dark-black hair. He was wearing a green sweatshirt-jacket with long sleeves, blue pants, brown hiking boots, and a pair of bright green-colored goggles. Around his upper body was a small, blue bag. He also had a green baseball-cap with a brim. He strode up to the counter.

The two men looked at him in question. "He knows too much," the first one muttered. "He's been in and out a lot lately."

The second man gave a sinister grin. "We shall see," he replied. "We shall see, indeed."

* * *

**A/N: HOORAY! AMEMI IS BACK! NOW THE STORY CAN START TO PICK UP - SOMEWHAT!**  
**Of course, this also means the end of the story for the world of Pocahontas. Well... that's 2 worlds down, which leaves... SEVERAL MORE TO GO!**

**Well, I know you're wondering this question: Will I include "_Pocahontas 2_"? All I can say is, NOT In THIS Story! Maybe in a future one...!**

**Anyways, I wanted to say this: Yes, Sora tends to be forgetful. If it weren't for Donald and Goofy, he WOULD forget to do SOMETHING! Naive and impulsive... those are Sora's two major weaknesses.**

**I already clarified where Thistle is from. Look back at Chapter 7 in case you forgot where a particular villain originated from. I can also tell you she will play a larger role in this story. She MIGHT show up here and there! Keep your eyes open!**

**How about THAT! Sora's first Summon has already come into play! It's JOY!**  
**In case you don't know, JOY is from the "new" Disney-Pixar movie, "_Inside Out__ (2015)_".**  
**In case you haven't seen it (yet), she does appear in the Trailers and Sneak Peeks.**

**So, do YOU think Sora will ever learn about Maleficent and Pete's plans? That's MY question for YOU!**

**I thought it would be important for me to also tell you this: The "lyrics" Pocahontas says early on in This Chapter are from Part 2 of the song, "_Savages_". They were cut out of the final movie, though the instrumental music for them remains. You can hear it at the start of the song's Part 2 in the soundtrack.**  
**I HAD to say that. Why? I don't want you to assume I made those "lyrics" up. I NEED to give credit where credit is due. Besides, I thought it would be nice for you to know them. I keep thinking those lyrics every time I listen to Part 2 of "_Savages_" from the movie's soundtrack.**

**Plus, I will not say much about the Last Scene in THIS Chapter. It takes place in a distant world, which you might be able to identify based on the description. The characters in it, on the other hand, are mainly "_Final Fantasy VII_" characters. That's all - said the ball #2!**

**Since this marks the END of this world's story, here's a "RIDDLE HINT" to the next Disney-based world! THIS IS ALSO YOUR "_FINAL JEOPARDY!_" QUESTION (I mentioned this earlier)!**  
**HINT: "SORA'S TEAM FIND THEMSELVES IN A LARGE CITY TYPICALLY FILLED WITH INJUSTICE! THE HEARTLESS LURK ABOUT THANKS TO A NOTABLE CORRUPT AUTHORITY FIGURE! THEY SHALL HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL SINCE THE ONLY TRUE INDICATION OF LIGHT LIES HIDDEN AWAY IN THE TOWER OF A CATHEDRAL WHERE THE BELLS RING THROUGHOUT THE LAND!"**  
**I am referring to THIS Disney Movie. Please post your answers in the Reviews section for THIS CHAPTER! Remember to use "What is... ?" (like in "_JEOPARDY!_")!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	17. Ch17 - The City of Ringing Bells

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HEY THERE! HI THERE! HO THERE! YOU'RE AS WELCOME AS CAN BE!**  
**HELLO THERE! WELCOME TO CHAPTER 17!**

**So, first off, I wanted to say I was taken by surprise at the Reviews received from Chapter 16. Let me go over a few points, okay?**  
**(1.) Nice to know some of you were REALLY Excited when I included JOY as a Summon. I suppose its true - "_Inside Out (2015)_" IS a popular movie! In fact, My Own JOY wanted to me to post these statements here.**  
**(2.) Professor Hojo's lines might sound a little like Vexen's dialogue. This is probably the case because whenever I think of Hojo's character, Vexen come to mind. I wonder if there's a significant connection between the two.**  
**(3.) I've already set up all the worlds for THIS Story. As for the next one, I'm looking for a few more. To whomever reviewed the list of possible worlds, I can tell you that at least 1 of those WILL be in this story.**  
**2 will NOT be appearing in my stories as I included them in the list on my profile of the "_TOP 12 Disney Properties That Will Never Appear In Any Of My Kingdom Hearts Stories_".**  
**2 others are being considered for the This Story's sequel.**  
**2 more have already taken place before "_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_". I've considered writing the story when those appeared, but I want to finish This Story first.**  
**The last 2 are still undecided, although one of them may still appear.**

**I have one more thing to say: Since This Chapter introduces the next Disney-based world, I will let you go so you can read it.**

**PLEASE ENJOY IT TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW - PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 17**  
**The City of Ringing Bells**

The view through the cockpit windows has never looked so calm. Even as _Herbie_ soared through space with Launchpad at the controls, Sora grinned at the stars. It all felt so new, even after seeing this same universe many times before on his previous quests. A bright, twinkling star passed by. He smiled all the more.

It seemed the star was twinkling at him.

He glanced back inside the cockpit. He was sitting in the front. On the side was Launchpad. The pilot was constantly trying to take back the controls. _Herbie_ wasn't letting him, not after the crash-landing in the previous world. Sora shook his head.

He glanced back into the rear seats. Donald and Goofy were playing a game of cards. The mage looked frustrated. This could only mean Goofy was winning all the hands. He saw Jiminy Cricket sitting between them, shaking his head.

There was a soft sigh. Sora gazed behind his seat. There was Amemi, slouching in her seat as usual. Her eyes were out the window. Thanks to her excited smile (which was difficult _not_ to notice), he knew she wasn't sighing, but awing.

He relaxed. His sister was just as amazed with the outside world as he was. There had been times when he'd imagined how his family would've reacted if they had seen everything he'd seen. Unfortunately, such stuff could possibly pose a threat to the World Order — something Sora, Donald, and Goofy had already worked _**really**_ hard to maintain. Even after Xehanort's return and sudden disappearance (again), there was nothing more important than keeping peace throughout the universe.

"Amy," Sora spoke up. "What do you think?"

Amemi turned to face her brother. Although the two were sitting in seats that made it difficult to see each other well, they could still communicate quite effectively. Besides, who else had their exact voices? Sora's was low compared to many people, but still had a hint of adolescence in it. Amemi's was higher and she sometimes sounded a little like a much younger girl — especially when she was ultra-excited and squealed with delight.

"It's… it's _beyond_ _**incredible**_!" the nearly fourteen-year-old, sandy-haired girl squealed happily. "It is much more breathtaking than what I've seen in the sky from the lighthouse!"

Sora was suddenly filled with shock. "'Lighthouse'? What're you talking about? There hasn't been a lighthouse on the islands for years."

"Why not?" Donald inquired, breaking into the conversation. Sora took note of how the duck, Goofy, and Jiminy had started listening in.

"No one's needed one since the Coast Guard built a radio tower," Sora explained. "Why would they? They can just call in all the boats from there."

Amemi's smile changed to a shy grin. Her eyes started to move to the left. "I know that. I meant… I had a dream about visiting a lighthouse last night… I mean, the night before you left on this 'important assignment'."

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy chuckled. "Sounds like a dream come true. I always wanted ta see inside one of them light-boats."

Sora shook his head, even when Donald stated how there was no such thing as a "light-boat". Perhaps the knight meant "lighthouse-boat"; such boats had once existed. Maybe he was referring to a "lifeboat". Or it was a "houseboat"… if that made any sense, that is.

Sora switched his attention back to his sister. She was gazing out the window again. "So Amy," he started to say.

Amemi turned her eyes away from the view to see her brother. "Hmm?"

"You know how they say every star's another world?"

Amemi crossed her arms. "Yes, you and Riku've been talking about that stuff for years. Kairi believes it, too." She glanced out the window when the Gummi Ship soared past a brighter star. "Even I'm starting to believe it."

"It's true," Sora told her. "And I've been to _lots_ of places. Cities, towns, forests, jungles, deserts, castles, other islands, even under the sea. Every singl—"

"'_**Under**_ _the sea_'?!" Amemi exclaimed. She looked downright mystified. "How come you didn't drown?"

Sora nodded at Donald. "If it wasn't for his magic, we would've."

Amemi nodded. "Okay… I still find that a little difficult to accept."

Sora shook his head. In the last few years, his sister's personality had started to change — a little. For the first ten years, she'd been completely happy-go-lucky, without a care in the world. Now she was slowly starting to become skeptical, anxious, and self-determined. Their parents had been wondering what had brought along this sudden alteration for two years. The answers were yet to be discovered.

There was some good news there. She was less likely to get into trouble for no reason. She also was developing a strong sense of justice, which was one characteristic Sora also possessed. In fact, she was starting to become a bit more mature than her older brother. That was the bad news… she was growing up a little too fast, at least for her mom, dad, and Sora.

"Well anyway," the seventeen-year-old young man continued. "Every single world _is_ different, with lots of different people. Donald, Goofy, and I have made lots of friends."

Amemi was eager to hear more. "What were their names? Can you name them all?"

Sora smiled. "I'll try," he glanced back at the anthropomorphic duck and dog. "Wanna help?"

Donald and Goofy both nodded. Within seconds, the three were naming away various people they'd befriended throughout their adventures. "Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, Cid, Merlin, Cloud, Tifa, (Uncle) Scrooge, Barret, Myrna, Bert, Uncle Remus, Reno, Rude, Tseng, Elena, Mike, Phoebe, Alice, the Cheshire Cast… kinda, Phil, Hercules, Tarzan, Jane, Kerchak, Kala, Terk, Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie, Abu, Magic Carpet, Pinocchio, Geppetto, Ariel, Flounder, Jack, Sally, Zero, Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Wendy, Beast, Belle, Cogsworth, Lumière… "

"Guys!" Launchpad blurted, cutting the group off. "We're here! Yeesh! Looks like another ball of a-burning light!"

Sora and the others swung their eyes to the front of the ship. Directly before them was a large, bright star. Well… it wasn't exactly "bright". The star was unusually dim compared to the many others Sora, Donald, and Goofy had visited before. They knew, somewhere inside all that light was their next destination.

Amemi was shaking with excitement. "I can't wait to explore this new place!"

Sora gazed back at his sister. "It might not be all fun and games. Remember what happened in the last world?"

Amemi nodded. Her enthusiasm had not dwindled a bit. "I know. I understand."

Sora gave her a nod. He turned back to the front windshield. "Well? Should we teleport down?"

"Yeah," Donald agreed within a split second. "Let's teleport."

"'Teleport'?" a puzzled and surprised Amemi asked. "You mean like in those older science-fiction movies?"

Sora grinned as he placed his hands behind his head. "It's no big deal."

Amemi shook her head. Sora knew this meant she'd noticed his typical-naïve side showing again.

Launchpad reached for the dashboard. A large, golden handle was before him, labelled with the words, "**TELEPORTATION CONTROL**".

Sora nodded. "Alright. Let's do this!"

Launchpad grabbed the handle and pulled down. Beams of Light surrounded each of them. Within seconds, they were gone. Knowing he'd be alone for a while, _Herbie_ chose this opportunity of silence to relax as he orbited the star. He soon fell into a deep, deep, deep, deep sleep.

* * *

The interior of the building was dark, a little damp, and reeked of rotting flesh. The only light came from some torches hanging on the walls. Pete gulped as he passed a prison cell with a half-decayed body inside. He knew there had once been a person in there, even if they were long gone. He continued down the corridor. Deep down, he wondered why this place was called "_The Palace of Justice_". To him, it strongly resembled something straight out of a horror movie.

The sound of a whip cracking echoed down the passage. Pete began feeling more uneasy. Behind him, he could hear the Beagle Boys strolling along; they were just as anxious as he was. Behind them was the figure they had been sent to find.

They all stepped through a doorway into a short hallway. At the end was a brighter room. The sound of the whip was much louder now. At the end of the hall stood Judge Claude Frollo. "Guard," he called into the next room.

"Sir?" a voice called from within the room.

"Ease up," Frollo instructed. "Wait between lashes. Otherwise the older sting will dull him to the new."

"Yes, sir."

Pete and the Beagle Boys gulped their anxiety aside as they came to a halt before the judge. "He came," Pete told Frollo. "I hope this was worth it."

Frollo turned his attention to the group. Behind Pete and the Beagles stood a slender, muscular man with blonde hair, a gold goatee, and navy-blue eyes. He was wearing gold armor complete with a blue cape and brown leather gloves. He was standing at attention like a soldier about to take orders from a commanding officer. "Ah," Frollo said, admiring the new arrival. "So this is the gallant Captain Phoebus, home from the wars."

Phoebus didn't move a mere muscle. "Reporting for duty, as ordered, sir."

"Your service record precedes you, Captain Phoebus. I expect nothing but the best from a war hero of your caliber."

"And you shall have it, sir. I guarantee it."

Pete leaned in close to the Beagle Boys. "Not sure why we need him," he muttered in a whisper.

"Yeah," the trio of hooded villains agreed with hushed voices.

Frollo nodded at Phoebus. "Yes," he added. "You know, my last captain of the guard was, um… a bit of a disappointment to me."

A deafening crack of a whip filled the next room. It was quickly followed a hallowing of agony. The yell echoed about the corridor. Pete felt a hint of nervous sweat dribble down his neck. This place was so uninviting, he longed to back at the fortress of _**Villain's Vale**_. Even the _Realm of Darkness_ sounded better than hearing people being tortured to death.

For all he knew, the person being punished was becoming a Heartless. After all, the whole building reeked with the scent of Darkness. It was a strong smell.

"Well, no matter," Frollo said with a grin. "I'm sure you'll whip my men into shape."

Phoebus seemed a tad hesitant. "Uh, thank you, sir, uh, very, uh, trem — uh, a tremendous honor, sir."

The two started down the corridor beyond the well-lit room. Not wanting to stay in such a haunting place, Pete and the Beagle hurried after them. They strode through a doorway and onto an outside stone railing.

"You've come to Paris in her darkest hour, Captain," Frollo informed Phoebus. "It will take a firm hand to save the weak-minded from being so easily misled."

Phoebus was puzzled. "'Misled', sir?"

"I'm so confused," one of the Beagle Boys said. "What does this have to do with taking over the world?"

Frollo gestured around the view of the city below. "It's the gypsies. The gypsies live outside the normal order. Their heathen ways inflame the peoples' lowest instincts, and they _must_ be stopped."

Phoebus looked a bit astonished and bewildered. "I was summoned from the wars to capture fortune tellers and palm readers?"

"_Huh_?" the Beagle Boys all said in unison. Perplexity was written all over their faces.

Pete stepped forward and walked Frollo aside. "I know Maleficent said to do what you say," the former said. "But this sure ain't what I had in mind."

"No matter," Frollo reassured him. He waved his right hand to the side. A few Soldier Heartless appeared and started to rush down the walkway. "We have plenty of Heartless to attain our goal. It's those gypsy vermin who might get in our way."

Pete was both amazed and worried. More than once Maleficent had told everyone on the council not to rely too heavily on the Darkness for power. This included summoning enormous amounts of Heartless repeatedly. Such actions could cost them their hearts.

The judge returned to Phoebus. "The real war, Captain, is what you see before you. For twenty years, I have been taking care of the gypsies, one… by… one."

As he spoke, Frollo reached out and crushed three ants crawling on of the railing's stone tiles. He then lifted the tile, revealing a large colony of ants underneath. Pete and the Beagle Boys stared at the insects in wonder. How could all those ants survive beneath a block of stone?

"And yet, for all of my success, they have thrived," Frollo continued. "I believe they have a safe haven within the walls of this very city. A nest, if you will. They call it… " he gave a sinister grin and snicker. "The '_Court of Miracles_'."

"What are we going to do about it, sir?" Phoebus inquired.

Frollo slammed the tile back into place. Pete and the Beagle Boys squirmed a little, mainly since the tile was now upside-down. They could tell the judge had plenty of Darkness in his heart. No wonder Maleficent had requested he join their cause!

Phoebus didn't seem to notice what the others had. "You make your point quite vividly, sir."

Frollo grinned. "You know, I like you, Captain," he gestured down the walkway ahead. "Shall we?"

A loud burst of cheers and applause erupted from the city below. Everyone gazed into the distance. Frollo groaned. "Oh, duty calls." He turned to Phoebus. "Have you ever attended a peasant festival, Captain?"

Phoebus shook his head. "Not recently, sir."

Frollo gestured for the group to follow him. "Then this should be quite an education for you. Come along."

Pete and the Beagle Boys watched the two stroll back inside. They turned their eyes into the distance. Blotting out part of the sky was a gigantic cathedral with twin bell towers. They stared at it for a second or two before following.

There was something iconic about that cathedral….

* * *

Next thing Sora knew, he was standing in midair. He started to fall down, down, down before landing feet-first on a cobblestone street. He watched Amemi land in a pile of fresh hay left in a wooden cart behind him. Donald and Goofy both ended up landing flat on the street. Launchpad bounced off a nearby rooftop and descended onto an empty market stall. He bounced off the tarp as though it were a trampoline. The pilot finally set down behind a stack of wooden crates.

"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked.

"Aw phooey," complained Donald.

Launchpad poked his head out from the crates. He chuckled. "At least we're in one piece."

Sora shook his head. "Next time, let's make sure everything's working right _before_ we teleport down."

"You're not kidding," Amemi said as she slid down the haystack. Sora reached out and caught her as she slid the wrong way. They smiled as he helped her to her feet. "I'd hate to fall into the middle of a forest next time. I'd rather land in the ocean."

Sora had to grin. His sister was always thinking of something better, even if it was only a little brighter. Once, he had competed in a small surfing contest with Riku. When the silver-haired youth had won, Amemi had told Sora not to worry as it wasn't his fault the wave had changed course without any warning. It had resulted in a complete wipeout on the waves. Sora was fortunate the wave hadn't crashed him straight into a nearby pile of large rocks. _That_ would've been terrible!

Sora gazed around the immediate area. Wooden houses with beams forming a zigzag design could be seen in all directions. The roofs were a bluish or reddish color and seemed to stand out in the sunlight. The windows of the various places around were dark and no sign of life was inside. In fact, the entire street looked more like a ghost town.

It couldn't be a ghost town. The scent of fresh-baked bread drifted from a bakery down the street. A number of handcarts were parked outside the houses like cars on the side of a road. So… where were the local residents? Hopefully the Heartless weren't holding them captive. There weren't any signs of a struggle, so nothing seemed to be making sense.

"Where is everybody?" Amemi asked, scanning her eyes around.

"I dunno," Donald shrugged.

Goofy paused in thought. "May-bee this here place's too ticklish for 'em."

Amemi rolled her eyes and sighed. Sora shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense," he said. He crossed his arms and gazed at the street below. "They've gotta be close by. But… where?"

Several long minutes seemed to pass very slowly. The sun above was beating down like the middle of summertime. Sora finally uncrossed his arms. He was about to speak when a series of loud voices filled the air.

"_Come one! Come all!"_

The group froze. They swerved their eyes down a long street leading under a stone gateway and to the left. "There!" Sora called. "Let's check it out."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad nodded and followed the brown, spikey-headed young man down the street. Amemi watched them rush ahead of her. She sighed and shook her head. Sora was eager to explore, as usual. Without another thought, she took off after them.

Sora, Amemi, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Launchpad were now in the world of **La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**.

* * *

The gateway led down another long street. As the group pressed on, the noise seemed to get louder. Before long, they rounded a corner and arrived in an enormous square. Sora and his team could hardly believe their eyes.

The whole plaza was filled with people. A large, wooden stage was situated at the far end of the square. Rainbow-colored streamers were strung from nearby buildings and wrapped around maypoles. Numerous tents were placed on the sides of the crowd. Cheers and laughter filled the air. The scent of a variety of fresh food drifted into Goofy and Launchpad's noses. Lots of banners were flying atop various platforms.

Sora's eyes lit up when he saw the festivities. He felt the same way he had upon seeing the attractions of the amusement park of _Pleasure Island_. Anything he saw a carnival, theme park, or major social gathering, his cautious side leapt out the window. "It's a _**festival**_!" he cheered with delight. "_**Yahoo**_!"

Before anyone could react, the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder raced into the crowd of people. "Sora!" Donald shouted. He turned back to the others. "We gotta go after him!"

Amemi nodded. "Of course."

Donald gave a nod of agreement. He was about to lead the group when Goofy and Launchpad dashed into the crowd themselves. Their faces were full of excitement.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy declared.

"Heh heh," Launchpad added. "You said it!"

Donald smacked himself in the face. "I can't believe this!"

Amemi shook her head and sighed. Once again, her brother was running around some kind of celebration. This wasn't uncommon. Last time she'd seen this happen was when their Mom had taken Sora and her to the school's annual carnival. Sora had disappeared into the crowd within seconds, something Amemi had dreaded would occur. There was only one thing she and Donald could do about this.

"Let's look around," she said. "Sooner or later, we'll run into them. There aren't _that_ many people here."

Donald nodded. The two started into the crowd. As they strolled past one of the local vendors' stalls, a man held up a large, blue fish. "Come and get the catch of the day!" he was calling over and over and over again.

Donald leaned in close to the sandy-haired girl. "No one's gonna buy something so stinky."

Amemi nodded. She glanced at the buckets of fish on the stand's counter. They didn't smell very good. She turned back to Donald and almost bumped into a tall, thin man. "Sorry," she quickly said.

The man ignored her and continued to wherever he was going. That was when Amemi glanced around, noticing she was alone. Somehow she'd gotten separated from Donald. How? He'd been beside her every step of the way until now. Had he kept walking when she'd stopped for a moment?

Amemi gave a silent groan. She was alone, in the middle of an over-populated plaza. If there was anything worse than being lost in a crowd, it was being lost in a crowd in an unfamiliar place. Hopefully she could locate Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, or Sora. The next question was… where should she look for them?

She scanned the immediate area. Most of the people around her weren't very tall, so she could see things up ahead — to a degree. Most of the people were walking towards a large stage.

"I wonder what's going on?" she murmured to herself.

She started to step backward, trying to get a better view. She felt her foot slip and then trip over something. She fell backward, straight into a small, orange-red tent. She rapidly snatched a canvas wall inside, but it was not enough to break her fall. The canvas tore off its rings and landed on her. A voice gasped in alarm.

Amemi was frantic. The whole landing had happened so suddenly, she'd had no time to react. She thrashed around before pulling the canvas off her. When she looked around, she saw she was inside the tent. Beside her was a startled young woman sporting medium-dark skin, long, wavy, black hair, thick eyebrows, red lips, and emerald green eyes. She was wearing a blue outfit.

"Hey, all you alright?" the woman asked.

Amemi was a little shaken up herself. She hastily hopped to her feet. "I guess I am… So sorry about that. It's not like me."

The woman gave a nod in return. Amemi gave a sigh of relief. After an accident like that, she understood what her Mom most-likely went through. Hopefully this would never happen to her again.

At that moment, a figure fell backwards into the tent, tearing one side wide open. He slammed head-first into a small, wooden table and knocked a bowl of apples and grapes onto himself. He shook his head and chuckled. "'Any crash you can walk away from is a good crash', I always say!"

Amemi was shocked. It was Launchpad! Outside the tear in the tent's wall, she could see a slightly-embarrassed Goofy covering his mouth. She still heard him muttering, "A-Hyuck!"

Launchpad saw the two standing over him and chuckled. "Sorry about this, ma'am. My pal and I were a-playing a game of tug-o-war. I must've lost my balance."

Amemi shook her head.

The woman smiled and helped Launchpad to his feet. "No harm done," she said. "Just try to be a little more careful."

Amemi nodded. "Make that _very_ careful."

Launchpad chuckled. "You're not kidding."

The woman helped Amemi and Launchpad outside. Goofy met them there. He waved at her. "Thanks, miss."

The woman nodded. She gazed at Launchpad. "By the way, _great_ mask."

Amemi grinned as the woman closed her tent's canvas. She turned and frowned at Goofy and Launchpad. "What is the matter with you two? Why'd you wander off?"

Goofy opened his mouth to answer. At once, he started to sniff the air. "I smell pizza."

Launchpad nodded. "Smells like pepperoni with extra cheese," he paused. "How'd they get that around here?"

Amemi crossed her arms and started to tap her foot. "Hello?" she stated in an impatient voice. "Are you even listening to me? Why did you wander off?"

The answer to one of her questions was answered instantaneously. Goofy and Launchpad were gazing towards the wooden stage. Amemi sighed deeply. She looked up at the sky. What was with everyone today? Although she hadn't known Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad as long as Sora had, she knew enough about them since her brother had told her many things about his adventures.

Now that she was participating in one of those quests, everything seemed to be exactly how Sora had originally described it. Donald was easily irritated. Goofy was clumsy and pointed out the obvious from time to time. Launchpad was absent-minded and tended to get sidetracked. She'd hoped things would be better with a girl around (namely _her_), but it was now quite clear the opposite was taking place. She was getting a little annoyed with the current situation. Maybe that was why Sora had been so hesitant about letting her tag along? But, how could he have known something like this was going to take place? It didn't make sense.

"Amy!" an unmistakable voice called.

Amemi uncrossed her arms and spun to her right. "Sora!"

Sure enough, there was Sora rushing over to her. Behind him was Donald. In the duck's hands was a bag of what seemed to be squished popcorn and a long piece of bread. "Where were you?" the brown, spikey-headed young man inquired.

Amemi rapidly filled her brother in on everything that had taken place from Donald and her getting separated, her stumbling into the tent, Launchpad crashing into said tent, and the group finally being reunited with Sora and Donald.

Sora nodded in understanding. "Maybe we should stick together from now on," he recommended. "This place is huge."

Amemi gave a nod of her own. "You're not kidding."

"That's not all," Sora continued. He turned to Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. "I promised Mom nothing would happen to my sister," he informed them.

"Aw phooey," Donald groaned. "Now we have to babysit her." He frowned in the direction of the nearly-fourteen-year-old girl. Amemi had a small mirror out and was using it to see behind her. She saw Donald's face and shook her head.

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered. "May-bee Amemi can take care of herself."

Launchpad shrugged. "Don't look at me. I just got outta the kissing booth."

Sora shook his head. He signaled from everyone to head for the stage. The group started to walk in the direction of where the crowd was gathered. As they did, a large, armored carriage flew past. A number of soldiers on horseback followed them. One of the horses almost trampled Donald. The duck rushed out of the way before turning back to glare.

"What's the big idea?!" Donald sneered.

The convoy came to a stop. One of the riders, a man wearing golden armor with a blue cape, climbed off his horse and approached the group. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"That's _wasn't_ very nice!" Donald snapped, waving his fist at the man. "You almost ran me ov—!"

Sora rushed over and slapped his hand over the duck's mouth. He grinned anxiously. "Sorry about that. Donald's a little grumpy at times."

Even though Donald's voice was muffled under Sora's grip, the latter could hear the duck magician muttering an extensive list of illegible garble. Recalling how he'd learned Donald used to be a sailor before he'd became a musketeer, Sora had the feeling some of those impossible-to-make-out "words" were ones he'd rather not know.

The man nodded. "So everything's fine. I was just making sure."

The carriage's side door opened. Sora and his team turned their eyes to the figure stepping out. It was a tall, older man with a wrinkled face, and gray hair and eyes. He was wearing dark robes, a purple-and-black-striped hat containing a red ribbon, and shoulder pads sporting red stripes. He had two rings on each hand. They each sported red, green, and blue colored jewels.

Sora and Amemi both felt a dark presence about the man. Not only was he dressed almost entirely in black clothing, he seemed to fit the description of a sinister villain from a horror movie. To Sora, he also seemed to give off a hint of something… strong. Something like… Darkness.

The golden-armored man spun around and saluted to the older one. "Judge Frollo, sir!"

Frollo turned to face the guard before him. He placed a hand between the two. "Just a moment, Captain Phoebus."

Sora heard Donald and Goofy gulping as the judge neared the group. Amemi turned to walk away. Sora silently decided to do the same. He noticed Donald and Goofy had the same idea.

"Stop," Frollo ordered.

The four turned back. "Who? Us?" Sora asked, a cheeky look in his eyes. He placed his hands behind his head and tried very hard to relax.

Frollo was now inches away from the group. "I've never seen any of you here before," he said, glancing over them all. "Your names?"

Sora gave a friendly smile. "I'm Sora."

Donald gulped. "Donald… "

Goofy gave a nervous wave. "Goofy… "

Amemi clasped her hands together and smiled a little. "Amemi… "

Frollo snorted. He seemed to be focused on the group for unknown reasons. "Such disgusting attire," he muttered under his breath. "I know what _you_ are, Keyblader."

The judge turned back to face his captain. "Captain Phoebus, take these gypsies to the Palace of Justice. I shall interrogate them personally."

Phoebus looked surprised. "These kids here? But, sir, it's just a boy, his girlfriend, and two people dressed for the festival."

Amemi took a step forward. "I'm his sister," she corrected.

Phoebus nodded. "See? They're harmless."

Frollo seemed unimpressed. "I shall be the judge of that, Captain Phoebus."

The captain sighed. At once, a series of shouts echoed from the nearby stage. Sora and his friends froze as they heard them.

"That's no mask!"

"It's his face!"

"What _**is**_ he?!"

"He's some kind of _**duck**_-man!"

Everyone swerved their eyes to the not-too-distant stage. Standing on it was Launchpad. The pilot was grinning happily before the crowd of shocked and stunned spectators. He gazed into the distance and spotted Sora and the others. "Hey, guys!" he called out. "I was led onto this stage by someone and now everyone's giving me lots of attention. I must be a V.I.P. here… whatever 'Very Important Pilot' means here."

Sora, Goofy, and Amemi all stared at him. Donald fell backwards. He hit the ground so hard, his feet flew up for a moment. "How'd he get over there?" Sora asked the others.

Amemi shrugged. "He must have walked away when we weren't looking."

At that moment, a tall, thin man with black hair and a beard marched onto the stage beside Launchpad. He was wearing a purple/light blue hat with a yellow feather, black gloves, a crimson mask, and clothing with indigo, yellow, and crimson colors. He placed a multi-colored hat with bells onto Launchpad's head. "We asked for the ugliest face in Paris, and here it is! The duck-man!"

The crowd cheered loudly. Launchpad was given a dark-purple cape-like cloak and tossed aboard a giant, green elephant with yellow tusks. Streams of what appeared to be confetti flew through the air. Launchpad rode the elephant in a straight line through the crowd.

Frollo snorted at the sight. "Filthy vermin," he muttered softly. He stepped back towards his carriage. A thin, almost-unnoticeable cloud of Darkness started to form around him.

* * *

Launchpad was having the time of his life. Everything was exciting! The crowd of people in this unknown land were cheering for him like he was a hero. He hadn't done anything except get picked out of a line of people. The others were tossed aside like pieces of garbage and landed in a puddle of muddy water.

When the raven-haired woman he'd seen earlier had tried to remove his face, she gasped realizing he wasn't wearing a mask. The crowd had gasped in turn. They were astounded, knowing there really _was_ a "duck-man" in their town. After a few moments, someone had placed a crown on him, and now everybody was cheering him on as though he was a king or something greater.

"Piece o'cake, Mister McDee," Launchpad said to himself. He wished Scrooge McDuck had been there. At least _he_ could congratulate the pilot for such a success in a far-flung place.

A couple of girls were just up ahead in a stand. As the elephant rode by, they each gave the pilot a kiss. Launchpad spotted his friends standing on the edge of the crowd. He waved to them with glee. "Check it out!" he called to them. "I'm a king of something!"

Without warning, a thin cloud of Darkness partly blanketed the elephant. It vanished a second later. Before Launchpad could take notice, the animal began rearing up in a heated frenzy. The pilot grasped the creature's neck in alarm. "Yeesh!" he declared. "I've heard of wild animals, but this is ridiculous!"

* * *

Sora froze in alarm the moment he saw the elephant start stomping wildly. The people closest to the animal screamed and ran several feet back. A space of about ten feet surrounded Launchpad and the elephant.

"What's happening?" Amemi said. She was as startled as her brother. "The elephant. It just went wild!"

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy remarked. "Looks like fun."

Donald punched the knight's arm. "That wasn't funny! Someone could get hurt."

Phoebus stepped forward. He raised his right hand over his eyes and squinted into the distance. "Monsters," he realized. "They've invaded the square."

Sora nodded. It was then he spotted a glowing, red symbol on the animal's forehead. Several shadowy creatures appeared from the ground around it. He gasped. "That's no ordinary monster. It's a _**Heartless**_!"

Donald and Goofy both gasped in alarm. Amemi looked puzzled. "A 'Heartless'?"

Sora nodded again. He summoned his Keyblade. "Yeah! C'mon! _We'll_ take care of it!"

Donald and Goofy both pulled out their weapons. They followed Sora as he charged into the crowd for the rouge creature. Not wishing to be left out again, Amemi rapidly gave pursuit. Phoebus was seconds behind her. "Wait!" he called to the group. "It's not safe!"

As Phoebus ran off to warn the group, Frollo snorted at the display. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Pete and the Beagle Boys poking their heads out of the carriage. Frollo started to radiate more Darkness. "This city is _**overrun**_," he stated, clutching his hands into fists. "For decades I've worked to purge the city of those wretched gypsies. Now, the streets team with _more_ disgusting vermin that threaten law and order."

Pete and the Beagle Boys gazed into the distance. They gulped very anxiously. It was clear how dark Frollo's heart was already. No wonder Maleficent wanted him on their team. He _was_ an invaluable asset — for producing and controlling Heartless, that is. They stared into the distance, wondering what would happen next.

* * *

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Amemi ran so fast, the crowd had to make a path for them. They charged into the open space around the wild Heartless. Launchpad was doing everything he could to keep his balance atop the creature. "_**Help**_!" he exclaimed. "This isn't a wild bronco!"

Sora glared at the Heartless. "_**Okay**_!" he barked. "_**Now**_ you've got my attention!"

The giant Heartless turned its eyes to Sora. The glare made Donald duck behind Goofy's shield. Amemi reached into a pocket on her jacket and pulled out a small, handmade slingshot. She pulled out a tiny stone and aimed it at the creature.

Sora rushed between the stomping monster's legs. He sliced his Keyblade clear through two of them. The Heartless appearing from the ground leapt at him. He swung around and slashed them aside. Goofy hurried over and smashed his shield onto two of the Shadow Heartless before spinning like a top and striking the larger enemy's other legs. Sora raced around to the other side of the Heartless and assisted a surrounded Donald in destroying several more Heartless. These ones were not like ordinary shadows. They were more slender, had wavy antennae, and could spin like whirlwinds. Sora knew what these Heartless were called.

Neoshadows.

Sora charged into the fray and slashed and sliced the Heartless into nothing but Darkness. He turned back to the large, elephant-shaped Heartless. Before he could deliver a crushing blow with Donald and Goofy, a small stone flew past his head and smacked the enemy in the face. The Heartless snorted to Sora's left. The brown-headed young man swerved his eyes to the left where he spotted Amemi cautiously stepping back. She had a slingshot in hand.

"_**Amy**_!" he shouted. "_**Get**_ _**to safety**_!"

The Heartless roared in anger and charged at the sandy-haired girl. Amemi saw the creature rushing at her and side-stepped. The Heartless slid to a stop. The crowd started to run further away from the stampeding monster.

One person wasn't so lucky. The Heartless charged at him and, as the creature slid and turned to Amemi, knocked him to the ground. Several Neoshadows Heartless emerged from the ground all around him. "Oh, please stop!" the man cried.

Sora gasped and hurried over. He reached the young man in no time. It was then he saw the man was a hunchback with a deformed face, pale skin, red hair, and green eyes. He was buck-toothed with plump arms and wearing a large, green shirt, black pants, and navy-blue shoes.

This didn't bother Sora. It didn't matter how someone looked. He needed to get this man to safety. He gazed at his sister. She was hiding behind Goofy's shield. The knight was staring at the Heartless in alarm. Donald poked his head out from behind the shield and smiled anxiously.

Sora turned to the man. "You need to _**run**_!"

"Let me help," a kind voice spoke up.

Sora swerved his eyes to the left. A young woman with long wavy black hair, medium skin, and emerald eyes was running up to him. Her outfit consisted of a white top with a blue midsection, a purple skirt, and a matching piece of cloth tied in her hair. She was barefoot and had a few golden pieces of jewelry on her left ear, left wrist, right hand, and right ankle. For some reason, Sora sensed something different about her.

"Huh?" the spikey-haired young man asked. "Who are you?"

The woman smiled at him. "Esmeralda. I'm a gypsy."

Sora nodded. "Thank you. I'm Sora."

As Sora watched, Esmeralda helped the young man off the ground. The man saw her and hastily fled towards the cathedral steps. Esmeralda gave chase. Sora shook his head before turning his eyes back to the Heartless; the creature was looming over Donald, Goofy, and Amemi. The three of them were ducking behind the knight's oversized shield.

Sora positioned his Keyblade into his fighting stance and glared at the enemy. "Hey! I'm over here!"

The Heartless seemed to perk up at the sound of Sora's voice. It turned around to face the young man. Sora raised his Keyblade a little more and charged at the monster. The Heartless raced at him. Before the two could collide, Sora swung his Keyblade back a little and swung it forward like a baseball player at bat.

_**SLASH!**_

The Heartless crumpled to the ground. Launchpad fell from it and landed on his head a few feet from Sora. Sora gazed back at it as a huge, captive heart was released from the creature. The monster faded away into Darkness moments later. Sora twirled his Keyblade happily. "We did it!" he cheered as his team walked over.

Launchpad rose from the ground. He grinned at Sora. "Nice one, buddy!"

* * *

Frollo was shocked. Not only had the enormous Heartless been obliterated, but Sora's team had survived without any trouble. He was still glaring at the cathedral where he'd seen the young, raven-haired woman run inside. He made a fist and pointed it at the building. "Gypsy witch!"

Phoebus was grinning. He'd been doing so ever since he'd seen the young woman. To Pete and the Beagle Boys inside the carriage, it was sight they wanted to leave their minds.

"Hmph!" Pete snorted as Frollo climbed back into the carriage. "I told ya that kid's got some fancy moves."

Frollo ignored the large cat's comment. He silently took a seat on the other side of the Beagle Boys. Phoebus walked up to the doorway. "Your orders, sir?" he asked.

"To the cathedral," Frollo answered. "While you're at it, arrest those troublemakers."

Phoebus looked perplexed. "What for?"

"For disturbing the peace."

Phoebus shrugged and shut the carriage door. The carriage rode off. Deep down, the Captain of the Guard wondered if "disturbing the peace" was the same as eliminating a hostile monster that was _already_ disturbing the peace. He didn't think about it for long. Judge Frollo had given his orders and was expecting them to be carried out quickly.

Phoebus drew his sword and approached the group of young people, two ducks, and a tall dog.

* * *

Sora wiped some sweat off his forehead. "Well, that takes care of that."

Amemi looked at the gigantic cathedral towering above them. "I wonder if that man is okay."

"Whoever he is," Donald added.

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered aloud. "I thought it was 'Quasimodo'."

Everyone else stared at him, except for Launchpad. "Yeah," the pilot chuckled. "Goofy and I met him earlier while running around the stores."

Sora nodded. "I'm sure he's fine." He paused and crossed his arms. "Quasi… what was it?"

Everyone else shrugged. Sora shook his head and smiled.

"You there!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi swung their attention to Captain Phoebus. The captain was quickly approaching them with a sword in hand. "I'm sorry," he told them. "But I have to place you all under arrest."

Sora and his team were astounded. "Why?" Sora asked.

"Judge Frollo said you were 'disturbing the peace'."

"And?"

"And that's all."

Sora shook his head. "You're _wrong_! We were trying to get rid of those Heartless! That's _**not**_ a crime! We needed to do _something_ before someone got hurt!"

Phoebus sighed. "I know. I'm very, very sorry."

Sora clenched his hands into fists. Before he could say anything, Amemi tugged on his hoodie. He was dragged backwards up the cathedral steps and straight inside the building. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad slammed the door shut.

* * *

Judge Frollo stepped out from his carriage to find a surprised Phoebus staring at the cathedral's entrance. The sky above was grey and rapidly filling with thick, dark clouds. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"What happened, Captain Phoebus?" the judge inquired.

Phoebus stood at attention. "Sir! Those people you asked me to apprehend, they've fled inside the cathedral."

Frollo was furious. "Find them, captain. I want them alive."

Phoebus saluted. "Yes, sir."

Without another word, Frollo returned to his carriage. Drops of rain were starting to fall from above as the judge returned to his seat. He remained silent, even as Pete and the Beagle Boys started to speak.

"Ya can't beat that kid and his pals that easily," Pete said. "I've fought them many times and still haven't beat 'em."

"They sure are strong," one of the taller Beagle Boys remarked.

"You saw how they brought down that elephant?" the other tall one added.

"I've never seen anything like it!" the short one declared.

Frollo snorted and turned his eyes away from the other villains. He only wanted two things at the moment. Apprehend that gypsy woman for helping Quasimodo, and getting his hands on that wretched Keyblade-brat and his so-called "friends".

* * *

The door slammed shut. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad slid to the floor on the other side to catch their breath. Sora took a deep breath. "That was close."

He turned to Amemi. "Where are we?"

Amemi glanced around. "We're inside the cathedral — the giant one, remember?"

Sora nodded. He gazed around the room. The interior of the cathedral so immense, Sora had to lean his head back just to see the ceiling. Rows of candles on stands were set neatly on one side of the building. The other side consisted of short, wooden walls. Columns were positioned at regular intervals throughout the building. Further down, what appeared to be blue-tinted walls could be seen. The floor was covered by black-and-white tiles; it reminded Sora of a game of Chess.

"Where should we go?" Sora asked his teammates.

Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all shrugged. Sora glanced at them for a second. "Let's take a look around."

He led the way through the building. The cathedral was quiet. The only people inside were gathered near the far wall were rows of what seemed to be wooden railings were situated. Upon a podium on the far end was a large stone. On it was a carving of a figure. Sora couldn't tell who it was.

The group continued to walk around. They strolled past the reflection of a gigantic stained glass window above. They stopped beside the rows of candles. To their amazement, not a single thing had changed.

"I think we're going in circles," Amemi spoke up.

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "But what else can we do? There aren't any Heartless in here."

"Why not?" Donald questioned.

Goofy leaned his head into his left hand and started tapping his right index finger onto the side of his head. "Hmm… "

Sora, Donald, and Amemi turned their focus to him. "Gee, may-bee this here church is too full of Light," Goofy thought aloud. "Them Heartless are afraid of it. That's why we ain't seen any Heartless around here. They're all outside."

Sora crossed his arms in thought. It sounded like Goofy was correct. Perhaps there wasn't enough Darkness inside for the Heartless to come. Of course, that also meant the Heartless were most-likely attacking the local residents in the town outside.

"Let's head outside," he suggested. "The Heartless might not be far off."

A series of loud banging echoed from close by. Sora and his friends swerved their attention to a pair of figures less than ten feet away. One was a young woman with raven-black hair. The other was the man in the golden armor; he also had blonde hair and a matching goatee. The woman was swinging one of the lampstands at him while he was blocking her with his sword.

"Candlelight… privacy… music," the man chuckled. "Can't think of a better place for hand-to-hand combat!"

"What is…?" Sora started to say. That's when he recognized one of the two people. "Esmeralda!"

Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were puzzled. "Who?" his sister asked.

Sora gestured towards the woman. "She helped me save that guy, Quasi."

Amemi's eyes lit up when she remembered. "Oh yeah," she realized. "I remember."

"What're they fightin' over?" Goofy asked.

Sora shrugged. "Let's watch and see."

The duel continued. The man smirked at the woman. "You fight almost as well as a man!"

The woman gave the man a sarcastic grin. "Funny. I was going to say the same thing about you."

The man was unamused. "That's hitting a little below the belt, don't you think?"

"No. _This_ is."

The woman swung the stand at the man's legs. He blocked her with his sword. She swung the other end at his face. It slammed so hard, he had to shake it off.

"Touché!" he said.

A white goat with a golden earring charged over and slammed straight into the man. The man eyed him. "I didn't know you had a kid."

"Well, he doesn't take kindly to soldiers," the woman explained.

The man nodded. "Eh, I noticed. Permit me. I'm Phoebus. It means 'sun god'. And you are?"

The woman and goat glanced at each other. "Is this an interrogation?"

"It's called an introduction," Phoebus corrected.

The woman was taken by surprise. "You're not arresting me?"

"Not as long as you're in here. I can't."

The woman set the lampstand down. "You're not at all like the other soldiers."

"Thank you."

"So, if you're not going to arrest me, what do you want?"

"I'd settle for your name."

The woman smiled. "Esmeralda."

"It's beautiful. Much better than Phoebus, anyway."

The two started to gaze into each other's eyes. Sora and his team started to feel a little sick. "Yuck," Sora murmured.

"Yeah," Amemi giggled. "'Yuck'."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all started to chuckle. Sora rolled his eyes. When would they stop teasing him? It'd been a few days since Kairi had given him a small "kiss", and it was something he'd chosen to forget about… mostly.

Goofy was so busy chuckling he didn't see the lampstand behind. He bumped into it and it fell over, knocking over the next one, and the next one, and so on down the line. The clanging, banging, and other noises echoed throughout the nave. With one final _**CLANG**_, the last lampstand fell to the floor.

Sora sighed. He was tired of seeing domino and/or ripple effects. For some reason, Goofy was prone to more accidents than anyone else he'd ever known.

Phoebus and Esmeralda switched their eyes to the group. Sora gave a shy wave in return. "Hiya," he said.

"Oh, hello again," Phoebus called over. "'Sora', 'Donald', 'Goofy', 'Amemi', was it?"

Sora nodded. Launchpad stepped forwards. "The name's Launchpad McQuack," he introduced. "If it's got wings I can crash it!"

Phoebus grinned at the pilot. "Yes, I remember you. You were this year's King of Fools."

Donald rapidly swung his eyes towards Launchpad. A sneaky grin formed on the duck's bill. "Too bad," he chuckled.

"Hey," Launchpad retorted. "I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid."

"No one said you were," Esmeralda replied. "I'm Esmeralda."

Sora placed his hands behind his head. "Yeah, I remember," he gestured to his friends. "This is Donald, Goofy, and my sister, Amy."

"Amemi," Amemi corrected.

Sora smiled. He was about to speak with the entrance doors burst open. Everyone swung their eyes to the front of the cathedral. There stood Judge Frollo, a large cat-like man, three hooded figures with swords, and a handful of guards dressed in black uniforms.

"Good work, captain," Frollo called over. "You've captured them. Now, arrest them."

Phoebus turned back to the group. "Claim 'Sanctuary'," he ordered them. "Say it."

Esmeralda scowled. "You tricked me."

Frollo looked like he was about to start to tapping his foot. "I'm waiting, captain."

Phoebus turned back to the judge, his arms shrugging. "I'm sorry, sir. She claims sanctuary. There's nothing I can do."

The large cat-like man strode forward. "Then I'll drag her out!"

Sora's eyes lit up when he suddenly recognized the man. Perhaps it was the dim lighting. Whatever the case, he now knew who it was. "Pete!" he declared, summoning his Keyblade.

Amemi was alarmed. For the last few months, her brother had been telling her about a villain he'd encountered several times on his second quest — someone by the name of "Pete". Now that she was face-to-face with this enemy, she knew anyone he was working with would also be evil. Not to mention, there was still a high chance she would have to help her brother fight any Heartless Pete would throw at them.

With all this in mind, Amemi glared at Pete.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gasped when they saw the hooded trio. "The Beagle Boys!" Goofy exclaimed.

Donald pulled put his wand. "I'll show them!"

Launchpad looked angry. "I don't know how many times you tried to steal Mister McDee's money bin, but you won't get away now."

Frollo stepped closer. "I'll handle this," he told Pete. He stepped closer to Sora's team. The group was standing between the judge and Esmeralda and Phoebus. "I'm not leaving empty-hand—!"

"_**Frollo**_!" a deep voice boomed from across the room. "You will _**not**_ touch her!"

Everyone spun around to see a large, elderly man with white hair and eyelashes approaching them. He was wearing a wide baby-blue robe, a wide white inner robe, a red cap, and a gold cross necklace with cross down to chest. Sora and Amemi stood up straight and tall. Based on what they'd learned in classes (which wasn't much for Sora), this man was the Archdeacon.

The Archdeacon leaned in closer to the group. "Don't worry," he assured them. "Minister Frollo learned years ago to respect the sanctity of the church."

Sora and his team nodded and put their weapons away. They watched as an outraged Frollo, Pete, and Beagle Boys marched for the still-open doorway. Phoebus was directly behind them.

Frollo turned back to glare at Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Esmeralda and the Archdeacon.

"You think you've outwitted me," he sneered. "But I am a patient man, and gypsies don't do well inside stone walls."

"You are so weird," Amemi told the judge. "Why do want to work with someone my brother clearly hates?"

Frollo shifted his frown to the sandy-haired woman. "Such a clever witch," he countered. "So typical of your kind, to twist the truth to cloud the mind with unholy thoughts."

Amemi was furious. "A '_**witch**_'?!"

Frollo turned to leave. "Well, no matter. You've chosen a magnificent prison, but it is a prison nonetheless. Set one foot outside, and you'll all be mine!"

Frollo strolled through the open doorway and closed it behind. Sora rushed over and pulled it open a little. He saw Pete giving orders to a bunch of guards to be stationed at each of the cathedral's doors. He slammed it shut. After a short pause, he turned back to the others. "Sorry," he sighed. "Looks like we're stuck."

Esmeralda fell to the floor to mope. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all did the same. Amemi leaned against a nearby column to remain upright. "Don't worry," she told the others. "If Frollo and Pete think they came keep us inside, my brother will show them a thing or three."

Sora leapt to his feet. "Yeah, _we'll_ show them!"

The Archdeacon chuckled. "Don't act rashly," he warned. "You created quite a stir at the festival. It would be unwise to arouse Frollo's anger further."

"But… why?" a baffled Sora said. "He accused us of disturbing the peace! All we were trying to do was destroy a giant Heartless before someone got hurt!"

"This isn't the first time," Esmeralda sighed.

Sora and his team were surprised. "What?"

"Frollo's been hunting my people for years," the young woman informed them. "We gypsies are guilty of nothing but enjoying our freedom. Frollo hates whatever he can't control. Now, not only has he brought in fresh blood to torment us, but he's agreed to help someone out there do something terrible."

She sighed. "I'd hate to know what darkness drives that man… "

Sora nodded. He thought back to when he'd encountered Ansem, The Seeker of Darkness/Xehanort's Heartless. For some reason, that villain's story and Frollo's story sounded somewhat similar… or did they? "I think I might know what you mean."

"Was he always this way?" Amemi asked.

Esmeralda turned away. "I thought if just one person could stand up to him, then… " she sighed. "What do they have against people who are different, anyway?"

Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Sora all shrugged. "Beats me," Sora admitted.

"You can't right all the wrongs in this world by yourself," the Archdeacon informed the group as he started to walk away. "But remember, there's always hope somewhere, and a friend who can lead you to it."

Esmeralda gazed at the entrance doors. She shook her head. "No one out there's going to help, that's for sure."

"Perhaps there's someone in here who can," The Archdeacon answered as he strolled off.

Once the elderly man had left, Sora's team started to look around the inside of the cathedral. The only other people in the room were kneeling against the wooden railings. Their hands were folded and their heads were bowed forward. Sora gave a deep sigh. "I don't think anyone here can help us."

Amemi looked at her brother. "I thought you'd come up with plan, Sora."

Sora turned to face his sister. "I don't have one. Do you?"

Amemi shook her head. "No, I don't."

Sora sighed once more. Donald approached the two. "Well, what now?"

Goofy was seconds behind him. "Do ya have any ideas, Sora?"

"Yeah," Launchpad added. "Esmeralda's countin' on us — without numbers."

Sora gave an especially deep sigh (for the third time). Why did everyone have to count on him so much? True, he _was_ the leader of the team, even if he didn't choose this job. The Keyblade did, so he was stuck with it. He had so much power and potential — not to mention responsibility — and he couldn't come up with a good escape plan.

He was about to tell everyone he wasn't sure how to react when a voice filled their ears. "I don't know if you can hear me, or if you're even there," it said. "I don't know if you would listen to a gypsy's prayer. Yes, I know I'm just an outcast — I shouldn't speak to you. Still, I see your face and wonder… were you once an outcast too?"

The group whirled their eyes over to the source of the voice. There was Esmeralda, strolling around the candle stands. She looked worried and sounded a little desperate. As she walked along, Sora started to sense a flicker of strong Light coming from her heart. Ever since he'd encountered Roxas in the dreams, the spikey, brown-haired youth had gained the ability to sense Light from within someone's heart — especially if it was primarily hidden deep inside.

"God help the outcasts… hungry from birth," Esmeralda called out as she continued along. "Show them the mercy they don't find on earth. God help my people who look to you still… "

Sora nodded, now knowing the Light truly was coming from within her heart. Why it had been trapped there, he did not know and doubted he would ever find out.

Esmeralda neared the reflection of the giant, circular stained-glass window. "…I ask for nothing, I can get by. But I know so many less lucky than I. Please help my people… the poor and down-trod. I thought we all were… the Children of God."

Sora smiled. In his peripheral vision, he saw Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad taking turns blowing their noses with a used, wet handkerchief. Amemi turned away from the sight to see the young woman. The two sibling smiled.

_**CLANG!**_

"You! Bell ringer! _What_ are you doing down here?! Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"

The loud noises drew the group's attention to a figure hiding amongst the lampstands. One of the stands had been knocked over and the figure was racing towards a curved doorway in the nearby wall. Esmeralda must have seen the incident as she quickly gave chase. "Wait!" she called. "I want to talk to you!"

When they saw what was happening, Sora and his friends followed the two. The pursuit led through the doorway and up a dark, spiral staircase. At the top, they found themselves on the upper floors of the cathedral where a stone railing was located. In the distance, they could see the horizon beyond the rooftops.

Now one paid the view any mind. They were too busy following Esmeralda and… a young man? Sora instantly recognized the man as the same one he'd saved earlier at the festival. "Hey!" he called. "Wait up!"

They rushed into an opening in one of the cathedral's twin bell towers. Inside, they finally caught up with the young man and Esmeralda. "Here you are," she said. "I thought I'd lost you."

The man turned around. "Yes. Um, well, I uh, I have chores to do. It was, uh, nice… seeing… you… all… again."

"Wait, Quasi!" Sora shouted.

The man turned around. "You know my name?"

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "Goofy and Launchpad told me."

"It's Quasimodo," Donald corrected.

Sora grinned, realizing his mistake. Quasimodo seemed to smile. He then raced up a ladder to the second floor. "No wait!" Esmeralda called after him.

The group hurried up the ladder after Quasimodo. They found themselves in a rather large room. A window allowed the sunlight to come shining inside. A wooden table was situated on the far side of the room with a model city on it. A stained-glass mobile was hanging from the ceiling.

"What is this place?" Esmeralda asked.

"This is where I live," Quasimodo replied.

Amemi took a moment to admire the mobile. The light in the window caused the glass to glow. "Did you make all these things by yourself?"

"Most of them," Quasimodo said with a grin.

Amemi paused to finger the mobile. "It's so pretty," she smiled.

Goofy looked at the model town. "A-Hyuck! Toys."

Launchpad started to gaze at the little city. "Where's the money bin?"

Donald scowled at the pilot. "This isn't Duckburg!"

"This is beautiful," Esmeralda said. "If I could do this, you wouldn't find me dancing in the streets for coins."

"But you're a wonderful dancer," Quasimodo spoke up.

"Well, it keeps bread on the table, anyway."

Sora smiled and placed his hands behind his head. "Looks like you'll be just fine, Quasi," he said. He slowly moved his eyes around the tower. "All this space for yourself… if only my room was just as big."

Amemi gazed at her brother; her smile faded. She rapidly shook it off and turned to face Quasimodo. "Do you ever get lonely up here?" she asked him.

"Well," Quasimodo replied. "It's not just me — there's the gargoyles, and of course the bells." He paused. "Would you like to see them?"

"Yeah," an excited Sora agreed in a flash.

Quasimodo hopped to the upper beams. "Follow me. I'll introduce you."

"We're gonna meet some bells?" Goofy asked.

Launchpad grinned. "Well, this is a _bell_ tower."

Quasimodo started climbing along the wooden beams. Along the way, he told everyone the names of the bells he was passing. "_Little Sophia_, and… _Jean Marie_, _Ann Marie_, and _Louise Marie_. Triplets, you know."

"Like Huey, Dewey, and Louie," Launchpad chuckled.

"And April, May, an' June," Goofy added. "They're Daisy's nieces."

Donald sighed. "Aw phooey!"

Esmeralda, Sora, and Amemi approached the largest bell in the bunch. "And who's this?" the former inquired.

"_Big Marie_," Quasimodo said.

Esmeralda stepped into the bell and looked around. "Hello?" she called. Her voice echoed inside the enormous bell.

Quasimodo smiled. "She likes you."

Sora ducked down to get inside the bell. He grinned and shouted as loudly as he could, "Donald is a crab!"

"_**What**_?!" a startled and furious Donald exclaimed. He glared at the laughing Sora emerging from under the bell. He waved a fist at him. "Ya big palooka! I am _**not**_ a crab!"

Amemi strode up to her brother. "I don't think that was very funny. Donald's mad at you."

"He's always mad at someone," Sora informed her.

Quasimodo remained smiling. "Would you like to see more?" he asked.

Esmeralda turned back. To Sora's surprise, she was looking at a white goat with an earring. The goat was trying to pull Donald's hat off with its teeth. Donald jumped to one side. "Hey! What's the big idea?!"

"Come along, Djali," Esmeralda said to the goat. Djali came running over. She smiled and turned to Quasimodo. "We'd love to."

"Yeah," Sora said for his whole team. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all agreed. They followed Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Djali up a flight of spiral steps to the top of the bell tower. Here, they followed Quasimodo to the edge of a railing.

"Here," an excited Quasimodo said. "I've saved the best for last!"

The group walked up to the railing. Everyone stared in awe. They could see the entire city below and straight into the distance. Far away, the reddish-orange sun was dipping below the horizon.

"Cool!" Sora exclaimed, clearly showing his child-like wonder.

"Wow!" Donald and Launchpad declared.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy said.

Amemi smiled. "What an amazing view."

"I bet the king himself doesn't have a view like this," Esmeralda smirked. "I could stay up here forever."

Quasimodo turned to her. "You could, you know."

Esmeralda shook her head. "No, I couldn't."

"Oh, yes, you have sanctuary!"

"But not freedom. Gypsies don't do well inside stone walls."

Donald leaned in close to Sora. "That's what Frollo said," he whispered.

Sora nodded in reply. "Yeah… "

"But you're not like other gypsies," Quasimodo told Esmeralda. "They're… evil."

"_Huh_?!" Sora's team said at once. Their mouths were open in surprise and puzzlement. Deep down, Sora wondered if Quasimodo was related to Frollo… or something like that.

Esmeralda was the most dumbfounded. "Who told you that?"

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "Where'd you hear that?"

"My master, Frollo," Quasimodo answered. "He raised me."

"Really?" Amemi asked. "I… I don't understand."

Esmeralda was unconvinced. "How could such a cruel man have raised someone like you?"

"'_**Cruel**_'?!" Quasimodo exclaimed. "Oh no! He… he's very kind. He saved my life. He took me in when no one else would. He protects me from the outside world."

Sora and Amemi were equally puzzled. "He 'protects' you from what?" the former asked.

Quasimodo sat down on the rooftop. He looked down. "He said the people out there would be cruel to me," he sighed. "I am a monster, you know."

Sora had the feeling he'd heard this story before. His mind went back to when he'd been visiting the worlds in the _Realm of Sleep_. The kingdom of _**Corona**_… wasn't that the place? The girl who'd been locked away in the lonely tower… she'd been afraid of the outside world because her so-called "mother" had convinced her that people would take advantage of her unique healing powers. She'd been locked away for eighteen long years.

Rapunzel — _that_ was her name! Sora had sensed her heart was a prison. She'd been keeping it that way for all those years. In Quasimodo's case, he'd been living inside the cathedral's bell tower for probably closer to twenty years or so. Instead of being told people would take advantage of him, he'd been told by Frollo how everyone would be terrified of him because he looked like a monster. Quasimodo had bought the story since he'd been raised on it from day one.

Sora had to admit Rapunzel and Quasimodo's stories were similar, but still different. Mother Gothel didn't seem as dark and uninviting as Frollo. Quasimodo's problem was thanks to his atypical appearance. Rapunzel's was due to the healing powers in her hair. Either way, both of them lived in fear of other people.

Amemi stepped close to Quasimodo. She sat down on the rooftop beside him and looked him straight in the eye. "Don't worry. Appearances can be deceiving. I've seen real monsters, and you're not one of them, Quasimodo."

"Yeah," Sora agreed with a nod. "A true friend would see you for who you are inside."

Esmeralda gave a smile as she turned to face the hunchbacked bell ringer. "They're right. Now look at me? Do you think I'm evil?"

"No, no, no!" Quasimodo rushed as he shook his head. "You are kind, and good, and… "

"…and a gypsy," Esmeralda finished. "And maybe Frollo's wrong about the both of us."

Sora nodded. "Yeah."

Amemi just smiled. Quasimodo turned to Esmeralda. "You helped me. Now, I will help you."

"That's impossible," Donald reminded the group. "The place's surrounded."

"Yeah," Goofy agreed. "Sora said there's someone watchin' every door."

"We won't use a door," Quasimodo informed the group. He scooped up Esmeralda and Djali in his arms. "It's all right. You ready?" he asked her.

Quasimodo walked to the edge of the railing. He turned back to see Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi watching him. "I'll see you downstairs," he told them.

Less than a second later, the bell ringer leapt over the railing and started to swing down the tower to the ground below. Sora and his team rushed to the rail in time to see the two people and goat vanish into the shadows. Sora was a little astonished. "Didn't expect that," he remarked.

He turned back to see the others looking at him. "Let's head downstairs."

The group nodded. Sora led the way to the doorway leading to the spiral staircase. They walked down into the bell tower. Along the way, they heard footsteps coming from below. Worried a Heartless might be lurking in the passage, they hurried down the steps.

* * *

The bell tower was dark due to the lack of candlelight. The sun had set a while ago and the cool night air was filling the room where Quasimodo lived. Long shadows stretched around the area. Sora and his friends shivered a little as they looked around. There was no sign of life in the empty tower.

"That was strange," Amemi commented. "I thought someone was in here."

Donald pulled out his wand. "We'd better be careful," he instructed. "There might be Heartless lurking around.

"Yeah," Sora agreed. He raised his hand to his face. "Hello! Is _anybody_ home?!" he shouted out loud.

His voice echoed about the room so much, Donald jumped into Goofy's arms and shook violently. This caused a startled Goofy to stumble backward and bump into Launchpad. The pilot fell sideways onto the floor, accidentally ramming into a set of granite gargoyle statues. He rubbed his head, even though he was still a bit dazed. "Heh," Launchpad chuckled, looking up at the gargoyles. "Talk about your lousy architecture."

The gargoyle scowled at the pilot. "Who're you callin' 'lousy'?!" it snapped.

"Calm down, Hugo," one of the other gargoyles stated in a deep voice. "We shouldn't have any trouble while Quasimodo is away."

"Cut it out!" the third gargoyle shouted. "You two can _never_ get along!"

"Obviously," Amemi said as she heard the voices.

"Yeah," Sora nodded as he gazed at the model town. "I know what you mean."

Everyone froze a moment later and swung their eyes to the trio of gargoyles. "_**Talking**_ _gargoyles_?!" Sora exclaimed. He now saw the first one was short and large with a pig-like nose, white horns and hooves, and small bat-like wings on his back. The second was tall and slender with big wings. The third one was slender and elderly with eagle-like wings and pointed horns.

"Excuse us for having personality," the elderly gargoyle said.

Everyone continued to stare. "A-Hyuck!" Goofy remarked. "May-bee they're ticklish, too!"

The short, large gargoyle glared at the knight. "That wasn't funny!"

"What are your names?" Amemi inquired the three gargoyles.

"Hugo," the first one announced.

"I am Victor," the second one said.

"Call me Laverne," the third introduced. "You must be friends of Quasi."

Sora nodded. "Sounds like you're pretty close."

"We've been friends for years," Laverne confirmed.

"More than a decade of camaraderie," Victor added.

Hugo nodded. "Breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"That long?" Donald asked.

Sora crossed his arms. He was taking this all in. Had these three gargoyles known Quasimodo his whole life? How was that possible? Then again, he had sensed a similarity between the bell ringer and Rapunzel. Perhaps these three could clarify whether or not his beliefs were accurate.

Sora was about to ask a question, but his sister beat him to it. "Are you saying Quasimodo has never left this tower?" Amemi asked.

"Oh, he's not allowed to leave," Laverne sighed. "Judge Frollo forbids it."

Sora could now tell Frollo was probably similar to Mother Gothel. Maybe his assumptions were correct after all. Of course, he needed to hear more before he could reach a real conclusion.

"Why not?" Launchpad asked. "He's such a nice guy."

"Care to pull up some stools?" Victor said.

"The short version is," Hugo blurted. "Frollo says he's doin' Quasi a favor by keepin' folks from seein' that mug of his."

"True," Amemi nodded. "He said _something_ along those lines."

Laverne continued to explain. "After a lifetime of watching from the nosebleed seats, Quasi just wanted to go to the Festival of Fools. We were so glad he finally got the courage to go."

"Tis a shame," Victor went on. "Those despicable creatures dashed his hopes. I don't believe he'll be leaving this place anytime soon."

"What a shame," Amemi sighed. "I'd hate to be in his shoes."

"Look who's talkin'," Hugo spoke up. He gazed at Victor. "When's the last time you looked in a mirror?"

Victor crossed his arms. "Well you broke it."

Hugo looked very pugnacious. To Sora, it seemed to remind him of Donald in a bad mood on a very bad day. "Ah… a wise guy, eh?"

Victor looked away. "Call it what you wish."

Hugo started to punch the air. "I'll show _you_ a thing or two! It'll be a walk in the park!"

"How would you know? You don't have any legs."

"Aw, _give_ me a break! It's _just_ a figure of speech!"

Laverne leaped in the air and slammed down onto the floor so hard, Hugo and Victor jumped back. "_**Knock**_ it off, ya couple of blockheads!"

Sora shook his head. The reactions between the gargoyles caused him to admit how much they resembled Donald, Goofy, and himself from time to time. He tended to get into fights with Donald over various things such as who was flying the Gummi Ship. Goofy often had to step in to keep the two from attacking each other to death.

Laverne sighed deeper than ever. "I just hope this one failure doesn't cause Quasi to give up," she said. "He was so close."

Sora's eyes lit up. He could definitely confirm (at least for now) how much Quasimodo's life story resembled Rapunzel's. Unless he did something, the bell ringer would remain trapped not just inside the cathedral forever, but within the walls he'd built around his heart. The walls of fear… something no one should ever have to deal with.

"He can't let his heart be a prison," Sora realized. He started to pace around. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth… Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad watched him. Amemi took a seat at the wooden table with the model town. Victor, Hugo, and Laverne scowled, turned their backs on each other, and crossed their arms.

Time passed slowly. Sora was deep in thought. He needed to think of a way to help Quasimodo. But… how? The bell ringer had been living inside the cathedral of Notré Dame for twenty years. He lived in fear of what was outside. How could Sora convince him to try again? He knew no one else would be willing to stay trapped in such a secluded place forever. Even Rapunzel wanted to leave her tower.

That's where the situation was clearly different. Unlike Rapunzel, Quasimodo didn't want to take the chance to leave again. Rapunzel was courageous enough to sneak out and even stayed out after Mother Gothel had tracked her down. Quasimodo would most-likely run back inside if Frollo saw him outside.

Sora stopped pacing. What to do? With Rapunzel, everything was easy. As for Quasimodo, the situation was much trickier. He couldn't think of a possible solution.

A figure marched into the room. Sora and the others swung their eyes to see Phoebus standing there in his golden armor. "Hello," he said to them. "I'm looking for the gypsy girl. Have any of you seen her?"

Before anyone from Sora's team could answer, Quasimodo came charging into the room from above with a flaming torch. "_**No**_ soldiers!" he shouted as he landed between the soldier and Sora's team. "_**Sanctuary**_! Get out!"

"Wait!" Phoebus shouted. "All I wanted was to—"

"_**Go**_!" Quasimodo yelled.

Phoebus started to step back. "I mean her no harm!"

Sora summoned his Keyblade. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad stepped in front of Amemi. The sandy-haired girl was taken by surprise. "He said to _**go**_!" Sora hollered.

Phoebus pulled out his sword and used it to block Quasimodo from getting closer. "You tell her for me," the former said. "I didn't mean to trap her here, but it was the only way to save her life. Will you tell her that?"

"If you go," Quasimodo demanded. "Now."

Phoebus nodded. "I will."

He started for the exit. He stopped and turned around to see the group. "Oh," he said. "And one more thing. Tell Esmeralda she's very lucky."

Quasimodo was puzzled. "Why?"

Phoebus grinned. "To have a friend like you."

As the Captain of the Guard left, Sora and his team put their weapons away. Quasimodo looked baffled. Sora could tell something new was going on in the young adult's head.

Victor, Hugo, and Laverne raced over with large grins on their faces. "Hey, hey!" Hugo cheered. "_There_ he is!"

Victor nodded. "You ejected that tin-plated baboon with great panache!"

"It was nothing," Sora called. None of the gargoyles heard him.

"The nerve of him!" Hugo stated. "Snooping around here trying to steal your girl."

Quasimodo was startled. "My girl?"

"Esmeralda," Laverne clarified. "Dark hair, works with a goat. Remember?"

Hugo gave a nod. "Boy, I do! Way to go, loverboy!"

"Yeah!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy agreed. Amemi shook her head. Launchpad was mystified.

Quasimodo looked extra-shocked. "_**Loverboy**_!?" he exclaimed. "Oh, no, no… "

Laverne shook her head slightly. "Oh, don't be so modest."

Quasimodo turned around to see the gargoyles and Sora's team standing behind him. "Look," he said. "I appreciate what you're all trying to do, but let's not fool ourselves. Ugliest face in all Paris, remember? I don't think I'm her type."

He marched to the wooden table and sat down. From there, he could see out the window to the town below. Sora shook his head and walked over. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"No," Quasimodo rapidly said. "I just… "

Amemi was with her brother moments later. "Don't worry," she reassured the bell ringer. "I'm sure everything will turn out just fine."

Quasimodo continued to gaze out the window. Sora and Amemi did the same. They could see a large portion of the city below. The rooftops looked pitch-black in the darkness. There were very few lights on in the dozens of houses. In the distance, they could see a large building that resembled a castle. A long river was located not far away. Several bridges crossed it at various spots.

Quasimodo sighed. "So many times out there," he said aloud. "I've watched a happy pair of lovers walking in the night. They had a kind of glow around them. It almost looked like heaven's light."

"I see what you mean," Amemi commented. She was looking down at a couple walking along one of the bridges.

Quasimodo reached into his model town's cathedral and picked up what appeared to be a model figure of himself. "I knew I'd never know that warm and loving glow, though I might wish with all my might. No face as hideous as my face was ever meant for heaven's light."

He started to carve a block of wood. He gave a smile. "But suddenly an angel has smiled at me, and kissed my cheek without a trace of fright."

He added some paint to the figure. To Sora and Amemi's amazement, it was a perfect replica of Esmeralda holding a golden tambourine. Quasimodo proceeded to clamber onto an upper platform below the rows of bells. "I dare to dream that she might even care for me," he continued. He grabbed the bell rope. "And as I ring these bells tonight, my cold dark tower seems so bright. I swear it must be heaven's light."

He pulled down on the rope. The bells above started to ring out. Their sounds carried through the tower and into the city around. Through it all, Sora could sense something else present in the ringing.

Quasimodo's heart's Light. It was there, and it was strong. All he needed to do was set it free. How he would do that, Sora was still unsure. His heart was indeed a prison. Frollo may have built up walls around him, but the only walls holding Quasimodo back were the ones he'd built around his heart.

'_He _shouldn't_ let his heart be a prison_', Sora thought to himself. He gazed up into the rafters above. A faint glow caught his eye. When he squinted to look closer, it was gone. Whatever it was, he didn't know.

One thing he did know, it wasn't pure white. It was an indigo-like color… or something like that.

* * *

The chapel was dark. The only light came from a well-lit fireplace on the far wall. A few, wooden benches were positioned on the sides of the long, narrow room. For Pete, this was the most-inviting room in the whole Palace of Justice. At least the shouts and screams of the tortured prisoners could not be heard in there.

Pete tried to relax. It wasn't easy. He'd watched Sora and his friends destroy a powerful Heartless using teamwork. He'd been planning revenge against that boy for months, and now he was hoping to get it. After all, Sora _**had**_ prevented him and Maleficent from taking over _**Disney Castle**_ by keeping him from stealing the _Cornerstone of Light_ from the past world.

He glanced around. The Beagle Boys were slouched against the wall near the fireplace. Frollo was standing before the flames, muttering words none of them understood.

Finally, Frollo said something Pete did comprehend. "You know I am a righteous man. Of my virtue I am justly proud. You know I'm so much purer than the common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd."

Pete wanted to yawn like the Beagle Boys were doing. Frollo looked up at a large, golden cross on the wall above the fireplace. "Then tell me, Maria," he continued. "Why I see her dancing there? Why her smold'ring eyes still scorch my soul? I feel her, I see her. The sun caught in raven hair is blazing in me out of all control."

Frollo gasped. "Like _fire_! Hellfire! This fire in my skin!" he pulled a purple sash out of his pocket. He rubbed it over his face. "This burning… desire… is turning me to sin!"

Pete and the Beagle Boys stared at him. Their eyes were wide with both shock and confusion.

"That guy's lost it," one of the Beagle Boys said.

"No kidding," another added.

"Yeah," the third nodded.

Pete snorted. "Maybe he's forgotten how we need to help Maleficent rule this here world. She won't be happy, I know."

Frollo whirled around. A furious look was evident on his face. He glared at the group. "_Shut it_!" he snarled, causing Pete and the Beagle Boys to instantly become silent. "I will _not_ tolerate such actions in this or any world!"

As he spoke, Frollo unleashed a cloud of Darkness. It drifted around the room. Dozens of Heartless appeared out of it. Unlike most Heartless, these ones were wearing black armor and resembled the city's soldiers. They even had weapons like the town's guards. Bows, arrows, lances, spears, you name it and they had it.

The cloud drifted to the ceiling. Pete and the Beagle Boys gulped anxiously as they watched it. Nothing happened, so they started to relax.

A loud knock echoed about the room. The door on the far end opened. Frollo, Pete, and the Beagles turned their attention to it. A solider was standing there, his body silhouetted completely against the moon's light behind him.

"Minister Frollo," the guard said. "The gypsy has escaped."

Frollo was shocked. "What?!"

"She's nowhere in the cathedral," the guard explained. "She's gone."

Frollo couldn't understand what had happened. Pete wondered if perhaps Sora and his friends were responsible for this turn-of-events. "But, how?" the judge asked. He turned towards the door and scowled. "Never mind. Get out, you idiot."

The guard left, closing the door behind. Frollo turned back to the fireplace. "I'll find her! I'll find her if I have to _burn_ down _**all**_ _**of**_ _**Paris**_!"

When Frollo started to radiant a powerful Darkness, Pete and the Beagle Boys immediately shifted their eyes to the ceiling. The cloud of Darkness grew thicker and thicker. Without warning, a gigantic creature formed in it and caused the cloud to vanish.

Pete was stricken with surprise. The creature was shaped like a flying gargoyle with gun arms. It was mostly a dark-purple color. The face was marked by a yellow jaw and red cheeks. The arms were bright shades of blue wrapped in magenta chains. It had a whip-like tail with red and green stripes that ended with a semicircular blade with a hollow section resembling a "Hidden Mickey". The wings resembled stained glass windows. The Heartless emblem was located on its front around some colorful, belt-like bands around its waist.

Pete gulped. "A… _**Wargoyle**_!" he declared in astonishment.

Frollo wasn't paying any attention. His eyes were on the fireplace. In one swift action, he threw the purple sash into the flames. It burned up in seconds. In a loud voice, Frollo hollered, "She will be _**mine**_ or she will _**burn**_!"

* * *

**A/N: What a finale to a Chapter 17! It kind of makes you feel a tad anxious, now doesn't it?**

**Well, I will start off by saying how the WARGOYLE is supposed to be a Heartless Version of the one from "_Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream, Drop, Distance_". I hope I didn't follow that game too closely as I tried to combine it and the movie's story together in there.**

**So, I shall now tell you what this world is based on, although it is probably quite obvious by now.**  
**LE VILLE DE SONNER LES CLOCHES is based Disney's _The Hunchback of Notré Dame (1996)_. After one of my friends told me how "_La Cité des Cloches_" was not French for "_The City of Bells_", I used BING Translator to find out a correct translation. According to the translator, "ville" means "city". Through my discovery, I decided to rename the world accordingly.**  
**In fact, "Le Ville de Sonner Les Cloches" is French for "The City of Ringing Bells". I've quadruple-checked it, so I assume it must be correct!**

**There are a few more things I'd like to say real quick: **  
**(1.) Yes, I'm very well aware of how I had Launchpad McQuack become the "_King of Fools_" inside of Quasimodo.**  
**(2.) Sora's reaction to the festival mirrors his reaction at the Seaside Festival in the _Kingdom Hearts 2 Manga_.**  
**(3.) I certainly HOPE I've captured everyone's characters well enough for you. I had a little trouble picturing Phoebus's voice in my head, for instance.**  
**(4.) I'm not a huge fan of this movie, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to show how I pictured it appearing in the Kingdom Hearts universe. THAT'S why I included _The Hunchback of Notré Dame (1996)_ in my stories. Besides, I wanted to give the audience more of what it wanted in "_Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream, Drop, Distance_".**  
**(5.) Just so you know, This Chapter and the next few Chapters are part of the reason why I rated this story "T" instead of "K+".**  
**(6.) I won't say whether or not Sora and his team will fight Frollo at the end of this world's story. It would be a spoiler. Just know, I have something that might surprise a lot of you.**

**I know I referenced "_Tangled (2010)_" in there several times. Well, I did include said world in "Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams". I've been waiting a while to include "_The Hunchback of Notré Dame (1996)_" in THIS Story. Besides, those two movies aren't so different...**

**I'm out of things to say now.**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	18. Ch18 - The Corrupt Judge Frollo

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE! WELCOME BACK TO "_KINGDOM HEARTS - SEASON OF LIGHT_"! CHAPTER 18, THAT IS!**

**Before I allow you to move on ahead, I wanted to clarify a few things.  
****(1.) I am about to start school, so I won't be able to post Chapters so frequently. For those of you who read through "_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_" as I wrote it, you ****probably know what I mean.  
****(2.) I made a "slight" change in the Wargoyle's appearance from Chapter 17. To see it, read on ahead!  
****(3.) Plus, I finally got the chance to see "_Big Hero 6__ (2014)_" this past week. Now, I'm looking forward to it appearing in "_Kingdom Hearts 3_"!  
****(4.) I want to go over a few things about Sora's team to help you focus on their characters in This Story. I will do this again, later - in a Later Chapter!**

**SORA SKY HIKARI \- Age 17. The Keyblade wielder credited with saving the worlds on more than one occasion. He is a little naïve, but still possesses a strong sense of justice. He is very protective of his sister, Amemi. Once again, Sora is determined to keep the worlds from permanently falling to Darkness.**

**AMEMI HIKARI \- Age 14. Sora's younger sister. She wields a slingshot. She is typically happy-go-lucky and enjoys spending time with her brother. She tries to encourage others to do the right thing, but doesn't always succeed. She wishes to see other worlds and is excited about exploring the unknown. Sora calls her "Amy" for short.**

**DONALD DUCK \- Age Unknown. The Royal Court Magician of Disney Castle. He means well, but can be greedy and a little self-centered. He is easily irritated by random stuff, which can cause conflict with Goofy and Launchpad. He fights with a magical wand. He has a very bad temper.**

**GOOFY \- Age Unknown. The Captain of The Royal Knights of Disney Castle. He dislikes weapons and wields a shield. He is very clumsy and easily mispronounces words. Yet, he also notices things other miss. He can be smart and tends to reassure others.**

**LAUNCHPAD MCQUACK \- Age Unknown. The Leader of The Disney Royal Air Force of Disney Castle. He is absent-minded and clumsy. He LOVES to crash things. Despite such setbacks, he cares about others and does his best to help.**

**With all that aside, I wanted to let you know something else.**  
**THIS Particular Chapter is a DARK ONE! PROCEED WITH CAUTION! YOU WERE WARNED!**

**Now, YOU CAN GO ON READING! PLEASE ENJOY TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT - AND PLEASE REVIEW, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 18  
****The Corrupt Judge Frollo**

The morning was calm and clear. The sky was a sparkling blue color. The smell of fresh food drifted from various buildings throughout the square. The chatter of various people walking about could be heard from all around. The air was still. It seemed nothing could spoil such a nice day. Most of the people in the area were busy taking down the maypoles, tents, and streamers from the festival yesterday.

Sora carefully walked away from the cathedral's open doorway. He stopped and looked back. Amemi was directly behind him. She took her time walking down the steps, making sure she didn't skip one. Sora waited as she caught up with him.

Amemi gazed around and spread out her arms. "What a lovely day," she smiled. "It reminds me of Summertime back home."

Sora nodded. "Yeah, except we don't have time to soak it all in."

Amemi glanced at her brother. "Why not?"

"We've got a job to do," the spikey-headed young man replied. "While Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad are kept busy with the gargoyles, we gotta find out what Pete and the Beagle Boys are up to."

Amemi paused for a moment. "Are you sure?" she asked. "How do you know they're causing trouble?" She froze a second later, realizing what she'd just said. "Never mind," she rapidly stated. "I remember you said Pete's aligned with someone named Maleficent. If I recall, 'Maleficent' does not mean something good. He must be evil. Right?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah! And we've gotta find out what he's up to."

"What about the Beagle Boys?" Amemi inquired. "Who are they?"

"Trouble," Sora explained. He thought back to when he'd dealt with the hooded trio in the _Realm of Sleep_. Those Beagle Boys had taken control of Princess Minnie's carriage after forcing him and his friends off it. Later, Sora himself had fought the villains inside the tower to rescue the princess, even if Goofy was the one who finished the job. After that, he recalled having to help a sandy-haired girl with a Keyblade take on Pete while Riku and Violet took care of the Beagle Boys. He wasn't sure what had become of them after that…

…Until now. He needed to inform his sister about how annoying those hooded criminals could be. "I saw them in the dreams. They were helping Pete kidnap someone and take over a world. At least they didn't get away."

"They could _this_ time," Amemi pointed out. "You're right. We need to keep an eye on them." She glanced around the immediate area. "I also want to find out more about that man, Frollo."

Sora gave another nod. "We will," he said, spotting an armored carriage approaching a group of soldiers in the square. He quickly spotted a stack of wooden crates to his left and dashed over. He signaled for a surprised Amemi to follow. She did so.

"What's happening?" she asked in a rather loud voice.

Sora hastily put his hand over his sister's mouth. "Shh!"

He peeked out from behind the crates. Amemi did the same. The two could see the group of soldiers and the armored carriage. The leader of the group was Phoebus, captain of the town's guards. The carriage door opened. Even though they were a short distance away, Sora and Amemi could overhear everything coming from the carriage.

Phoebus saluted as he saw the door opening. "Morning, sir."

Out stepped none other than Judge Frollo. Pete and the Beagle Boys followed behind him. Frollo looked like he had a bit of a black eye. He rubbed it in irritation. Phoebus paid it no mind. "Your orders, sir?" he inquired.

Frollo's respond was quick and direct. "Find the gypsy girl _**and**_ her associates!"

Sora stared in alarm. Amemi was a tad bit startled, but didn't speak. Jiminy Cricket hopped out of Sora's pocket; he was nearly speechless. "Sora," the cricket said. "What… what are we gonna do?"

Sora shrugged. That's when it suddenly dawned on him. He sighed deeper than ever before. What hadn't he listened to Donald's warning? "If only we hadn't meddled in this world… "

"Too late for that," Amemi spoke up. She pointed into the plaza. "Look."

The soldiers, Frollo, Pete, and the Beagle Boys rushed to a nearby house. The soldiers broke down the door and charged inside. A few moments later, Pete walked in. A couple minutes passed before Pete and the soldiers exited the house with several people in chains. Frollo faced the prisoners and held out his hand. "Ten pieces of silver for the gypsy Esmeralda."

No one answered. Frollo's body started to give a strange glow and a thin cloud of Darkness appeared around it. "Lock them up!" he demanded in anger.

Pete relayed the order to the soldiers. The guards quickly obeyed. The prisoners were taken in the direction of a large castle-like building on the other side of the city.

Sora gulped. "That isn't good," he muttered.

"Stuff like this is _never_ good," Amemi agreed.

It wasn't good — not in the least little bit. The two continued to watch as Pete summoned a group of flying Heartless with robotic wings and flight-caps; Air Soldiers. The Beagle Boys led the way down a road near the plaza and shoved a parked roofed wagon onto its side. The door popped open, allowing the Heartless to race inside and drag out several people. Fortunately, no one was injured. Frollo marched over and held out his hand a second time. "Twenty pieces of silver for the gypsy Esmeralda."

When no one gave an answer to the judge's query, he scowled and turned to where Phoebus was standing. "Take them away!"

Phoebus hurried over to do so. In the meantime, Sora and Amemi had taken extra caution as they had snuck away from the pile of wooden crates to a parked wagon loaded with hay. Not wanting to get into any trouble just yet, they remained hidden. From where they hid, they could hear everything the villains were saying. Frollo's voice was the next one they heard. "Let's head to the edge of town. I have evidence a family's been giving harbor to gypsies."

It wasn't long before Sora and Amemi could peek their heads out without the possibility of a Heartless spotting them. Frollo, Pete, the Beagle Boys, and Phoebus were heading down the street. In the distance was a large bridge. The Heartless and soldiers went with them.

Sora turned to his sister. "We'd better follow them."

Amemi nodded. "Yes," she agreed. "If you say we should, we will. You have more experience in this than me."

Sora had to grin. "Yeah."

Amemi smiled a little herself. The two rose from their hiding place and dashed down the street.

* * *

The bridge was a large stone structure built over the city's river. A pair of tall frames stood on either end of the structure to hold it up. To Sora, it seemed to resemble how he had learned some famous bridges looked, only made of stone instead of metal. Several stacks of crates were placed on the sides and festival supplies were laid out for the workers to put away.

As Sora and Amemi ran up the bridge's ramp, they heard a loud _**ROAR**_ from above. The two came a sudden halt in their tracks and gazed straight up. They stared in alarm.

Soaring through the sky above was a gigantic creature that was shaped like a flying gargoyle with gun arms. It was mostly a dark-purple color. The face was marked by a yellow jaw and dark-purple cheeks. The arms were dark shades of blue wrapped in magenta chains. It had a whip-like tail with red and navy-blue stripes that ended in a semicircular blade. The wings resembled stained glass windows. The Heartless emblem was located on its front on some dark-purple, belt-like bands around its waist.

"_**Heartless**_!" Sora exclaimed in shock.

"A _**huge**_ one!" Amemi declared. "Have you ever seen one _this_ big?!"

"I've fought a dragon Heartless," Sora told his sister. He remembered how a member of Organization XIII had transformed one of the dragons in the _**Land of Dragons**_ into a Heartless. He'd had a difficult time bringing down the enormous monster.

The humungous Heartless swooped around in a semi-circle to face the two. It reared its head back and jolted it forward. A large, glowing ball of something red flew from its mouth and headed directly for the two young people. Sora and Amemi ducked as the ball rushed by their heads. A loud explosion occurred from behind. They spun around to see a stack of crates had been set ablaze. Realizing the ball had been made of fire, they swung their eyes back to the Heartless.

"Look out!" Sora shouted as the Heartless launched several more fireballs at them. The first ball struck a circular tent on the edge of the bridge. The canvas instantly burst into flames. A second hit a small pile of rope and streamers. A third collided with some still-standing maypoles.

"We can't stay here!" Amemi yelled above the explosions the fireballs were making on impact. "It isn't safe!"

Sora grabbed his sister's arm and yanked her along. "Let's go!"

Amemi broke free from her brother's grip and ran by herself. The two started to dash down the bridge. As they hurried, the Heartless threw several more fireballs at them. The first ball landed on an overturned fruit cart in the middle of the bridge. To avoid the flames, Sora and Amemi grabbed some abandoned maypoles and pole-vaulted over the wreckage.

The Heartless tried setting a stack of metal barrels ablaze. The barrels glowed red, so Sora and his sister grabbed some dangling streamers and swung away. The barrels exploded a moment later. The vibration rocked the bridge, causing a chunk of the stone railing to break off and fall into the river below. When the Heartless saw the two were headed for the town's outskirts, it followed closely behind.

Sora and Amemi raced through the apparently-deserted streets to avoid being hit by the flying balls of fire. A nearby house was struck and the roof went up in flames. People came rushing out, screaming and yelling in panic. There wasn't time for the spikey-headed Keyblader and the sandy-headed girl to do anything about it. The Heartless was _still_ chasing them.

They hurried around a corner and ended up straight in the middle of a horde of Air Soldier and Shadow Heartless. A few Large Bodies appeared and surrounded them all. Sora summoned his Keyblade and slashed his way through the monsters. Amemi pulled out her slingshot and shot a few Heartless aside. The creatures were knocked back and slammed into the ground so hard, they vanished from existence.

Less than five minutes passed before the Heartless group was gone and the giant creature above was chasing Sora and Amemi. An abandoned market stall was struck by a fireball. The two had to veer around it and take a path through an empty alley. They proceeded down a road that led beyond the town and into the distance.

* * *

The countryside looked calm and dry. No rain had fallen on the land for a few weeks. Pete glanced around the area and saw how the sky was starting to become a dark-grey color. It also looked a little black. That's when he realizing it was smoke — smoke from a fire. He gulped. He _hated_ watching fires start!

He shifted his eyes to the building to his left. It was a small house beside a large windmill. The blades of the windmill were so long, they seemed to almost touch the thatched roof of the house. He knew Frollo and Phoebus were inside. He was with the Beagle Boys; they were assigned to guard the area with the Heartless. A crowd of people had wandered over to watch.

"The miller," one person declared. "He's never harmed anyone!"

"Frollo's gone mad!" another added.

Pete shrugged and walked towards the doorway. Even from seven feet away, he could hear everything going on inside.

"We found this gypsy talisman on your property," Frollo's voice said. "Have you been harboring gypsies?"

"Our home is always open to the weary traveler," the miller said. "Have mercy, my lord."

"I am placing you and your family under house arrest until I get to the bottom of this. If what you say is true, you are innocent and you have nothing to fear."

"But we are innocent, I assure you! We know nothing of these gypsies!"

Frollo and Phoebus walked outside. The former closed the door and grabbed a lance from one of the Heartless guards. He used the lance to barricade the door. The judge then turned to Phoebus. "Burn it," he ordered.

Phoebus was shocked. "What?!"

One of the Heartless handed Frollo a torch. "Until it smolders," Frollo explained. "These people are traitors and must be made examples of."

Phoebus took the torch. He was scowling at Frollo. "With all due respect sir, I was not trained to murder the innocent."

"But you were trained to follow orders."

Phoebus strolled up to a nearby barrel of water. He reached the torch over it and opened his hand. The torch dropped into the water and was extinguished. Pete was shocked to see the captain of the guard disobeying Frollo's orders. Whose side was he on? Theirs? Or Sora's?

"Insolent coward," Frollo murmured under his breath. He snatched another torch from one of the Beagle Boys. He was starting to reach it up to the house's roof when Phoebus drew his sword and pointed it at the judge. Frollo snorted at him. "Stand aside, Captain Phoebus."

"I will _not_!" Phoebus snapped. "What have these people done wrong?!"

Frollo was both fearless and unimpressed. "I told you, I have proof this family gave harbor to gypsies."

"That is not a crime," Phoebus argued.

"I can think of few crimes that are greater," Frollo paused for a moment of two. He frowned at the golden-armored soldier. "I'm beginning to question summoning you back from the wars, Captain Phoebus."

Phoebus stood his ground. Pete watched with concern. Hopefully there wouldn't be any actual violence. True, he _had_ tried to turn others into Heartless, conquer entire worlds, and fought Sora, Donald, and Goofy directly, but… he had always dreaded what it would be like to actually succeed. Maybe he did have a debt to pay to Maleficent. That didn't mean he liked doing it. There was a difference.

Before anyone could move, a deafening _**ROAR**_ filled the air. Everyone swerved their eyes to the sky further down the road. Several of the spectators screamed. The Beagle Boys were puzzled. Pete was shocked at what he saw. "What the Sam Hill?!" he exclaimed.

There was the Wargoyle Heartless. What had grabbed the large cat's attention was that the creature had somehow managed to change its color scheme. Rushing down the road behind it was Sora and his sister. Pete groaned in annoyance when he saw them.

* * *

The Heartless stopped before a large windmill. Sora and Amemi came to a screeching halt when they saw Frollo, Pete, and the Beagle Boys standing outside the building. They also saw Phoebus standing before Frollo with his sword drawn.

"_**You're**_ behind this?!" Sora exclaimed. He hastily summoned his Keyblade. Amemi pulled out her slingshot. They glared at the evildoers.

Pete looked a little hysterical. "It wasn't me!" he declared to the two. He pointed at Frollo. "It's his minion!"

Sora and Amemi raced past the large cat at the Beagle Boys to the windmill. They stopped before the judge and Phoebus. Phoebus was shocked at the sight of the enormous Heartless hovering above. "What demon is this?!" he declared.

Frollo shook his head. "Oh, you are mistaken, Captain Phoebus," he explained. "This is no demon. This is righteous judgement. I have been granted this power so that I may smite all gypsies now and forever."

As the judge spoke, a cloud of Darkness formed around his body. Sora noticed it was thicker than before. He glared at the villain.

Phoebus's scowl swiftly transitioned into a glare. "This is all _**wrong**_!" he barked. "You _**cannot**_ persecute innocent people!"

Sora saw the blond-haired man through his peripheral vision. The two were standing side-by-side before the small house beside the windmill. Amemi was standing to his left. "You _**can't**_ reason with him!" Sora declared to Phoebus. "He's working with Maleficent and Pete! They're going to use the Heartless to take over this world!"

Frollo scowled at Sora. "How _dare_ you! I am a virtuous man. Good and evil shall be made plain — once the gypsies face the fires of judgement."

The judge shifted his eyes away from the glaring seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder, his sandy-haired sister, and Phoebus. He gazed at the Heartless hovering directly above the windmill. The creature continued to flap its huge, colorful wings to avoid being struck by the windmill's long blades.

Frollo pointed at the building. "Burn that house down."

The Heartless rose higher into the air. It spun around in a circle, causing a series of small fireballs to come raining down. The flaming spheres landed onto the windmill and the house's roof. Within seconds, the entire building was ablaze. Frollo stepped back a few feet. Pete turned and fled behind the frightened Beagle Boys. Sora grabbed Amemi's arm and pulled her away as one of the windmill's blades came crashing down. Phoebus barely rolled aside when the blade landed in front of the house's doorway.

"Man!" Sora exclaimed. "That was close!"

Shouts and screams came from within the burning building. Now the brown, spikey-headed youth's eyes were filled with alarm. "We've got to _**do**_ something!"

"_**Yikes**_!" Amemi declared. She broke free from her brother's grip and rushed over to the house.

"_**Amy**_!" Sora shouted. "_**Wait**_!"

It all happened super-rapidly. Phoebus dove through a window in the house's wall. Amemi leapt in after him. A couple moments after, the door burst open. Phoebus and Amemi rushed out, each with a young child in their arms. The miller and his wife ran out behind. A moment later, the roof caved in; the house crumpled into a pile of burning ashes. Part of one of the windmill's remaining blades broke off and landed into the mess.

Sora hurried over. Amemi and Phoebus handed the kids back to their parents. The family walked away, relieved to have survived. Phoebus and Amemi smiled. Before Sora could reach his sister, the Beagle Boys shoved Phoebus onto the ground and Pete grabbed Amemi. Sora was appalled. "_Oh __**no**_!"

"The sentence for insubordination is death," Frollo declared to the now-captive Phoebus. "Such a pity! You threw away a promising career."

"Consider it my highest honor," Phoebus stated in a firm voice. The Beagle Boys held the man down while a Neoshadow Heartless approached. The Heartless reached for the blond-haired man's chest.

"Look out!" Sora shouted as he rushed over in a hurry. No way was he about to watch someone lose their heart to a Heartless! Especially not someone who'd just committed an act of bravery and selflessness!

When some more Neoshadows blocked his way, the brown-haired young man leaned back and threw his Keyblade. The weapon flew through the air and struck the Neoshadow about to attack Phoebus. The Keyblade then rick-rocketed around and collided with all the Beagle Boys. Phoebus broke free and took off down the road in a sprint. At the same time, Amemi bit down on Pete's large hand. The villain howled in pain as she kicked his leg. He released her, allowing the sandy-haired girl to dash over to Sora. The two now turned their attention to the Beagle Boys.

"You won't get away with this!" Sora snapped.

The Beagle Boys all gave sinister chuckles. Sora rushed forwards and sliced his Keyblade clear through one of the villains. One of the taller Beagle Boys fell to the ground, stunned. The other two suddenly charged at the young man from two different directions. Sora saw he was being attacked from both sides and spun his weapon in a circle. He knocked one Beagle Boy back, but the other kept on coming.

"Wind!" he yelled. Sora whirled his Keyblade in a circle. A strong wind picked up and scooped up the last remaining Beagle Boy. He wiped some sweat off his forehead and smiled. He almost didn't see the other two Beagle Boys rising to their feet from the ground.

Before Sora could realize what was going on, Amemi pointed her slingshot at the villains and hit them both in the face. "Yes!" she cheered with excitement.

The whirlwind returned and picked up the other two Beagle Boys. Now all three of them were blowing around and around in a speedy column of moving air. Their shouts could be heard as the whirlwind passed Sora and Amemi and headed for Pete. The large cat-man spun around and started to flee. He wasn't fast enough and got sucked in, too.

"We did it!" Sora cheered.

"Hooray!" Amemi cheered in turn.

* * *

Frollo was outraged. Everything was going against his plan. That traitorous Phoebus was on the run. The Beagle Boys and Pete were spinning around in a column of air. The gypsy, Esmeralda, was still out there somewhere, and he _**needed**_ to find her. Except Sora and his sister were interfering every step of the way.

He needed to take action. He gazed at Phoebus. Then at the Wargoyle Heartless high above the burning windmill. "Get the traitor, Phoebus," he ordered.

The Heartless immediately soared lower and swooped at the fleeing blond-haired man. Phoebus was rushing down a long, stone bridge over a deep crevice. Down below was a smooth stream. The creature reared its right fist back and launched it forwards. Phoebus was struck in the back with such force, he flew over the bridge and landed in the stream.

At that moment, Frollo also saw Pete and the Beagle Boys returning from the muddy field where the whirlwind had left them. Sora and Amemi were nowhere in sight. He grinned with so much Darkness, his face seemed to glow a dark shade of purple.

* * *

Sora and Amemi were rushing down the incline. Down below was the stream where they'd seen Phoebus land. They reached the edge of the stream and waited when they saw a bunch of soldiers up above shooting arrows into the water. Frollo, Pete, and the Beagle Boys arrived shortly after. Up above them, the giant Heartless could be seen.

"Don't waste your arrows," Frollo ordered. "Let the traitor rot in his watery grave! Find the girl! If you have to burn the city to the ground, so be it!"

Sora almost thought he could hear Pete gulping. If that was the case, perhaps Frollo's Darkness was greater than he had anticipated. The corrupt judge… if he could make Pete feel nervous, who knew what _else_ he was capable of? Sora didn't want to _**think**_ about it. It was too terrible!

The villains and soldiers headed down the bridge back to the city. The enormous Heartless followed along behind. Once they had left, Sora and Amemi charged into the stream. Before they could dive under, a raven-haired woman emerged with an unconscious Phoebus. The man's armor was gone.

"Esmeralda!" Amemi realized. "I'm happy you're alright."

"Yeah," Sora nodded. He glanced back up. "But we'd better get you two to a safe place. Let's go to Notré Dame. Who knows how much worse Frollo's Darkness is gonna get?"

* * *

The sight was something Sora could never have imagined. He'd never seen anything like this. Even when he returned to the city with Amemi, Esmeralda, and the unconscious Phoebus, he was shocked silent at what he saw. Several buildings were up in flames. Screams and shouts echoed down the streets. The sky, which should have been filled with sunshine, was blotted out by a thick blanket of black smoke. The bells of the Notré Dame cathedral were ringing out an alarm.

Sora could not believe what he was seeing. He wanted to be a nightmare, one he could wake up from. It wasn't a dream. This was real, and it was _**terrible**_! It almost felt like a horror movie come true. Of course, that might have been a little exaggerated… or was it?

He continued to lead the others through the streets. Red glows from the distant fires could be seen. At one particular intersection, they had to hide when Frollo and Pete marched into the middle of the road.

"Come on, give it up," Pete said. "We've looked all over. That girl ain't in this city."

Frollo was furious. "I had the entire cathedral surrounded," he thought softly to himself. "Guards at every door. There was no way she could have escaped, unless… "

Sora noticed how the judge was looking straight at the cathedral. He wondered how Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were holding up. With Quasimodo, Hugo, Victor, and Laverne with them, who knows what kinds of trouble they might've gotten themselves into?

* * *

The bell tower was dark. The smoke drifting through the sky was plenty to blot out the late-afternoon sun. Donald could barely see the cards in his hands. Beside him was his partner, Hugo. On the other side of the wooden table were Goofy, Launchpad, and a pigeon. In between were a bunch of colored chips.

Nearby, Victor and Laverne were at the railing. They continued to gaze into the city below. The flames from the scattered fires could be seen glowing in the distance. Shouts and screams echoed about. The bells continued to ring out a warning.

"Oh," Laverne sighed in discouragement. "It doesn't look good."

"It's hopeless," Victor added. "Absolutely hopeless."

"You're telling me," Hugo snorted. He threw his cards down on the table. "I'm losing to a bird!"

"Yeah!" Donald seconded.

"Oh, that poor gypsy girl," Victor wept. "I'm beginning to fear the worst."

"I know," Laverne said. "But, now, don't you say anything to upset Quasimodo. He's worried enough already."

"Yeah," Goofy added, rising from the table. "We wouldn't wanna hurt his feelings. Right?"

"Yeah, you're right," Hugo agreed. He hopped over to the railing. "We'd better lighten up."

Victor glanced towards the platform where Quasimodo had just stopped ringing the bells. The young man started for the group. "Shh! Here he comes!"

"Now just stay calm," Laverne stated.

"That shouldn't be too hard," Launchpad spoke up. "I'm _always_ calm!"

Quasimodo strode from the shadows and stopped at the railing. "Any sign of them?" he asked.

Donald noticed how Victor looked like he was about to burst out in tears. His assumption was proven correct when the gargoyle cried out, "Oh, it's a lost cause! She could be anywhere! In the stocks, in the dungeon, on the rack!"

Laverne crossed her arms. "Nice going, Victor."

"No, he's right," Quasimodo spoke up. "What are we going to do?"

Silence followed for a few minutes. Donald started to pace the floor. Goofy began tapping his foot. Launchpad reclined in his seat and fell onto the floor. "Heh, heh," he chuckled. "I meant to do that."

"What can we do?" Donald finally inquired.

"What are you guys talking about?" Hugo said. Everyone spun their attention to the large gargoyle. "If I know Esmeralda, she's three steps ahead of Frollo, and well out of harm's way!"

Quasimodo seemed to give a hint of a grin. "Do you really think so?"

"Hey, when things cool off, she'll be back," Hugo went on. "You'll see."

"Yeah," Goofy approved. "And Sora and Amemi are probably with her, too."

Now Quasimodo looked unconvinced. "What makes you so sure?"

"She likes you," Donald laughed. "Just like Sora likes Kairi. He'll never admit he's got a girlfriend."

"'Girlfriend'?" a startled Quasimodo exclaimed. "She's not my girlfri—!"

"Come on," Laverne interrupted. "We always said you were the cute one, Quasi."

Hugo was puzzled. "I thought _I_ was the cute one."

"No," Laverne snapped. "You're the fat, stupid one with the big mouth!"

Hugo was more perplexed than before. "What are you saying, exactly?"

"Nothing," Launchpad said. "There's nothing to worry about. Everything's the same."

Everyone stared at the duck-pilot. Launchpad gave a shy grin. "I don't remember what I said… "

"Take it from us, Quasi," Laverne told the bell ringer. "You've got nothing to worry about."

"Yeah," Hugo agreed. "You're irresistible."

"Knights in shining armor certainly aren't her type," Victor added.

"And those guys are a dime a dozen," Hugo explained to Quasimodo. "But you? You're one of a kind."

Quasimodo smiled at the others around him. "Thanks everyone. I-I really appreciate everything you've said."

"Quasi?" a voice called out from down below. "Quasimodo?"

"Hey, Quasi!" a second shouted. "Where are you?"

"Is anyone here?" a third called.

Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Quasimodo swung their eyes towards the entrance to the bell tower. Hugo, Victor, and Laverne all transformed back into gargoyle statues. Standing at the bottom of the steps leading to Quasimodo's room was Sora, Amemi, and Esmeralda. Amemi and Sora were carrying an unconscious, blond-haired man dressed in white clothes.

Quasimodo's face lit up with delight. "Esmeralda! You're all right! I knew you'd come back."

He raced down the steps to greet her. Donald and Goofy waved down to Sora and his sister. The two waved back. "Where've ya been, Sora?" Goofy called down.

"I'll tell ya later!" Sora replied. "Right now, we've got a problem."

"What problem?" Donald asked.

Sora pointed to the man. Donald and Goofy nodded, indicating they understood. Nearby, Quasimodo smiled brightly at Esmeralda. The young woman smiled back. "You've done so much for me already, my friend," she said. "But I must ask for your help one more time."

"Yes," Quasimodo quickly agreed. "Anything."

Esmeralda gestured to the man Sora and Amemi were holding. "This is Phoebus," she informed the bell ringer. "He's wounded, and a fugitive like me. He can't go on much longer. I knew he'd be safe here. Please, can you hide him?"

Quasimodo gave a nod. "This way."

He led Esmeralda, Sora, and Amemi up the steps to a bedroll behind some wooden framework. Amemi and her brother gently set the man down on the roll. Goofy walked over and took a closer look. "Say, he looks kinda like that there Phoebus feller."

"It _is_ Phoebus," Donald stated, immediately recognizing the man. He crossed his arms and frowned as he spoke.

Esmeralda knelt down to tend to the injury on the blond-headed man's chest. Phoebus's eyes started opening. Sora and Amemi stepped back. Sora noticed Quasimodo standing behind a wooden column. Launchpad was seated in a stool beside the wooden table with the model town. Donald and Goofy were beside the bedroll, watching.

Phoebus moaned as he came to. He looked straight up into the raven-haired woman's emerald eyes. "Esmeralda?" he asked.

Esmeralda put her finger to his mouth. "Shh. You'll hide here until you're strong enough to move."

"That shouldn't take too long," Amemi said. "Right?"

Esmeralda nodded. "That family owes you their lives," she told Phoebus. "You're either the single bravest soldier I've ever seen, or the craziest."

"_Ex_-soldier, remember?" Phoebus corrected. He sighed. "Why is it, whenever we meet, I end up bleeding?"

"You're lucky. That arrow almost pierced your heart."

Phoebus smiled. "I'm not so sure it didn't."

Esmeralda stopped what she was doing to gaze into the man's eyes. She smiled. Sora grinned, Amemi folded her arms and smiled. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all covered their eyes. The raven-headed woman bent lower. Her lips met Phoebus's.

Sora had to stay grinning. At least this wasn't a thing like what had happened with him and Kairi. He heard a soft sobbing coming from his right. He looked in said direction and saw Quasimodo behind the wooden column. The young man was leaning against the column, tears flowing from his eyes. He opened his right hand and held up a small card with the _Ace of Hearts_. He ripped the card in half. The pieces slowly drifted to the floor.

Sora sighed deeply. He could sense the troubled state Quasimodo was now in. The young man _had_ wanted to be with Esmeralda. Why not? She was the first person (from this world) who had treated him like a _**True**__ Friend_. Instead, she had fallen in love with Phoebus. He had the feeling this turn-of-events would cause Quasimodo's heart to place more walls around itself.

"His heart's _still_ a prison," Sora murmured under his breath. He knew it might take a long time for Quasimodo to break free from the prison he'd placed himself in… which wasn't going to be easy thanks to everything Frollo had told him.

Launchpad reopened his eyes and looked out over the railing. The sky was darker and the stars were starting to show. The fires had burning down, allowing the cool of night to sweep into the bell tower. The pilot looked straight down. "Hey guys," he said to the others. "We've got some tall, dark man coming!"

In a state of surprise and hurry, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Amemi, Esmeralda, and Quasimodo all rushed to the railing. Down below, they could see the tall figure of none other than Judge Frollo approaching the cathedral's entrance. His carriage was parked outside with Pete and the Beagle Boys gathered around it.

Quasimodo hurried down the steps with Esmeralda. "Frollo's coming." he told her. "You must leave. Quick! Go down the south tower steps."

Esmeralda stopped at the doorway. She turned back to face Quasimodo. "Be careful, my friend. Promise me you won't let anything happen to him."

Quasimodo sighed. "I promise."

Esmeralda smiled. "Thank you."

Without another word, the raven-haired woman dashed out the door and to the south bell tower. Quasimodo watched her leave. Sora and his team peered down to him from above. "Quasi!" Sora yelled. "Hurry! We've gotta hide Phoebus before Frollo gets here!"

Quasimodo was up the steps in a hurry. Amemi held Phoebus's legs while Sora and Quasimodo grabbed his arms. They started to carry him away from the bedroll. In the meantime, the sounds of Frollo's footsteps grew louder and louder. "What'll we do?!" Donald exclaimed.

In the time it would've taken for Sora to blink his eyes twice, Goofy grabbed Donald and jumped onto a horizontal beam. He spun around the beam and flew onto an elevated platform. Launchpad saw what the knight had done and grinned. "Just like Ol' Prince Greydrake!" he chuckled.

He leapt into the air and grabbed the beam. He swung around and around before letting go. He flipped through air before landing onto the platform — on his face. Donald and Goofy rapidly helped him up. "Piece o' cake," a dazed Launchpad remarked.

Sora shook his head as he assisted Quasimodo and Amemi in shoving Phoebus underneath the wooden table with the model town. Amemi threw the tablecloth over, knocking a couple buildings and people onto their sides. Once Phoebus was completely underneath, Amemi ran to the beam and jumped. She grabbed it and flipped onto the platform like a circus performer.

Being the last one to go, Sora summoned his Keyblade. He charged at the beam and leapt really high. His Keyblade got caught on the beam and sent him spinning round and round the beam like a pinwheel. The speed was so fast, Sora felt his cheeks flapping a little. He yanked onto his Keyblade, causing the weapon to get dislodged. He spiraled through the air and landed onto the platform, feet first. He wiped some sweat off his forehead and let his Keyblade disappear. He smiled. The others shook their heads. When they heard the footsteps coming from directly below, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi knelt down and crawled to the edge of the platform. From here, they could see everything going on below.

* * *

Quasimodo was moving very rapidly. He wanted it appear nothing had just taken place. He threw the tablecloth back into place and started returning the model buildings and people to their proper places and positions. He glanced behind him when the footsteps grew extra loud. There was his Master, Frollo.

"Oh!" Quasimodo declared, taken a little by surprise. "Master! I-I-I didn't think you'd be coming."

"I'm never too busy to share a meal with you, dear boy," Frollo responded. He was holding a small basket covered by a red-and-blue cloth. "I brought a little treat."

He sat down at the table.

* * *

"What 'treat'?" Donald whispered.

Goofy and Launchpad blocked the magician's mouth. Sora glanced at them before returning to watch the scene below.

* * *

Frollo gazed at Quasimodo. The latter had taken his seat. When the judge cleared his thought, Quasimodo's eyes lit up. He'd forgotten to set the table! He leapt off his seat and dashed to the nearby shelves. He grabbed a pair of cups and plates. He moved so quickly, he accidentally knocked a bowl off balance. The bowl fell and crushed a plate on the shelf below. He grabbed the two plates and cups and rushed back to the table.

Frollo looked at the young man with curiosity. "Is there something troubling you, Quasimodo?"

Quasimodo hastily shook his head. "No… no!"

"Oh, but there is. I know there is."

Frollo gave a sinister grin. He pulled a vine of grapes out from the basket and placed them on Quasimodo's plate. He scooped out a second vine and was about to place it on his place when a grape broke off. The grape bounced off the table and landed onto the floor.

Quasimodo gave a silent gulp and reached down to grab the grape. He glanced underneath at the unconscious Phoebus. Then at Frollo. He carefully reached lower and picked up the grape.

* * *

"That was close," Launchpad muttered softly.

Donald put a finger to his face. "Shh!"

* * *

Frollo was looking more suspicious. "I think… you're hiding something."

Quasimodo quickly shook his head. "Oh, no, Master. There's nothing—"

"You're not eating, boy," Frollo indicated.

Quasimodo stuffed his mouth full of grapes from his vine. "It's very good," he mumbled with a full mouth. "Thank you."

A soft moan came from beneath the table. Quasimodo did the same with a smile. When a loud sigh filled the air, Quasimodo coughed violently. He grinned at his Master. "Seeds."

* * *

"Grapes don't have seeds," Goofy whispered.

Donald shoved a Christmas stocking into the knight's mouth. "Shh!"

Sora gazed at the two. "Please," he shushed. "Stop making so much noise. Frollo's gonna hear us."

* * *

Frollo raised an eyebrow. Quasimodo looked worried. The former glanced over the model town. "What's different in here?"

Quasimodo gulped. "Nothing, sir."

Frollo's eyes landed upon the figurine of Esmeralda. "Isn't this one new?" he picked up the figure. "It's awfully good. Looks very much like the… gypsy girl… "

Quasimodo's eyes grew with fright. Frollo must have noticed this. "I know," he said before glaring. He voice rose. "You helped her _**escape**_! And now, all Paris is burning because of you!"

Quasimodo was shaking. "She was kind to me, Master."

Frollo was outraged. He shoved the model town's buildings onto the floor. The table's candle was toppled. His glare turned into a snarl. A thin cloud of Darkness erupted from the man's body. "_**You**_ _**idiot**_! That was _**not**_ kindness — that was _**cunning**_! She's a **gypsy**!" he hollered in anger. He grabbed a frightened Quasimodo by his shirt collar. "Gypsies are not capable of _**real**_ love! _**Think**_, boy! Think of your mother!"

Quasimodo was still shaking with fear. Frollo's snarl gradually faded and he regained his calm state. "But what chance could a poor, misshapen child like you have against her heathen treachery?" he said. "Well, never you mind, Quasimodo. She will be out of our lives soon enough. I will free you from her evil spell. She will torment you no longer."

As he spoke, Frollo pulled out a small dagger and stuck it into the figurine of Esmeralda. He placed the figure into the toppled candle's flame and set it on fire. He then twitched his hand back, sending the blazing figurine across the room onto the floor. Quasimodo watched it before turning his eyes back to his Master. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Frollo put the dagger away and headed for the exit steps. "I know where her hideout is. Tomorrow, at dawn, I attack with a thousand soldiers."

The judge strode away. Quasimodo looked down in dismay. One-by-one, Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all swung down to the floor. As they approached Quasimodo, Sora opened his mouth. "Quasi, are you alri—?"

A loud gasp for breath drew their attention to the table. The knocked over buildings and figurines of the model town lay strewn about on the floor. The tablecloth was shoved aside as the candle went out. Phoebus clambered out from underneath. "We have to find the _Court of Miracles_ — before daybreak," he told the group.

Goofy looked confused. "The '_Court of Miracles_'?"

"The gypsies' safe haven within this city," Phoebus clarified. "Esmeralda and her friends are in danger. We have to find them and warn them before Frollo gets there."

"Yeah!" Sora declared. He gently punched the left side of his chest. "Let's go!"

Donald and Goofy nodded at the brown-haired young man. When he saw this, Launchpad speedily did the same. Amemi turned to Quasimodo. "Are you coming?"

Quasimodo looked away. "I can't."

"I thought you were Esmeralda's friend," Phoebus spoke up.

"Frollo's my Master," Quasimodo argued. "I can't disobey him again."

"She stood up for you," Phoebus stated. "You've got a funny way of showing gratitude."

Quasimodo turned away. Phoebus turned for the steps leading out. "Well, I'm not going to sit by and watch Frollo massacre innocent people," he said. He started to walk out. He paused for a moment, looking back at the bell ringer. "You do what you think is right."

Without another word, Phoebus turned and left. Sora and his friends watched him leave. Then they turned their eyes back to Quasimodo. The young man was on his feet, leaning against the wall. He appeared to be sulking.

"Quasi?" Sora started to say. "Are you just giving up?"

Quasimodo turned his eyes to the eager group. "Look," he grumbled in irritation. "What am I supposed to do? Go out there and rescue the girl from the jaws of death, and the whole town will cheer like I'm some sort of hero?!"

Donald and Goofy glanced at each other. The duck rapidly turned away. Sora shook his head. "That's not what I meant."

Quasimodo returned to pouting. Amemi stepped closer. "I can tell you're upset," she calmly told him. "No one can force you to decide, but I don't think Phoebus can rescue Esmeralda all on his own."

Quasimodo shook his head. "She already has her knight in shining armor, and it's not me," he sighed deeply. He gazed down at the floor. "Frollo was right. Frollo was right about everything. I'm tired of trying to be something I'm not."

Amemi nodded. "I understand. You should do what _you_ believe is the right thing. Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions like this."

Sora nodded. "She's right. Frollo's not the only thing holding you back, Quasimodo. Ask your heart — see if it has an answer."

With that, the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder started for the exit. Amemi was directly behind him. Donald followed her; he was followed quickly by Goofy. Launchpad gave chase as the group headed out of the bell tower.

After they had left, Quasimodo gazed at the smoldering remains of the Esmeralda figurine. He deeply sighed.

What should he do?

* * *

**A/N: WHAT WILL QUASIMODO DO? THAT'S THE CLIFF-HANGAR FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**So, let's go back over a few things. Okay?**  
**(1.) I sincerely HOPE you enjoyed the sequence with the Wargoyle Heartless! I spent a little while trying to picture that part. Fortunately, the KH soundtracks came in handy.**  
**(2.) By the way, have you ever seen a Heartless transform its color scheme? That was something I wanted to use in there.**  
**(3.) I know, I made Pete seem a little cowardly in there. That's actually the way I view his character. Pete really IS a part-time coward!**  
**(4.) I believe the second half of This Chapter is self-explanatory. I shouldn't have to go over THAT/THOSE part(s)!**

**Well not, seeing as School/Classes is/are about to start, it may be a little while before I post Chapter 19. Do not worry! I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO INTENTION OF QUITTING THIS STORY ANYTIME SOON! UNLESS NO ONE READS/REVIEWS, I WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE UNTIL THIS STORY IS COMPLETE!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	19. Ch19 - To The Court of Miracles!

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE! WELCOME BACK! I BROUGHT CHAPTER 19 WITH ME!**

**Thank you so very much for being patient. The adjustment of taking classes, restoring my computer when it crashed two weeks ago, and the pressure of getting this Chapter done before September ends is why I haven't been posting for while.**

**Well, I am sure most or all of you already know about this. _Square Enix_ recently announced "_Kingdom Hearts -2.8 HD ReMIX-_" for PlayStation 4. Since "_Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream, Drop, Distance_" will be included in HD, it's got my name on it! As for the other two parts, I'm not sure... "_Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover_" sounds interesting. Yet, it's "_Kingdom Hearts -0.2 Birth By Sleep-_" that doesn't sound as fascinating. This might be because watching Aqua in the Realm of Darkness doesn't exactly feel like a real KH story to me. It only sounds like part of one.**

**Other than that, I think This Chapter is pretty much self-explanatory. So much for an extensive opening sequence!  
****So, it's time to read on. PLEASE ****READ ON! PLEASE REVIEW, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 19**  
**To The Court of Miracles!**

The night air felt cool, which was to be expected. When Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi opened the cathedral doors, they stepped out from a shadowy interior to a dark exterior. Up above, the sky was mostly clear. A small handful of stars were twinkling in the empty abyss. The dim light of the crescent moon gave enough light to illuminate the cobblestone streets of the city. The only scent any of them could pick up was the strong smell of Darkness. The shouting and screaming had ceased, which meant everyone in town had drifted off to sleep.

Being the first through the open doorway, Sora strode out and gazed around the immediate area. The square was deserted, with the exception of some maypoles, a circular tent or two, and stacks of crates. The townhouses on the other side of the plaza rose so high, the rooftops appeared to be silhouettes in the moonlight.

"No Heartless," Sora said with a sigh of relief. He glanced back inside the cathedral. "All clear."

One by one, Donald, Goofy, Amemi, and Launchpad crept outside. Amemi looked a tab nervous. Sora knew why. Ever since the night of the terrible storm, his sister had developed a fear of being out after dark. For all he knew, her fears were true. Heartless could appear at any time, without warning… or was that the same thing?

Sora shook his head to clear it. He started to walk down the steps. He paused and glanced back at the open doorway. The others were still standing there. Phoebus was now stepping out.

"Come on," the spikey-headed young man called. "We've gotta find Esmeralda!"

Donald was shaking with a nervous look on his face. Goofy was no different. "We're just sorta… scared," the knight informed the others.

Launchpad was the only one who seemed fearless. "Heh, I've helped DW beat all sorts of guys in the darkness," he declared with pride. "Of course, we were in a city with electric lights… and cars… and people everywhere… "

The pilot looked a little anxious. Sora shook his head. This delay was getting them nowhere. How could they track down the hidden _Court of Miracles_ if everyone else was scared beyond belief? There wasn't much time. They _had_ to move out — now!

Phoebus started down the cathedral steps. "There is nothing to be worried about," he assured the group. He gazed at the bell towers looming overhead. "Even without him, we can still warn Esmeralda and the other gypsies before Frollo gets to the _Court of Miracles_."

Sora gave a nod. It was then he noticed the silhouette of a figure clambering down the outside of the building. He was about to say something when the figure hopped off the wall and landed in the middle of the group on the steps. Everyone leapt back in complete surprise.

"Phoebus!" the figure said in a soft, calm voice. "I'm coming with you."

Phoebus and the others gave sighs of relief. "I'm glad you changed your mind," the former guard said.

Quasimodo looked directly at him. "I'm not doing it for you," he stated. "I'm doing it for her."

Amemi crossed her arms. "Do you have any clue where Esmeralda might be?"

"No, but she gave me this pendant," Quasimodo replied. He reached into his shirt and held up a small, oval pendant. Sora stared at it for a moment. The object looked like a hand-woven grid with a cross-like symbol in the middle. A thin blue line seemed to circle it. To the right of the cross-like symbol was a similar, smaller symbol. "She said this would help us find her."

Phoebus grinned at the item. "Good, good, good! Ahhh. Great!" He paused for a moment, examining it. "What is it?"

Quasimodo shrugged. "I'm not sure."

Donald was puzzled. "Why not?"

Quasimodo shrugged. Phoebus started to ponder. "Hmm… must be some sort of code," the blond-haired man thought aloud. "Maybe it's Arabic. …No, no, it's not Arabic. Maybe it's Ancient Greek… "

Sora crossed his arms in thought. Something seemed off. Before he could consider what it was, Amemi leaned in close to him. "Why would Esmeralda give Quasimodo a pendant without explaining how it works?" she asked.

Sora shrugged. His sister backed away. He took note of how Donald was tapping his foot, Goofy was sitting on the steps, thinking, and Launchpad was lying on the ground with his legs crossed and arms behind his head.

Quasimodo gazed at the trinket in consideration. "'When you wear this woven band,'" he muttered out loud. "'You hold the city in your hand."

At once, the bell ringer gasped. This drew everyone else's attention to him. "It's the city!" he declared. "It's a map! See?" He pointed at larger symbol, followed by the blue line. "Here's the cathedral, and the river."

Phoebus was unconvinced. He frowned at Quasimodo. "I've never seen a map that looks like _this_."

"Yeah," Goofy spoke up as he wandered over. "It sure looks funny."

Quasimodo frowned at Phoebus. "I've lived up in the bell tower for twenty years. I know what this city looks like, and this is it!"

He pointed at the pendant rather forcefully. The two each took a deep breath. They remained frowning at one another. Phoebus sighed very deeply. "All right, okay," the blond-headed man finally said. "You say it's a map. Fine, it's a map."

He took a deep breath. "If we're all going to find Esmeralda, we have to work together. Truce?"

Phoebus slapped Quasimodo on the back. Quasimodo paused for a minute. He finally answered, "Well… okay."

He slapped Phoebus on the back in turn. The latter winced from the pain. "Sorry," Quasimodo apologized.

"No you're not," Phoebus groaned, clutching his left arm.

Sora had to shake his head. The two men were reacting to each other in a similar manner to how Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner had behaved. Clearly, they were also a pair of unlikely friends.

"We'll help, too," Sora called. He glanced at his teammates. "Right guys?"

Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all nodded. Sora turned back to the two men. "So… what does the little thing mean?"

Quasimodo looked back at the pendant. He grinned with delight. "It's the _Court of Miracles_!"

Phoebus grinned. "Well done, Quasimodo!"

"Yeah!" Sora cheered. "Nice one, Quasi!"

Quasimodo nodded. "Right. I'm going to save her."

Amemi signaled for the group to head down the street. "In that case, come on. Let's get going."

Quasimodo and Phoebus nodded before they led the way down the darkened street. Sora and his team were directly behind them. When the two men started to disagree on which route to take to their destination, Amemi strode up to her brother.

"Some 'peace treaty'," she whispered to him.

Sora gave her a simple reply. "Yeah… you're right."

Amemi smiled. "As usual."

Sora rolled his eyes and shook his head. He had often seen his sister trying to prove she was smarter than he was. Once, when she was five years old, she had borrowed some thick textbooks from the town library. She couldn't understand some of the words in them. In fact, only their dad could make sense of it all. Perhaps, it was for the best when their mom dragged her back to the library to return the books two hours later.

Another time, Amemi had slipped into the local license branch to get a boating license. She had amazingly passed the test and was given a boat. When he had seen the boat, Sora had been startled. Not only had it been pink, it was later revealed to be an old yacht with a series of tiny leaks. It didn't help when Sora had learned the boat's name was _Minnow IV_. The next night, a strong storm had struck the island. When he'd gone to the docks with his sister the following morning, the yacht was long gone. It had vanished under the waves during the turbulent night.

Although there were more such times when Amemi had caused some problems unintentionally, Sora decided to stop recollecting and get refocused on the task at hand. They _had_ to get to the _Court of Miracles_ before daybreak and Frollo and the Heartless invaded it. They just _**had**_ to rescue Esmeralda — no matter what!

* * *

The deserted streets weren't so empty. As Sora led his team down the roads through the city, they had to occasionally duck behind a stack of crates, lean against the shadows on a wall, or hide behind a barrel or two whenever a soldier passed by. At one point, they saw Pete marching through down a side-street. He was grumbling to himself about this and that and Maleficent.

Before long, the group neared the edge of the town. A large gate laid across a wide plaza. Sora recognized it. On the other side was the bridge where he and Amemi had first encountered the gigantic Heartless. In the middle of the square was a small well. Above the rooftops were a few, thin pillars of smoke. A faint glow could be seen beyond the gate and the stone walls on either side of it. The brown, spikey-headed seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder knew there were still a few burning buildings in the distance. Chances were they had been caused by the Heartless as it had swooped through the city earlier that day.

It didn't matter now. Sora was already picking up strong stenches from everywhere around him. After his journey through the _Realm of Sleep_, he had come to know exactly what it was.

Darkness. The scent of powerful Darkness was still lingering around. Unless he and his friends hurried, this world was about to fall into Darkness. Just like his island once had. A star would stop twinkling and go out. If it happened, who could say it wouldn't happen again? Sora refused to _think_ about it. He was _**not**_ about to let another world fall to Darkness — especially when he was already in it!

Sora continued to lead the others into the plaza. Amemi suddenly stopped. Her eyes were wide with alarm. "Sora! Look!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Quasimodo, and Phoebus came to a halt. They turned to see what direction the sandy-haired teenager was pointing. They swung their eyes in said direction. To Sora's surprise, a set of strong vines were growing over the gate. Another set started to grow over a nearby house. A third set formed over the well in the middle of the area. A number of Heartless suddenly appeared. Sora frowned in annoyance.

These Heartless were shaped like dandelion flowers. Some were green with four yellow petals. There were a few that resembled people possessing violet-colored petals with thorns on their arms and legs.

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Move it!" he shouted at the Heartless horde.

Nothing happened. "Gawrsh," Goofy spoke up. "Are ya sure ya didn't call 'em, Sora?"

Sora turned to glare at the knight. "Of course not!" he barked. "Why would _I_ have anything to do with the Heartless?!"

Goofy paused for a moment. "I'm jest kinda worried… "

Sora rolled his eyes and switched his attention to Quasimodo and Phoebus. "Take cover!" he ordered.

The two men nodded and rushed to find shelter. In the meantime, Donald pulled out his wand, Goofy pulled out his large shield, and Launchpad got out his gas-gun. Amemi reached into her jacket pocket and took out her slingshot. "Let's clear the way!" Sora declared.

He rushed straight ahead, clutching his Keyblade tightly in his hands. Donald ran to the left towards some Heartless gathered at the house. Goofy was not far behind the duck. Launchpad charged to the right, where nothing was located. Amemi saw all this and sighed. She held up her slingshot and ran in the direction her brother had gone.

Sora slashed his Keyblade clear through a small group of Heartless. They shivered for a moment before vanishing into Darkness. Several more showed up to take their place. Sora snarled at the enemies as he sliced his weapon through them. Once again, more Heartless appeared to the replace the defeated ones. Sora gave a deep sigh of annoyance as he continued to fight a seemingly-endless supply of monsters. Through the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of Donald battling away.

* * *

With a twirl of his wand, Donald sent a ball of fire into a Heartless and incinerated it. He spun around and used a chunk of ice on another Heartless. Next, he sent a barrage of lightning to remove several other creatures. He started panting as the Heartless' numbers began doubling. He was starting to run low on magic… and energy.

* * *

_**SLAM!**_ Goofy sent his shield banging straight into one of the dozens of flower-shaped Heartless. He proceeded to toss the weapon into a few more. When some additional Heartless appeared, he shouted, "Oh, boy-o!"

With his arms stretched out and legs close together, the knight spun himself in a circle. Away he went, spinning like a top. The result was a makeshift vortex that sucked several Heartless in. Nearby, Launchpad saw what Goofy was doing and shot at the enemies with his gas-gun. The creatures vanished into thin air and Darkness. Launchpad wiped his forehead. "Phew!" he muttered. "Hope that's the last of 'em… "

Several Heartless rose out of the cobblestone ground. Launchpad crossed his arms in annoyance. "Aw gee… "

* * *

Amemi raced around the area. She had to frequently use her slingshot to knock a Heartless or two back. At the moment, she was being chased to the well. She skidded to a stop before the stone spring. She turned around. A large group of Heartless were rising from the ground, surrounding her. She was trapped.

"_Help_" was the first thing that crossed her mind. The next thing was "_I got this_". She held out her slingshot and aimed it at the approaching creatures. In a loud voice, she shouted, "Time for me to '_Word up_'!"

She leapt into the air and shot at each and every Heartless as she flipped around and around. The monsters were terminated one by one until there were none left — except a flower-shaped one with four petals. Amemi pointed her weapon at it and shot it into oblivion. The Heartless exploded into Darkness. At the same time, the vines clutching the well wilted and cracked apart. They vanished into Darkness.

"So _that's_ how it's done," Amemi marveled. She spotted her brother busy slashing his Keyblade through a group of Heartless not ten feet away. He was in front of the house that was covered in the thick vines. Among the Heartless was another flower-shaped creature with four petals.

"Sora!" she called out. "I have an idea!"

She raced over to him.

* * *

Sora spun his head to the left. To his surprise, Amemi was rushing over, slingshot in hand. His first instinct was to order her to stay back. These Heartless were strong and putting up quite a fight. They were dangerous — too dangerous for his sister to deal with. He had to warn her.

"Amy!" Sora yelled at his sister. "Stay back! They're too dangerous!"

Amemi kept coming. Before Sora could speak again, he watched the sandy-haired girl leap into the air and shout a series of words he instantly recognized.

"Time for me to '_Word up_'!"

He froze, wondering where he'd heard that phrase before…. In the meantime, he saw the Heartless were destroyed in no time, with the exception of a flower-shaped Heartless with four golden petals. In one swift move, he tossed his Keyblade at it. The creature was destroyed in a hurry. Moments later, the thick vines covering the house to his right withered away and crumbled into Darkness.

Sora was startled. Had his only sister discovered how to get through the Heartless horde — all by herself?! Perhaps he had been a little over-protective of her? Probably… not. He'd promised his mom nothing would happen to her — _**no**__ matter what_! He was going to keep that promise.

In the meantime, she _had_ cleared the area of the constantly-appearing Heartless… she could help him clear the remaining areas, too. Through the corner of his eye, Sora saw the silhouette of a man waving "Thank You!" from an upper floor of the house. Sora showed his famous grin and waved back. He switched his attention to the last large group of Heartless. They were all gathered by the gate. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were already there and surrounded by the creatures. Amemi was charging into the fray with her slingshot in hand.

Never one to miss out on such excitement, Sora gripped his Keyblade tightly and rushed over. One of the Heartless turned its focus on the approaching spikey-haired young man and started towards him. He swung his weapon at the monster and obliterated it. Next, he sliced his Keyblade clear through three Heartless simultaneously. After that, he slashed the blade straight into seven small, bluish flower Heartless.

He started to pant. This battle was now starting to take its toll. True, he _was_ the Keyblade's wielder… but that didn't mean he wasn't human. Let alone prone to exhaustion. He'd had an event-filled day, and now it was late at night.

Before long, Sora realized he was surrounded by a small number of Heartless. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were standing beside him, each with their weapons out. His vision started to blur. Everything started to spin. The last thing he saw before collapsing onto his back was Amemi leaping into the air….

* * *

"_**Amy, would you **_**please**_** turn it down?"**_

"_I _can't_! It's the _best part_!"_

"_**What?"**_

"_She's going up against the giant robot! Go _WordGirl_!"_

"_**Never mind… I'm going outside, in case Mom wants to know."**_

Sora's eyes fluttered open at a snail's pace. He yawned and jolted awake when something wet splashed on his face. His vision came into focus to see Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi staring down at him. Beyond them, the sky was filled with strange-looking clouds.

"Sora?" Goofy asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Sora replied as he slowly sat up. He rubbed the back of his head, feeling a sharp pain there. "What happened?"

"You fainted," Donald explained. He pointed at the well in the middle of the plaza. "Launchpad used a bucket of water from the well."

"It really was splashy," Launchpad chuckled.

Sora gazed at his sister. "When I blacked out, you were jumping. What happened?"

"Easy," Amemi answered. "I thought about how WordGirl would respond and jumped onto each Heartless. It wasn't hard."

Goofy looked at the sandy-haired girl. "What's 'Wordy-Earl'?"

Amemi crossed her arms. She looked serious. "Her name is _WordGirl_," she emphasized. "She's a superheroine from the planet Lexicon. She's strong, fast, and knows every word in existence." She smiled. "I've admired her for years… "

Sora leaned in close to the knight's floppy ear. "She watches the show every time it comes on."

"A-Hyuck," Goofy remarked. "Sounds purty. Wodry-Girl must be nice."

"And she's a girl," Launchpad indicated. He paused in thought. "I wonder if she knows Fonzie… "

Amemi shook her head. She reached into one of her jacket pockets and pulled out a yellow, miniature iPad. She pressed a button and it turned on. She turned the screen toward the group. "See this? That's WordGirl and her sidekick, Captain Huggy Face."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all stared at the screen. The image was of a girl about ten years old soaring through the sky. She had shoulder-length, dark-brown hair that curled up at the ends and bangs with a small gap in the center, light-brown skin, and a circular face. She was wearing a red suit with a red star emblazoned on a golden shield on her chest, a matching circular helmet, a golden cape, a matching belt, and dark-red boots and gloves. Hanging onto her shoulders was a short monkey wearing a blue body suit with a thunderbolt symbol on its chest, dark-red shorts, a golden belt, and a dark-red helmet with an antennae.

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered aloud. "She looks like a superhero."

Donald rolled his eyes. "She _is_ a superhero! Amemi said so."

"Oh yeah! A-Hyuck!"

"Looks like DW in another world," Launchpad chuckled. "Only in the daytime. Is she real?"

Amemi shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I hope she is. I've always wanted to meet her."

Sora was now on his feet. He shook his head. "And you can't," he said. "She's in a TV show. There's no way inside one of those."

Amemi crossed her arms again. She frowned at her brother. "You don't know that, Sora," she stated. "WordGirl _**has**_ to be real! There's no other way she could appear on TV. Remember what Dad said?"

"What'd he say?" Donald and Goofy inquired at the same time.

Amemi smiled. "A few years ago, Dad told Sora and me how everything you see on TV is out there somewhere. Somewhere beyond our own world. Maybe in another universe."

Launchpad chuckled. "Maybe I can meet Gilligan on day."

"It's true," Amemi added. "Sora told me he'd met someone from a place called '_Cyberspace_'. There's a TV show called '_**CYBERCHASE**_'. It's about boy named Matt, two girls named Jackie and Inez, and a bird named Digit who have to save _Cyberspace_ from a villain named Hacker."

She gazed at her brother. "I believe this proves my point. TV shows are from other universes."

Sora sighed. "Whatever. We gotta get moving."

He started for the gate, which was no longer blocked by the vines. He knew this meant his sister had terminated the Heartless controlling them. What a relief! Then again… maybe not so much. He was tired of listening to his sister giving extensive explanations of stuff. Was she really that naïve? All this stuff she talked about wasn't real… or was it? He didn't know and didn't care — at least at the moment.

"Hey," Sora said as he whirled his head back and forth. "Where's Quasi and Phoebus?"

"They went on ahead," Donald spoke up.

Sora was startled. "What?!"

"You was sleepin'," Goofy elaborated. "We was worried, so they went on ahead."

Sora sighed. "Great. Now how will we find the _Court of Miracles_? Quasi has the map."

"Phoebus said they were heading for a cemetery," Amemi explained. She clicked off her iPad and put it away. She pointed at the gate. "Let's go."

"Wait," Sora spoke up. "We need to stay together — no matter what."

When the others nodded, the spikey-headed youth relaxed a little. Here he'd been quite tense following the battle with the Heartless… the _unexpected_ Heartless battle. Was Goofy correct? Had he been using the powers of Darkness? Was he _really_ responsible for the Heartless showing up suddenly? _**No way**_! It _**had**_ to be a coincidence! …Or was it?

"C'mon, let's get going," Sora told his companions. The other nodded again. They carefully opened the gate and hurried through. From there, they dashed down a long bridge over a shadow-covered river. Beyond the bridge, they crept through the town's outskirts, avoiding the remains of a couple of charred houses. The whole time, the sky seemed to be gradually growing darker and darker and darker and darker and darker and darker….

* * *

It wasn't long before Sora's team finally reached a cemetery on the edge of the town. The place was located on a gentle slope leading into the countryside. An iron fence surrounded the site. As they walked through, Sora noticed how anxious Donald and Goofy looked. Launchpad was grinning nervously and Amemi was keeping her eyes peeled from any more trouble. It didn't help when they saw many of the tombstones were positioned at odd angles. At least there weren't any bones lying around….

…Unlike _**Halloween Town**_. Sora recalled how nervous Donald and Goofy had been when the three had first arrived in the spooky town nearly two years before. Donald had indicated how they also looked scary so they could blend in with their surroundings. This had only made the brown, spikey-haired Keyblade wielder grin. He hadn't felt any fear in that place. True, there were ghosts, vampires, and zombies wandering about. But that was normal. None of them were dangerous, harmful, or threatening. In fact, they were rather nice; they just loved to scare people. An occasional scream could be heard here and there as the group had strolled through the town's square, which was to be expected. Even when Jack Skellington, the town's leader, had announced they were also going to handle Christmas, he'd been eager to find out more while Donald and Goofy were very, very, very anxious about the idea.

Even now, as Sora led his team through the cemetery, he could almost hear the muffled screams of a ghost or two. Obviously it was his imagination… or was it? It didn't matter.

At the top of the highest hill was a rather large tomb. When Sora and the others approached, they saw the flicker of a flame coming from beside it. Two figures were standing over the tomb. One was a tall, blonde-haired man holding a torch. The other was a young man who was hunched over. Sora relaxed, knowing it was only Quasimodo and Phoebus.

Phoebus noticed the group as they approached. He smiled and pointed them out to Quasimodo. "You took your time," the ex-soldier said. "It's a good thing we chose to wait."

Sora grinned with slight humiliation. "Yeah, well… we're here now."

He glanced at a symbol carved into the side of the tomb. "Hey, isn't that the symbol from Quasi's map?"

"Yes, it is," Quasimodo confirmed. "What does it mean?"

"I dunno," Goofy shrugged.

Donald gave the knight a stern look. "What do you know?"

Goofy placed his hand on his face in thought. "Hmm… Good question."

Sora rolled his eyes and turned back to the others. His eyes fell upon some words written beneath the symbol. "Huh? What's that?" he asked, pointing out the text.

Phoebus held the torch closer. "An inscription."

"What does it say?" an eager Amemi inquired.

"I'm not sure," Phoebus admitted. "It's going to take a few minutes to translate it."

Goofy leaned in closer to the tomb. Launchpad did the same. Sora to step back when the two leaned on the grave's top. Without warning, the stone lid started to move. Goofy fell into the opening as Launchpad absent-mindedly pushed it open the rest of the way. Goofy's voice started echoing as he fell. "_**Yeow-hoo-hoo-hoo-ee**_!"

The sound of the knight falling down something clunky filled the air. Sora rushed back to the open gave. To his surprise, a stone staircase led straight down into darkness. "Goofy!" he called. "You alright?"

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy's voice called back. "Boney and wet!"

Amemi, Donald, Quasimodo, and Phoebus all peered into the dark staircase. In turn, Launchpad looked down and chuckled. "I didn't know tombs had so many passages," the pilot said.

"Yes," Phoebus quickly said. "Well, or we could just go down those stairs."

Amemi was concerned. "Do you know where they lead?"

"No, but we have no other leads."

The sandy-haired girl crossed her arms. "I suppose that makes sense," she admitted. "WordGirl would have done the same thing."

"Who?" Quasimodo asked.

"Let's save that for another time," Sora rapidly stated. "We've gotta find Esmeralda."

Everyone else agreed. Sora led the way down the stairs. Donald and Launchpad each pulled out a flashlight and flipped them on. Amemi reached into her pocket and took out a headlamp. She smiled a little, recalling this was something her mom had given her for passing her scuba-diving class. She hastily put it around her head and headed down into the ground after the others.

* * *

The underground corridor was dark, damp, and cluttered — with bones. Tiny insects were crawling about, mainly spiders. The ceiling was low and crafted carefully from stone. The group started to wade through ankle-deep water as they reached Goofy. The knight was leaning on a pile of bones shaped like a chair. "A-Hyuck," he remarked when he saw them.

"Goofy," Sora spoke up. "Is there anyone down here?"

The knight gestured around. "Well, kinda. But all them guys are dead."

Through the light of Phoebus's torch and Donald and Launchpad's flashlights, Sora saw what Goofy had meant. The walls of the passage were lined with the bones of countless people. The whole display seemed extremely uninviting. Not even Jack Skellington or Sally would have come down there without feeling a little anxious. He noticed Amemi was quivering a little. He knew this only happened whenever she was uncomfortable or something straight out of a horror story or movie. Even Donald and Launchpad looked spooked. Goofy's eyes were wide and he was sweating. Sora knew _someone_ needed to be fearless in this situation. That would probably have to be him.

He turned to Phoebus. "Where are we?"

"Is this the _Court of Miracles_?" Quasimodo added.

"Offhand, I'd say it's the Court of Ankle Deep Sewage," Phoebus joked. "Must be the old catacombs."

"Weird," Sora commented as he gazed around the area. All he could see in the distance was pitch-black darkness. Amazingly, there were no Heartless in sight. He wondered why this was the case. Everywhere else, Heartless had been popping out from nowhere. Now, there were none. How could this be?

The group trudged down the passage. The further down they went, the darker the tunnel seemed to get. The water was getting shallower, which was a plus. After about five minutes, Phoebus grinned. "Cheerful place," he said. "Kinda makes you wish you got out more often, eh?"

Sora rolled his eyes. Amemi shook her head. "Do I _really_ have to answer?" she asked.

"Not me," Quasimodo declared. "I just want to warn Esmeralda and get back to the bell tower. I don't want to get in any more trouble."

Phoebus glanced around with his torch. "Speaking of trouble, we should have run in to some by now."

The group halted in their footsteps. "What do ya mean?" Goofy asked.

"You know," Phoebus replied. "A guard, a booby trap… "

Phoebus's torch suddenly went out. At the same time, Donald and Launchpad's flashlights flipped off. So did Amemi's headlamp. They could see nothing but pitch-darkness. "…or an ambush," Phoebus finished.

A series of torches lit up from above. Before anyone could react, a group of figures dressed as skeletons leaped down from above. In an instant, Sora summoned his Keyblade and hopped in front of Amemi. Donald pulled out his wand, Goofy took out his shield, and Launchpad held up his gas-gun. The four surrounded the nearly-fourteen-year-old girl. The skeleton-figures ignored the group and grabbed Phoebus and Quasimodo.

Another figure emerged from the shadows. To Sora's surprise, it was a tall, thin man with black hair and a beard. He was wearing a purple/light blue hat with a yellow feather, black gloves, a crimson mask, and clothing with indigo, yellow, and crimson colors. Sora remembered him from the festival; he'd been the one who'd declared Launchpad the winner of a certain contest.

"Well, well, well," the man said. He had a serious look in his eyes, even though he was grinning. "What have we here?"

"Trespassers!" one of the figures said.

"Spies!" a second added.

Phoebus scowled. "We're not spi—!"

A pair of gags were placed over the pair's mouths. "Don't interrupt me!" the black-headed man scolded. "You're very clever to have found our hideaway. Unfortunately, you won't live to tell the tale."

Realizing there was about to be some trouble, Sora nodded to his teammates to follow him. He swiftly led them down the side of the corridor to a side tunnel. The passage was short and probably had a dead end. From this spot, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were able to watch as the figures holding Quasimodo and Phoebus removed their masks to reveal a handful of people wearing colorful bandannas and earrings. Sora thought they resembled Esmeralda. He wondered if they were the gypsies everyone in the town had been talking about.

The flashlights in Donald and Launchpad's pockets suddenly came back on. Amemi's headlamp did the same. The latter yawned. Goofy and Launchpad did the same. Soon Donald was yawning and stretching. Sora felt a yawn coming and barely held I back. He froze. Why was everyone suddenly getting so sleepy?

He gazed towards the back of the tunnel. "Amy, point your light down there… "

Amemi turned her eyes down the dark tunnel. Less than ten feet away was a strange, purple container. A pinkish mist was flowing out of it. The mist was surrounding the group. Sora took a deep breath and nearly fainted from a dizzy spell. His eyes lit up. This mist… it was _**sleeping**__ magic_!

He immediately re-summoned his Keyblade and charged at the container. He sliced the blade clear through the object. It shattered and exploded. Pieces of glass flew everywhere. Sora jumped back and banged straight into Goofy. The two landed into Launchpad, followed by Donald, and finally Amemi. The group were now lying on the ground in a pile.

Sora gave a relieved sigh. "That was close."

"Where'd that thing come from?" Goofy asked.

"Who knows?" Donald said. He nudged into Launchpad's shoulder. "How about getting off?!"

"You're lucky, Donald," Amemi complained. She tried to pull herself out by clawing at the ground before her, but couldn't. "_I'm_ stuck on the bottom!"

Sora grinned. "Oh! Sorry, guys."

He hopped onto his feet. Goofy was next, followed by Launchpad. Donald wobbled for a moment before he regained his balance. Amemi was the last one up. Sora walked over and offered her his hand. She shook her head. "I can do it by myself," she stated.

Sora looked back into the main tunnel. The gypsies were gone, along with Phoebus and Quasimodo. "Come on," he announced. "We've got to find them."

"Yeah," Donald agreed.

"They might be headin' for that there _Court of Miracles_ place," Goofy added.

Sora marched into the main passage and hurried deeper down the tunnel. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were seconds behind. Amemi glanced back for a moment. She was still thinking about where the mysterious flask had come from. Who had put it there? She finally decided it was a topic for another day. With her headlamp working, she dashed down the tunnel after the others. The group's feet splashed loudly as they raced along the corridor.

Somewhere not far behind, a group of figures started down the passage. Among them was a large, cat-like man, a trio of hooded individuals, and a tall, older man wearing dark robes….

* * *

The catacombs were like a long, twisted maze. Every turn Sora and the others made seemed to lead straight to a dead end. Each time they turned back, there was another dark wall. After nearly three minutes, it seemed they were hopelessly lost. It did not help that there were very few landmarks. At one point, Donald's flashlight landed on a jumble of bones in the form of a skull-and-crossbones. They had now passed it about four times.

"Man," Sora sighed, knowing they were most-likely going around in circles. "This place is _too_ huge!"

Goofy looked around. "Looks like there ain't any Heartless down here."

"There haven't been any Heartless here," Donald stated, not realizing he was repeating the knight's claim.

Launchpad swung his flashlight around. The beam almost hit Sora's eyes. "Hey!" the brown, spikey-headed young man exclaimed as he covered his eyes with his left arm. "Watch it!"

"Gee, sorry," the muscular pilot chuckled nervously. "I thought I saw someone running down the tunnel ahead."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all stared at him. "_**Huh**_?!" they said together.

Launchpad pointed his light down a passage leading to the right. In the distance, a faint glow could be seen. It appeared to be coming through the remains of something.

Amemi was staring at it with an astonished look in her eyes. "Light… at the end of the tunnel… "

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "Sounds like Kairi's grandma's story."

Amemi looked at her brother. "What?"

Sora shook his head in a hurry. "Nothing. Let's get going."

He led the way down the corridor. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were seconds behind. Amemi remained where she stood, deep in thought. What had her brother meant? Did he _really_ like Kairi? Up until now, it had seemed Sora refused to say anything about it. Finally, he was admitted he did like Kairi… correct? She couldn't tell.

Something dropped a few feet to the right of her eyes. Amemi swung her head that way and froze. Her headlamp shone onto a large, red-and-yellow spider was dangling from its web. The critter was staring at her. It seemed to be licking its lips with delight when a fly flew past and got tangled in the web. The spider crawled back up its thread and trapped the smaller insect.

Amemi turned and dashed down the tunnel. She screamed.

* * *

The high-pitched scream echoed about the passage. Sora and his teammates swung their heads back. There was Amemi racing down the corridor at them. She slammed straight into Sora, causing the two to land flat onto the ground. Amemi sat up quickly as Sora did the same. She ducked behind her brother. "_**Help me**_!" she panicked.

Sora glanced back. Donald pointed his flashlight down the tunnel. The beam descended upon a tiny spider in a rather large web. The duck magician started laughing. "You're afraid of a spider," he laughed aloud.

Amemi glared at him. "That's _**not**_ funny!" she snarled. "It was looking right at me!"

"It couldn't hurt you," Goofy pinpointed. "It sure looks tiny and harmless."

"I don't care," Amemi rapidly added. "I _**hate**_ spiders!"

"Does this 'WordGirl' hate spiders, too?" Launchpad asked.

The sandy-headed teenager paused. She blushed a little. "Well… yes."

Sora hopped to his feet. "Come on, Amy, we can't worry about that." He pointed through the remains of a large, iron gate in the tunnel's side. "Look."

Amemi looked through the opening. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad did the same. They could see a humongous chamber with towering columns rising to the ceiling. The whole room was covered in golden cobblestones. A number of canvas tents were situated throughout the area alongside several covered wagons. The entire place seemed to resemble a cluttered marketplace, similar to one Sora, Donald, and Goofy had explored back in _**Agrabah**_. The main difference was this one was underground and had a tall, wooden scaffolding on one side. Two ropes tied into nooses dangled from the scaffolding.

At the moment, the thin, dark-haired man from earlier was standing on the scaffolding overlooking a large crowd of people. "Gather around, everybody!" the man called. "There's good 'noose' tonight! It's a double header — a couple of Frollo's spies!"

The crowd booed so loudly, Sora's team had to cover their ears. When they saw two men being brought onto the scaffolding, Sora's eyes lit up. These weren't spies; it was Quasimodo and Phoebus! "Quasi!" he declared out loud. "Phoebus!"

"And not just any spies," the man went on. "His captain of the guard, and his loyal, bell ringing henchman!"

The man started to go on and on about the legal system in the place. At the same time, Sora turned to the rest of his team. "We've got to do something!"

"But what?" Donald inquired.

Sora paused in thought for a brief moment. He sighed in annoyance. "I don't know! Let's do something! C'mon!"

He ran through the opening. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all glanced at one another. They shrugged and followed suit. Still new at this whole strategy, Amemi sighed before doing the same. They hurried through the chamber, avoiding eye contact with the locals. Ironically, no one seemed to pay them any mind. Either everybody was focused on the scaffolding display or Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were blending in with the crowd.

After wandering about for a few minutes, the group came to a stop. Not two feet from them was a young woman with long wavy black hair, medium skin, and emerald eyes. She was wearing a white top with a blue midsection, a purple skirt, and a matching piece of cloth tied in her hair. She was barefoot and had a few golden pieces of jewelry on her left ear, left wrist, right hand, and right ankle. Beside her was a white goat with a gold earring.

"_Esmeralda_!" Sora shouted as the group rushed ahead.

Esmeralda was startled to see the five approaching her so quickly. "Sora? What are you doing here?"

"Esmeralda," Sora repeated as he caught his breath. "Quasi and Phoebus are in trouble. Look!"

He pointed at the scaffolding. Esmeralda took one look and frowned. She dashed towards the front of the crowd. Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were close behind. The dark-haired man was about to pull a lever to open the trapdoors beneath Quasimodo and Phoebus. For a moment, everything seemed to go in slow motion. Sora's feet were moving at a snail's pace. The lever was moving slightly.

"_**Stop**_!" Esmeralda yelled. She ran up onto the scaffolding. The man was startled to see her, as was the rest of the crowd. Sora's team were seconds behind. "These aren't spies," the raven-haired woman explained. "They're our friends."

The man was shocked beyond recognition. "Why didn't they say so?!"

"We _did_ say so!" Quasimodo and Phoebus stated as Goofy and Launchpad removed their gags.

Esmeralda pointed at Phoebus. "This is the soldier that saved the miller's family," she told the crowd. She then pointed at Quasimodo. "And Quasimodo helped me escape the cathedral."

The man gestured at Sora and his team. "But who are _these_ people?"

"Sora," Sora announced. He gestured at each of his friends. "Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi. We've been fighting Frollo and a few others with him."

"We came to warn you!" Phoebus shouted to the crowd. "Frollo's coming! He says he knows where you're hiding, and he's attacking at dawn with a thousand soldiers."

The crowd screamed in alarm. "Then let's waste no time!" Esmeralda called. "We must leave immediately!"

"Go!" Sora shouted. "Leave while you still can!"

The crowd scattered about the chamber. They rushed around, grabbing everything they could and loading it into various forms of transportation. To Sora, the sight seemed to resemble last-second evacuations when a hurricane approaches land. That, and looters rummaging through ruined buildings after an earthquake.

Silence seemed to follow for the next few minutes. Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Quasimodo, Phoebus, and Esmeralda returned to the floor of the room. "You took a terrible risk coming here," the raven-headed young woman told them. "It may not exactly show, but we're grateful.

Phoebus grinned. Esmeralda then turned to look at Sora. "Thank you," she said.

Sora smiled. "It's no big deal," he said. He noticed Quasimodo was looking a little depressed. He sighed. This was the same look the bell ringer had shown earlier at the bell tower.

Phoebus must have noticed it, too. He moved Quasimodo closer to Esmeralda. "Don't thank me," he said. "Thank Quasimodo. Without his help, we would never have found this place."

"Yeah," Sora acknowledged. If it hadn't been for the map the young man had shown them, they never would have found their way to this underground chamber. Now it seemed Quasimodo was smiling. This was a good sign.

"Nor would I," a deep voice shouted from above. Everyone spun their attention toward the ruined gate. Standing at the entrance was the unmistakable figure of Judge Frollo. Beside him stood Pete and the Beagle Boys. At once, numerous soldiers charged into the chamber, weapons drawn. When the people saw them, they panicked and raced for the nearest exit. Unfortunately, there were soldiers already waiting at each and every exit. The crowd of people were cornered and soon seized by the soldiers.

An entire battalion or three surrounded Sora's team, Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Phoebus. They were startled and horrified. This had all happened so suddenly, there hadn't been any time to react. In the incident, Sora's Keyblade appeared in his hand. Wondering why, he swiftly took a look around the immediate area. When he saw the glowing, yellow eyes each soldier possessed (as well as the little red logo on each of their helmets), he gasped. "These aren't soldiers," he realized. "They're _**Heartless**_!"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad pulled out their weapons. Phoebus pulled out a sword, but it was rapidly knocked out of his hand by one of the Heartless soldiers. The Heartless grabbed him in an instant.

Sora was shocked. Here he was outnumbered a thousand to one. Last time this had happened, he'd been clobbering enemies left and right in the Great Maw's valley. Now, he wasn't sure what to do — especially with Pete, the Beagle Boys, and Frollo so close. On top of all that, the Heartless were aimed with dangerous weapons. True, he _was_ a skilled swordsman… but that didn't mean he should always rush in, especially under these rare circumstances.

No. He was trapped… for now.

Frollo showed an eerie grin as he strolled down a short flight of steps into the chamber. "After twenty years of searching, the _Court of Miracles_ is mine at last," he marveled. Sora glared in anger. The corrupt man seemed to be enjoying every moment of his triumph.

Frollo walked through the barricade of Heartless and approached the group before him. He neared Quasimodo and slowed his pace. "Dear Quasimodo, I always knew you would someday be of use to me."

Quasimodo was frightened and worried. To Sora, he looked like he was suffering from a mixture of emotions.

"What are you talking about?" a furious Esmeralda demanded to know.

Frollo's grinned grew. "Why, he led me right to you, my dear."

"You're a liar!" Esmeralda yelled with a snarl. One of the Heartless grabbed her from behind.

Frollo came to a halt when he saw an outraged Phoebus before him. "And look what else I've caught in my net," he scoffed. "'Captain' Phoebus — back from the dead. Another miracle, no doubt. I shall remedy that."

Sora scowled. He felt a hand slap his cheek. The force of the impact sent him onto the floor. His Keyblade landed beside him. As he shook himself clear from the shockwave his head was feeling, Sora heard a familiar, unique laugh. "Well, well, what have I got?" the voice went on. Sora whirled his eyes to the side. There stood Pete, showing his infamous grin. "An annoying, pain-in-the-neck Key-brat who's too gullible and walked right into a _simple_ trap!"

"Don't make fun of him!" Amemi shouted as she stormed up to the villain. "_**You're**_ the one who is too prideful to get away with anything by yourself and _always_ needs help!"

Pete was shocked someone had the nerve to stand up to him. Sora saw this and tried to tell his sister to back down. She wasn't paying him any attention. Pete was so angered by the sandy-haired girl's statement, he pointed at the Beagle Boys. "You three! Mangle this yardstick!"

The Beagle Boys drew their swords and charged at Amemi. In turn, the teenager spun around and dashed away from them. She dodged a few Heartless soldiers and continued to run. "WordGirl never had to deal with _this_!" she panted.

When the Beagle Boys were passing by, Sora whispered to Goofy. The clumsy Captain of The Guard reached out his leg and tripped all three hooded villains. They went sliding across the floor and slammed into a column, a covered wagon, and canvas tent. The tent collapsed.

Pete was furious when he saw Amemi fleeing towards the nearest exit. He pointed at Frollo. The judge snorted his disapproval. A cloud of Darkness suddenly formed around his body. A deafening _**ROAR**_ filled the tunnel. Without warning, a gigantic creature appeared. It was shaped like a flying gargoyle with gun arms. It was mostly a dark-purple color. The face was marked by a blazing yellow jaw and dark-purple cheeks. The arms were dark shades of navy-blue wrapped in magenta chains. It had a whip-like tail with fiery red and navy-blue stripes that ended in a semicircular blade. The wings resembled stained glass windows. The Heartless emblem was located on its front on some dark-purple, belt-like bands around its waist.

"Huh?!" Pete exclaimed when he saw the Heartless' color scheme. "It changed _again_?!"

Sora recognized the Heartless from before. It was the same one that had attacked him and Amemi on the bridge. He turned his eyes in the direction his sister had ran. "_**Amy**_! _**Look out**_!"

Amemi turned his eyes back at her brother for a moment. It was then the Heartless spun itself forward like a spinning missile. The creature slammed one of its fists straight into the sandy-haired teenager's head. She instantly fell to the floor. She was not moving. The Beagle Boys rushed over and grabbed her body.

"_**AMY**_!" Sora hollered in alarm as he jumped to his feet. "_**AMEMI**_!"

He glared darker than ever before at Pete; his Keyblade positioned for a serious fight. Pete laughed evilly for a moment. The next, he stopped laughing and was starting to back away with worry. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were doing the same. Jiminy Cricket hopped out of the brown-haired youth's pocket and landed onto his shoulder. He then leaped onto Donald's hat and then into Goofy's vest pocket. If Sora could have seen himself, he would have noticed a very thin cloud of Darkness was erupting from his upper body….

Frollo turned around in a circle to see if he had everyone's attention. Seeing he did, he declared, "There will be a bonfire in the square tomorrow, and you're all invited to attend."

He turned to Pete. "Lock them up."

Pete signaled for the Heartless to do the same. He leaned in close to Frollo and whispered something. The judge's eyes lit up and he gave a sinister grin. "Of course, we shall," he said.

Some of the Heartless snatched Sora. The Keyblader was caught off his guard so much, his Keyblade fell to the ground and vanished. He was dragged away with his arms behind his back. When they saw this happening, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad put away their weapons and held their hands up high. The Heartless grabbed each of them and carried them away to the nearest exit.

As some of the Heartless took both Esmeralda and Phoebus away, Quasimodo fell to his knees before Frollo. "No, please, Master," he begged.

Frollo gave the young man a stern look. Quasimodo's eyes widened with the realization of one thing — betrayal. He looked down in despair. "No… "

Frollo turned to Pete. "Have the Heartless take him and Sora's 'friends' back to the bell tower, and make sure they _stay_ there."

Pete saluted with glee. "Yessiree!"

As Frollo walked away, Pete gave a sinister grin. For once, everything was going his way. Maybe now, Maleficent would see how helpful and loyal he truly was. After all, she was monitoring this whole thing. He was sure this would score him high marks and enable her to see his usefulness. So much for being a "useless imbecile"! He would now be a "use_**ful**_ idiot"! Wait… that didn't sound right…. What did he mean?

* * *

The stars were still shining over the lonely structure of the _**Mysterious Tower**_. Riku was leaning against the wall of the circular study. Master Yen Sid was seated at his desk. His eyes were closed and his head was bowed forward as though in meditation. Mickey was seated in a small, wooden chair beside him. A magical portal was located on the far wall near the chalkboard. Riku already knew Niccole and Kairi were somewhere inside learning how to be effective Keyblade wielders.

A flash of flickering light came from the window. Mickey and Master Yen Sid immediately turned their focus to it. Riku did the same. They stared at the display. It was a rather bright star twinkling rapidly. Or was it blinking?

"Mickey," the silver-haired young man. "What's happening?"

"A star is blinking," Mickey replied in his usual high-pitched voice. "A world's in trouble! It _could_ blink out!"

Riku stared at the star in alarm. Now he understood what this meant. A world was on the verge of falling to Darkness. He didn't know which world it was, only it was in danger. Hopefully Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were already there. Hopefully they were doing everything they could to prevent disaster. Hopefully he was worrying something was wrong all for nothing.

That's all Riku could do… hope Sora was doing _something_.

* * *

The exterior of the tower was quiet. No crickets were chirping. The water from a nearby well was flowing softly. Despite all this silence, Violet was keeping herself busy. She was lying on the ground near the stone well. Her arms were tucked behind her head and she was looking straight up at the stars. Her legs were stretched out and her wings were lying flat in the soft, green grass.

Her antennae started to vibrate. The angel looked up to the northern sky. To her surprise, a rather bright star was blinking rapidly. Either that or it was twinkling very strangely. She sensed Sora's heart from somewhere close to it… or within it.

She gasped. Maybe Sora was in trouble! "Come on, Sora," she urged, hoping her heart was reaching out to the spikey-headed young man's heart. "You _**can**_ succeed! I am _convinced_ you can!"

* * *

**A/N: YIKES AND CRIPES! WHAT A TERRIBLE TURN-OF-EVENTS! SORA, DONALD, GOOFY, LAUNCHPAD, AND AMEMI HAVE BEEN CAPTURED! WHAT WILL BECOME OF _LE VILLE DE SONNER LES CLOCHES_ NOW?!**

**FIND OUT - IN _CHAPTER 20_!**

**So, I think I should probably go over some things. After all, This Chapter was a particularly DARK ONE!**  
**(1.) I tried to capture the mood of the scene by including dark descriptions for things. This includes the spiders.**  
**(2.) The Heartless in the Town are similar to the Nightmares from "_Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream, Drop, Distance_", the ones that attacked the same area.**  
**(3.) The maze in the catacombs was based on the puzzling layout used for the area in "_Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream, Drop, Distance_".**  
**(4.) "_WordGirl_" is a reference to the _PBSKIDSGO_! show. So is "_WORD UP_!"**  
**(5.) Yes, Amemi is afraid of spiders. She is also a huge fan of the show, "_WordGirl_" (which might be obvious). Why hasn't she shown this before? She didn't have a reason to!**  
**(6.) Amemi is NOT dead - she's just unconscious!**  
**(7.) Sora's using the power of DARKNESS! YIKES!**  
**(8.) What did Pete whisper to Frollo?**  
**(9.) Amemi's claims about other universes was not my idea. One my friends wanted me to include it, so I did. Who knows? It might actually work for This Story!**  
**(10.) Will the world fall to Darkness? How will we find out?**

**Since School has been taking up so much time, please remain patient for a little while longer. I have only Started to write Chapter 20. I don't have anything else to say since my time is precious and I have run out of things to say - for now!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**

**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	20. Ch20 - '…He Shall Smite The Wicked'

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE! I'M HERE - WITH CHAPTER 20! IT'S FINALLY ARRIVED!**

**Before I get started, I shall just have to say this: This... Is... The Last Chapter For _LA VILLE DE SONNER LES CLOCHES_.  
****Of course, this also means the Next World is JUST AROUND THE CORNER! YIPPEE!**

**After facing a series of tragic incidents the last few weeks, I am glad I was able to get This Chapter up and running before October ended.  
****A LOT has happened. I will NOT tell you everything. Instead, I Will tell you how excited I am about Disney-Pixar's "_Inside Out (2015)_" coming out on Blu-Ray/DVD next week! ****TALK ABOUT EXCITING!**

**For the record, I have an announcement. I have been preparing a revised version of the "former" story, "_Once Upon A Time ~The Darkest Age~_". Instead of it being a "Spin-****Off", it will serve as a "_Season 6_" style story - IF You Know What I Mean!**

**Lastly, I will tell This Chapter is a rather Dark one. Yet, I did manage to add in some Comic Relief.**  
**IT'S TIME TO READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! Plus, remember this important reminder - DON'T FORGET TO READ AND REVIEW!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 20**  
**"****…He Shall Smite The Wicked!****"**

Her eyes blinked open. Her vision came into focus. She sat up. Her head was pounding so much, it seemed to be an obnoxious bong going off every moment. She swiftly put her right hand to her head. The pain seemed to go down a little.

"Are you alright?" a voice asked.

Amemi swung her focus to where the voice came from. A tall, blonde-haired man dressed in white was standing over her. She relaxed, knowing this was Phoebus. "Yes," she said in a soft voice. "I think… I am."

Phoebus smiled a little. "That's good. Can't say the same about us."

Amemi was puzzled. "Huh?"

That's when she saw the two were inside a prison carriage. The iron bars formed a cage over them. The only door was being guarded by the short Beagle Boy and several Heartless soldiers. Amemi jumped to her feet. She gazed up into the sky and froze. She was appalled beyond understanding.

The late afternoon sun was not shining over the city of _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_. The sky was dark and filled with dark smoke. The cathedral of Notré Dame was blanketed by a dark silhouette. The carriage was one of several on one side of the town square. In the middle of the plaza was a wooden platform. All around it were Heartless soldiers and a few Shadowy Heartless. On the other side of the area were the townspeople; they were being held back by the Heartless guards.

What had seized Amemi's attention so rapidly was a group of individuals on the platform. Frollo and Pete were standing on one end with both Esmeralda and Sora on the other. The latter two were tied to wooden posts surrounded by bundles of straw. The entrance to the cathedral opened and out stepped the Archdeacon. The elderly man was blocked by the other two Beagle Boys; they had drawn their swords and crossed them before him.

Frollo held up a long scroll. As several Heartless beat a series of drums, the judge read aloud its contents. "The prisoners, Esmeralda and Sora, have been found guilty of the crime of witchcraft. The sentence — death!"

Several of the townspeople shouted protests. Pete pointed at the crowd, to which many Heartless rushed over to hold the people back. Amemi was ready to panic. She grabbed the bars of her carriage and tried to pull. It was in vain.

* * *

Sora was busy struggling. He _had_ to break free from the wooden post. There wasn't much time. The sky was growing darker by the minute. At this rate, a ball of Darkness ready to consume the entire city would be forming within the hour. With his hands tied behind him, he was unable to summon his Keyblade. All he really could do was watch as a Heartless walked up to Frollo. Frollo grabbed the torch from the Heartless and approached Esmeralda. "The time has come, gypsy," he told her. "You stand upon the brink of the abyss."

He grinned a little. Esmeralda gave a disgusted sneer. "Yet even now, it is not too late. I can save you from the flames of this world, and the next. Choose me, or the fire."

Sora gasped when he heard all this. He could tell Frollo's heart of Darkness was trying to seize Esmeralda's Light. No way would he allow _that_ to happen! Sadly, he was tied to a wooden post about to be executed for working against Maleficent, Pete, and the corrupt official.

Whatever Esmeralda did to Frollo in return, Sora didn't know. It was during that moment Pete marched up to him and slapped the young man in the cheek. The villain laughed. "Not so defense-ful now, are ya?"

"_**Shut up**_!" Sora snapped in reply. "You know you're not getting away with this!"

Pete gave a sinister grin. "Oh yeah! I'm afraid I already have! So, you can play nice — in de Underworld! Hades has you booked in his deepest, darkest dungeon — forever."

Pete marched away happily. "Ooh! I just love winnin'!"

All Sora could now do was glare. He noticed Esmeralda was doing the same. Frollo raised his torch into the air and started to speak. "The gypsy Esmeralda and her associate have refused to recant," he declared to crowd of protesting townspeople. "These evil witches have put the soul of every citizen of Paris in mortal danger… "

* * *

The bell tower was pitch-dark. The only light came from the flames and smoke of the nearby townhouses still on fire. The smoke surrounded the cathedral as a thin mist. At one particular section, a series of stone columns held up the tower. It was here Quasimodo, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were chained in place. For a few hours, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad had been trying to break free. Victor, Hugo, and Laverne had soon hopped over to help them. By this point, it was clear the chains were too strong and wound too tightly around the columns. All eyes now turned to Quasimodo. The young man was looking down in hopelessness.

"Come on, Quasi!" Hugo yelled. "Snap out of it!"

"Your friends are down there!" Victor added.

"Come on!" Donald shouted to the bell ringer.

Quasimodo didn't move. "It's all my fault," he muttered.

"You _gotta_ break these chains!" Laverne demanded.

"Help us out!" Goofy declared in turn. "These here chains are too long for us!"

"Too _strong_ for us!" Donald corrected.

"I can't," Quasimodo sighed. He sounded a little irritated. "I tried. What difference would it make?"

"We _**can't**_ Pete and Frollo win!" Donald stated as firmly as he knew how to sound.

"Yeah!" Goofy agreed. "This whole world will be covered in Darkness!"

Quasimodo sighed. "He already has… "

Hugo was shocked and worried. "So, you're giving up?" he realized. "That's it?"

"These chains aren't what's holding you back, Quasimodo," Laverne said.

Despite the words of determination and encouragement from the others, Quasimodo did not budge. All he did was snap, "Leave me alone."

Silence filled the bell tower. Donald and Goofy's eyes were as wide as they could get. Hugo, Victor, and Laverne's were downcast and they hobbled away. "Okay, Quasi," Hugo sighed. "We'll leave you alone."

"After all," Victor added. "We're only made out of stone."

Laverne sighed deeply. "We just thought maybe you were made of something stronger."

Once the gargoyles were no longer in sight, Quasimodo gave an extremely deep sigh. Donald and Goofy both had to agree on something else. It seemed there was no way they could convince the bell ringer to save Sora, Esmeralda, and the others down in the square below. The two peered over the edge of the railing and looked down at the scene below.

Launchpad was still fidgeting with his chains. It would have appeared the pilot hadn't paid any attention to what Quasimodo had said. "Well, if I were free," he told the bell ringer. "I'd take a rope, and swing down there like Ol' Prince Greydrake, and sweep Esmeralda off her feet."

Quasimodo looked away. Launchpad was puzzled, not sure why his approach was not working. It was then the group overheard Frollo's voice coming from the square. They all looked over the railing to see what was going on.

"…For justice, for Paris, and for their own salvation! It is my shameful duty to send this poor girl and this poor boy back where they belong!"

Before their eyes, Frollo lowered the torch in his hands and set the bundles of straw around Sora and Esmeralda alight. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were now beyond worried. Could Sora break free in time? What about Esmeralda? Was there _anything_ they could do?! The odds were against them. It seemed this world was about to teeter off the edge into total Darkness.

"_**NO**_!" Quasimodo hollered as loudly as he could. The others swerved their focus to him. To their amazement, the young man was yanking on the chains tying them to the stone columns. The vibration shook the whole bell tower, causing some tiny pieces of stone to come crumbling down. One piece struck Donald's head. A second bounced off Goofy's before it hit Donald's shoulder.

"What's the big idea?!" the duck magician snarled.

Noticing how Sora was struggling to hold his breath and Esmeralda was gasping for air, Launchpad pulled on the chains, too. This caused Goofy to give in to the yanking, followed by Donald. At once, the stone columns around them collapsed, sending debris falling all around. With the chains sliding off their arms and legs, Goofy held up his shield to keep the chunks of stone from hitting him; Donald rushed under the knight's shield to stay out of danger. They didn't notice a furious Quasimodo grabbing a rope and tossing another to a determined Launchpad.

Within seconds, the bell ringer and pilot were swinging down to the side of the cathedral.

* * *

Sora was holding his breath as much as he could. He noticed Esmeralda had starting coughing violently. Through the flames and smoke, he could see pleased faces on both Frollo and Pete. The latter villain seemed to be laughing.

At that moment, the seventeen-year-old Keyblader spotted something startling out of the corner of his eye. Two figures were swinging down from the cathedral rooftop and now flying over the crowd in a sideways arc. He felt a surge of relief. One of them was Quasimodo. The other was… Launchpad?

Quasimodo was the first to reach the platform. He landed before a startled Frollo and speechless Pete. When the bell ringer jumped over to Sora and set him free, the latter leapt out of the flames and summoned his Keyblade in an instant. Quasimodo proceeded to free Esmeralda.

"Hey, you!" the two tallest Beagle Boys were charging onto the platform to stop Quasimodo. Sora positioned his Keyblade to fight them. Before he could even swing the weapon, Launchpad swung over and slammed straight into the pair of villains, shoving them off the platform.

Sora grinned at the pilot while the latter returned to the cathedral. Quasimodo grinned at Sora while he grabbed his own rope and swung back to the cathedral with Esmeralda safely in his arms. "Quasimodo!" an outraged Frollo declared.

Quasimodo and Launchpad reached the cathedral's upper floors in no time at all. Although the pilot landed safely on the floor, Quasimodo had ended up on the outside wall. He quickly climbed up. Sora's grin grew larger as he watched the sight of the bell ringer being a true hero. "Way to go, Quasi!" he cheered.

Quasimodo reached the level where a circular, stained-glass window was positioned. He stopped there and held Esmeralda high into the air. "_**Sanctuary**_!" he yelled as loudly as he could. "_**Sanctuary**_!"

Sora nodded in approval. Esmeralda was now safely out of Frollo's hands and under the protection of Notré Dame. Spotting his sister and Phoebus in a prison carriage less than ten feet away, the young man leaped off the platform and hurried over to her.

* * *

Frollo was beyond furious. He glowed a dark-purple color as he struggled to hold in his anger. This sight made Pete gulp and start to sweat. It took a lot to make the large cat-man sweat with fear. This definitely meant Frollo's Darkness was becoming greater than even Maleficent had dared to go. There was no doubt in Pete's mind as to what was going to happen soon.

At any time, Frollo's heart was about to fall to Darkness.

"Pete!" Frollo ordered. "Seize the cathedral!"

Pete gave a very nervous gulp and saluted. "Y-yessir!"

He couldn't let the judge know how anxious he felt. What if Maleficent was watching them from her chamber? He could _not_ receive the title of "coward" from her again. He _had_ to show he was brave, and loyal, and self-determined (the last one wouldn't be too hard). He glanced around, relieved to know Sora had disappeared into the crowd.

Wait… why was he _relieved_ Sora had escaped? Without bothering to take the time to ponder, Pete signaled to the Beagle Boys to come over. All three rushed over to him in a hurry. He pointed at the entrance doors of Notré Dame. "Get 'em!"

"Righty-o, boss!" the Beagle Boys acknowledged with a series of salutes. They rushed at the cathedral.

Pete glanced up with a sinister grin. His eyes nearly popped out when he saw the large, wooden beam falling from above. "Watch out!" he yelled. He covered his head in alarm.

The Beagle Boys fled when the beam landed onto Frollo's armored carriage and smashed it into splinters. When looked up, Pete saw Quasimodo and Launchpad looking back down with determined smiles. In a voice loud enough for everyone below to hear, Launchpad remarked, "What a nice _crash_!"

Frollo was so angered by this sight, he gave off a thicker cloud of Darkness. This made Pete gulp louder than before.

"Come back, you _cowards_!" Frollo yelled at the Beagle Boys. When the trio didn't return, the judge snatched a sword from a Heartless and stormed up to a frightened Pete. "Pete! Pick up that beam! Break down the door!"

Pete nodded and urged some Heartless soldiers over. He sent them to the gigantic beam. Perhaps a battering ram _would_ suffice.

* * *

Sora raced to the prison carriage. Fortunately, he didn't have to face any Heartless along the way. When he got there, Amemi saw him and shouted, "Sora!"

"Sora!" Phoebus declared. "I have a plan of how we can stop Frollo."

"Tell it to me later," Sora returned. He pointed his Keyblade at the carriage's lock. A beam of Light shone into the lock and opened the door. Amemi raced out and gave her brother a hug. Sora was a little surprised. The last time he'd been in this situation was when Kairi had hugged him back in Organization's castle.

"Thank you, Sora," Amemi said. "I'm sure this is how WordGirl would've thanked you."

"Okay," Sora said as his sister let go. He turned to Phoebus. "You've got an idea?"

"Let's rally the crowd," the blonde-headed man replied. He climbed onto the roof of the carriage.

"Right," Sora approved as he clambered on up. The two turned their attention to the crowd of townspeople gathered in the square. They were still shouting protests. Sora took a deep breath, hoping this was a plan that would work. He noticed many of the townspeople were holding wooden clubs, pitchforks, and canes. Although these items in a mob was somewhat expected, he also knew any kind of weapon would do, so it didn't matter.

"Citizens of Paris!" Phoebus proclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear. "Frollo has persecuted our people, ransacked out city! _Now_ he has declared war on Notré Dame _**herself**_! Will we _**allow**_ it?!"

"_**No**_!" the crowd shouted in return. They raised their arms to show their determination to turn against Frollo and his goons.

"_C'mon_, everyone!" Sora yelled in an equally loud voice. "_**Fight**_ the Heartless and _**save**_ _the_ _**Light**_!"

The next few minutes were filled with chaos. The people started to riot. The Heartless soldiers holding them back were shoved aside, knocked over and trampled, and severely beaten. Everyone Frollo, Pete, and the Beagle Boys had arrested from the Court of Miracles were freed from their prison carriages. The crowd then rushed at the group of villains trying to break into Notré Dame. When Pete and Frollo saw the mob of people headed for them, the two evildoers sent several hordes of Heartless to stop them. The Heartless consisted of various types, including Shadows, Soldiers, Large Bodies, Air Soldiers, Defenders, and many other kinds.

Knowing everyone in town might not stand much of a chance against a few hundred Heartless, Sora leapt off the carriage. He saw Phoebus was already mixed in the fray, knocking Heartless aside with his sword. Sora gave a quick nod to the man and dashed off to fight some Heartless. It didn't take long since the Heartless were just about everywhere in the plaza. Sora slashed, slammed, and smashed his Keyblade on, at, and through four or six Heartless at one time or another.

After only seven minutes, Sora had to stop to catch his breath. The heat from the fires lighting up the area was starting to take its toll on him. If this kept up, he would be worn out within three or ten minutes. Once he caught his breath, Sora glared at a pair of Large Bodies before him. Before he could rush around and strike them down, the two Heartless were struck and vanished into Darkness. To the brown, spikey-haired youth's surprise, Amemi was standing behind where the enemies had been. Her slingshot was all set to fire at a nearby Air Soldier Heartless.

"Amy?" Sora realizes, startled his own sister was easily destroying the dark creatures. "What are you doing?"

Amemi shot her slingshot at the flying Heartless and terminated it. "I'm doing what WordGirl would do, even if I can't fly around at super-speed."

Sora sighed. This answer wasn't what he'd expected. "I mean, how are you defeating the Heartless with one hit and I have to deal at least three hits?"

Amemi shrugged. "It could have something to do with range. I noticed Donald's magic gets them in one try, too."

Sora was shocked. Did his own sister really notice more about these battles than he did? Or was she just making this stuff up? Whatever the case, he knew he could not let her fight alone.

"C'mon, Amy," the Keyblade wielder said. "Let's show these guys a thing or two."

Amemi's eyes lit up and she pointed behind her brother. "You mean _those_ guys?"

Sora spun around. There were the three hooded characters he instantly recognized as the Beagle Boys. "Thought we'd given up," one of the taller ones said.

"We're faster than you think," the other tall one added.

"Let me at 'im!" the third (short) one shouted.

Sora readied his Keyblade. "Alright! You want a challenge?" He glanced at his little sister. "Let's do this, Amy!"

Amemi nodded. She readied her slingshot. "I'm ready."

Sora rushed at the three glaring villains and rapidly was caught up in a series of clashing weapons. Since the Beagle Boys tended to attack simultaneously from different directions, Sora had to time his movements. First he had to block the enemy and then counter with a swing. From a few feet away, Amemi sent tiny stones flying at the villains.

The fighting quickly became a steady routine. Block, counter, take a few steps over… block, counter, take a few steps over… block, counter, take a few steps over… block, counter, take a few steps over. This was _really_ starting to get to Sora. He needed something different to stop the villains. If he could find a distraction, it would prove quite helpful.

The group of Beagle Boys forced Sora backward. The young man swung his Keyblade at them and it struck something wooden. Sora and the villains stopped fighting when they realizes they'd gotten very close to a stockade. The device was open, allowing a really old, really thin man to get out. The man was filled with a face of excitement. Over and over, he cheered in a soft, gentle voice, "I'm free! I'm free!"

He suddenly disappeared from sight. Sora noticed a roadwork sign that seemed to read "sewer". He realizes the man had fallen down into a sewer of some kind. A voice from below yelled, "Dang it!"

In turn, all Sora could say was, "Okay… "

When he saw the Beagle Boys were puzzled about what had just taken place, Sora knew this was the chance he'd been looking for. He slapped his weapon against the Beagle Boys — one by one. The villains rolled away and came to a stop just inside a nearby prison carriage. Sora and Amemi zoomed over and slammed the carriage's door shut. The two gave each other a high-five before hurrying towards the seemingly-distant cathedral of Notré Dame.

Neither Sora nor Amemi noticed the Beagle Boys each pulling out a small lock pick….

* * *

"_Fire_!"

"_Blizzard_!"

"_**Thunder**_!"

The Heartless soldiers were terminated by the bolts of electricity raining down. Donald grinned. Here he was sending fireballs, blocks of ice, and bolts of lightning at the Heartless soldiers trying to scale the side of Notré Dame. He noticed a large group of Heartless soldiers were charging at the cathedral. He was about to aim his wand at them when a pair of voices drew his focus away from the battle.

"Ready?"

"Yeah!"

Before Donald could question who had spoken and why, a wooden catapult slid straight past him and fell to the ground. The contraption flipped before it landed upside-down on the group of Heartless soldiers.

Though he believed he knew who had done such a thing, Donald still turned his head to the left. Goofy and Launchpad were staring at the catapult below. "Ya big palookas!" the mage scolded. "That's _not_ how those work!"

There was a loud crash from the square. Donald swung his vision down and stared in disbelief. The catapult had activated and crushed all the Heartless soldiers out of existence. "A-Hyuck!" he heard Goofy chuckle. "Looks like it works to me!"

"Yeah!" Launchpad added. "It makes such a nice crash!"

"Let's make more of them cat-y-pults!"

While Goofy and Launchpad walked away, Donald was still astounded. Not willing to admit the knight and pilot had actually done something correct with their "skills", he murmured a large amount of illegible stuff before yelling, "…Aw _**phooey**_!"

* * *

Sora and Amemi raced through the crowd of people fighting the Heartless soldiers. They saw a group of people beating several Heartless into oblivion. A group of men armed with pitchforks were stabbing Heartless, causing the enemies to explode. There were people running around, punching Heartless from behind, in the face, and kicking them onto the ground. Sora and his sister had to smile. From the looks of things, they were winning. The tide was definitely turning.

They reached the entrance to Notré Dame in a flash. Frollo and Pete were still there, ordering the Heartless to use an enormous wooden beam to break down the cathedral's doors. At this point, the doors were starting to crack.

"_**Frollo**_!" Sora hollered, pointing his Keyblade at the judge. "I _**won't**_ let you do this!"

Pete and Frollo spun around. Pete was shocked beyond understanding. "_**Huh**_?! B-but… _how_ did ya escape?!"

Frollo snorted his disapproval. Without a word, he shook his head. His body suddenly was enveloped by a thick cloud of black smoke. Sora stared at it in alarm. This was not ordinary smoke. It was pure Darkness.

"_**Look out**_!" a voice screamed in alarm.

Sora, Amemi, Pete, and Frollo whirled their attention to the square. The people who'd been fighting around the wooden platform were running for their lives. The group looked up. Sora, Amemi, and Pete all froze in alarm. Frollo gave a hint of a smile.

A humungous flying creature was descending from the sky. The monster raised one of its fists and slammed it straight into the wooden platform less than fifteen feet away. The platform splintered apart and crumbled into a large cloud of dust. Sora, Amemi, and Pete had to shield their eyes to prevent themselves from being blinded. When they looked again, their eyes were wide and their mouths were open in surprise.

There was the gigantic, flying gargoyle-shaped creature with gun arms that had attacked Amemi back in the _Court of Miracles_. It was mostly a dark-purple color. The face was marked by a blazing yellow jaw and dark-purple cheeks. The arms were dark shades of navy-blue wrapped in magenta chains. It had a whip-like tail with fiery red and navy-blue stripes that ended in a semicircular blade. The wings resembled stained glass windows. The Heartless emblem was located on its front on some dark-purple, belt-like bands around its waist. The entire being was enveloped in thick smoke, which Sora could automatically tell was complete Darkness.

"_**Not**_ you again!" Sora snapped at the enormous Heartless. He remembered how this very creature had ambushed Amemi and him on a bridge, set an entire windmill up in flames, knocked Amemi out cold, and had now destroyed the platform he and Esmeralda had been prisoners on not twenty minutes ago.

Pete felt a little relieved at the sight of Sora's anger being directed elsewhere. He regained his composure. "Meet the _**Wargoyle**_," he told the young man and teenage girl. "You'll have one difficult time stopping this Heartless."

"_**No way**_!" Sora shouted in return. He turned to glare at Pete and pointed his Keyblade straight at the enormous Heartless. "Once I take care of _him_, _you're_ next!"

Pete shook his fists and struggled to keep himself under control. He just wanted to smack Sora in the head and shove him aside like he was nothing more than a paper doll… like the ones he'd used to give Pistol. He still missed those good ol' days….

Following a deep breath, Pete looked at the Wargoyle with a stern expression on his face. "_**Wargoyle**_! Get 'em!"

The large cat-man pointed directly at Sora and his sister. The Heartless veered its undivided attention over to the two. Sora's Keyblade was in its usual place for the start of a battle. Amemi held out her slingshot, a stern frown written on her face. Just before the two could rush at the enemy, three hooded individuals raced into view and blocked their path. The trio had swords drawn and scowled at the two.

Sora stared in disbelief. It was the Beagle Boys — again?! "How'd _you'd_ get out here?!" he demanded to know.

"We don't go down easy-peasy!" one of the Beagle Boys replied.

"Let me at 'em!" a second declared.

The third Beagle Boy laughed. This made Sora glare at them more than he'd ever glared at them before. "All right! I can take you on!"

"Me, _too_!" Amemi declared in a loud voice. Sora and the Beagle Boys were equally shocked to hear the sandy-haired young woman speaking with such force. "If you challenge my brother, you challenge _**me**_!"

Without taking the time to give this a second thought (there wasn't time for thinking), Sora nodded and scowled deeply at the villains and the giant Heartless behind them. "Let's go!" he yelled.

Sora and Amemi split up and rushed at the Beagle Boys and the Heartless from different directions. The Beagle Boys charged at Sora, only to get slapped aside by the Keyblade. Sora glared at the three villains and waited for each of them to rush at him. For the most part, they were attacking one at a time. Every now and then, the Beagle Boys ganged up in twos or all at once, so Sora had to swing his Keyblade around in a full circle whenever that happened. He retained his glare at the enemies until one of them finally dropped down from exhaustion. "_Take_ _**this**_!" Sora hollered as he continued to smack the other two Beagle Boys around.

In the meantime, Amemi seized the Wargoyle Heartless's attention and shot her slingshot at it. The Heartless flinched each time it was hit. Before long, the creature swooped lower and tried to slam straight into the young woman. Amemi was too quick and slid her way around an empty prison carriage. The Heartless slammed headfirst into the carriage and roared in agony. "That's what you get!" Amemi scolded.

The Heartless struggled to break free from the carriage and ended up snapping the cage in two. Amemi saw the creature heading her way and took off towards a nearby maypole; she wondered if this had been left behind from the festival. Acting in super-fast reflexes, she leapt onto the maypole and spun around it very rapidly. The Heartless swung its fists at the maypole, so Amemi flew off it and sent herself straight at the side of the cathedral. She made sure her feet were in front of her and bounced off the cathedral's wall. She tucked her arms and legs in and soared like a bullet straight into the Heartless's torso. The creature was so stunned by the attack, it fell to the ground. Amemi landed on her feet a few inches from the enemy's head. She turned to it and grinned. "WordGirl would be happy," she remarked.

A ring of fire appeared around the fallen Heartless. Amemi was so puzzled, she didn't see what was taking place… until it was too late. The Wargoyle Heartless rose from the ground, sending a column of fire flying upward. Amemi was caught in the flames and sent flying backward into a nearby building. She banged her head into the outer wall and slid down. Her eyesight blurred and she landed onto the ground. She wasn't moving.

Sora continued to swing his Keyblade when he saw what had happened to his sister. "_**Oh no**_!" he declared, slapping another Beagle Boy attack to one side.

In was then Phoebus rushed over to Amemi and helped her up. He glared at the Wargoyle Heartless. The monster seemed to be laughing out-of-control. Sora was furious. Not only had the creature injured his little sister, it was mocking her. He could no longer hold back his anger. "That _**does**_ it!"

When he saw the last two Beagle Boys charging at him with their swords swinging, Sora slashed his Keyblade through them, immobilizing the villains. He then knocked them high into the air and caused the Beagle Boys to slam straight into a nearby house. The impact knocked them out cold. With the Beagle Boys down, Sora sprinted towards the gigantic Heartless.

Once he'd grabbed the Wargoyle Heartless's focus, Sora shouted, "_**This**_'s for Amy!"

Sora dashed at the Heartless. Within seconds, he found himself hopping into the air and dashing through the sky at super-sonic speed. He positioned his Keyblade above his head and tilted his body a little to the right. He went spinning straight into the creature and delivered a smashing blow to the enemy. The Wargoyle Heartless roared in pain as it shriveled up and collapsed onto the plaza. Sora looked back in time to see an enormous captive heart rise into the sky and vanish from sight. The defeated Wargoyle Heartless vanished into Darkness.

Sora took a deep breath. The creature was gone and he could now take a moment to calm down. Sora walked over to Phoebus. "Is she okay?"

"She'll be alright," Phoebus informed the spikey-headed young man. "See? She's waking up."

Amemi's eyes fluttered open. She smiled. "Sora… "

"Amy," Sora said with a relieved smile. "I'm glad you're okay."

"I was like WordGirl," Amemi told her brother with excitement in her voice. "I went flying at the cathedral and knocked the Heartless onto the ground! It was _amazing_!"

Sora gave a nod. "C'mon, Amy. We still need to stop Frollo and Pete before they get into the cathedral."

Amemi nodded in return and clambered onto her feet. The two raced for the cathedral's entrance while Phoebus rejoined the fighting with the crowd of people.

* * *

Sora and Amemi were back at the entrance to Notré Dame just in time to see Frollo, Pete, and the Heartless about to splinter the cathedral's entrance doors apart. When they arrived, Sora yelled, "Hey! Leave this place alone!"

Pete whirled his head around and gasped when he saw the Wargoyle Heartless was gone. "B-but, how did youse —?!"

His shock swiftly transitioned into a snarl. He waved his fist at Sora. "Ya _little_ _**brat**_! Why I oughta —!"

Sora cut the villain off by twirling his Keyblade in his right hand. He positioned it on his shoulder and grinned brighter than before. "I prefer '_Keyblade __**Master**_'!" he declared in a loud and proud voice.

"He's right, you know!" Amemi approved of Sora's statement. She smiled just as brightly as her brother.

Pete could only glare at the two. He stomped his feet and shook his fists. The sight reminded Sora and Amemi of a little kid throwing a temper tantrum. When pointed at the two again, Pete snarled, "Time for 'Plan C'! I'm finishin' you two off now!"

Sora positioned his Keyblade to fight. Amemi pointed her slingshot at Pete's face. Before anyone could make the first move, a bright light came from above. The group swung their eyes up. They stared in alarm, seeing a large amount of blazing, molten lead was falling from above as rain would. The Heartless soldiers didn't notice and were vanquished by the molten lead the instant it touched them.

The next moment happened so swiftly, Sora could only recall certain parts. He saw an outraged Frollo seize Amemi and pull her behind the raining lead before they were sealed off like they'd ducked behind a waterfall. Pete was so terrified at the thought of being burned to a crisp, he opened a dark portal and shouted at Sora, "I'll deal with you next time!"

Sora had jumped back when the molten lead splashed onto the steps and bounced down to the ground below when he slipped and fell. His Keyblade clattered down beside him and he landed on his face. He slowly looked up and saw Frollo and Amemi had vanished behind the curtain of fiery lead. "Oh no!" he yelled.

"Sora!" Sora turned back to see Phoebus rushing over to him. The blonde-haired man looked concerned. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Sora sighed. He climbed to his feet and grabbed his Keyblade from the ground. He then gazed back at the cathedral. The entire entrance was blocked by a shower of molten substance. "But Amy's inside with Frollo."

Phoebus was angry. "I know a way inside."

"Huh?" Sora _was_ surprised. What other way was there into the cathedral of Notré Dame?

"There is a side door," Phoebus informed the Keyblade wielder. "I used it when you and Quasimodo drove me out."

Sora had to nod. He remembered driving out Phoebus alongside Quasimodo since the former had seemed to be on Frollo's side at the time. Of course, that wasn't the case now.

"Let's get going," Sora stated. Phoebus gave him a nod and led the way. The path _did_ lead around the waterfalls of molten substance and to a small, side door in the cathedral.

* * *

She was struggling — a lot. Despite how much Amemi wrestled, Frollo held her tight. He started to show signs of summoning Heartless, something Amemi had only heard Sora talk about with his friends, Riku and Kairi. She'd been eavesdropping on those "private conversations". Now, it seemed everything her brother had said _was_ true. There were other worlds. The Keyblade was a weapon that could save the worlds. There were Heartless. There were people who would use the Heartless to create chaos and do mean things. People like… Frollo — and Pete, too.

Amemi kicked at the corrupt man. Frollo winced at the pain. This gave the young woman the opportunity to break free and start to run for the exit. Frollo swung the sword in his hands. The blunt side of the blade struck Amemi in the back of her head, knocking her down. She rolled over and lay upright on the tiled floor. Her eyesight was a little blurry, but she could still see everything going on in the room.

There was the Archdeacon, marching up to Frollo. His face was red with fury. "Frollo! Have you gone mad?" he growled. "I will _**not**_ tolerate this assault on the house of God!"

Frollo grabbed the older man by his neck and shoved him aside. "Silence, you old fool!"

The villain marched up the stairs leading to the bell towers. His voice echoed back, "The hunchback and I have unfinished business to attend to. And this time, you will _not_ interfere."

There was the sound of a door slamming, followed by a lock clicking. Amemi was appalled. Here she was, lying in a daze on the floor of a massive, luxurious cathedral. Sora was nowhere in sight. Frollo was getting away, and there was nothing she could do… for now, that is.

She felt a tear slide down her face. This situation was one that definitely called for someone like WordGirl. Only a superhuman… or an alien girl with superpowers could stop the judge and prevent disaster. She'd been trying so hard to be like her favorite animated character. Maybe Sora was correct. Maybe WordGirl wasn't real. Maybe it was only a show. Maybe everything their dad had said about other universes was fictional.

She wanted to close her eyes and disappear for good….

"Amy!"

The shout and easily-recognizable voice filled her ears. Amemi opened her eyes. To her surprise, Sora and Phoebus were inside the cathedral. Phoebus was helping the Archdeacon up while Sora hurried to his sister. "Are you okay?" her brother asked for what could've been the hundredth time he'd asked her in the last four years.

"Yes," Amemi answered as Sora helped her up. She smiled. Before anyone could speak, the sandy-haired girl gave her brother a hug. "Thank you."

Sora looked a bit perplexed and uncomfortable. "Huh?! Amy, what's gotten into you?"

Amemi backed off. Her smile vanished. "I was just showing you how much I care about you, Sora."

She crossed her arms and looked away. "I guess it isn't worth it."

"No, no! That's not it at all!" Sora rapidly stated. He paused and sighed. He had to grin. "You're really taking after Mom, Kairi, and me."

Amemi turned her eyes back to him. "Really?"

"Yeah!"

"I am?"

"Of course!"

She had to smile and wipe the tears out of her eyes. "Sora, that's one of the nicest things you've said."

"What'd you expect?"

She shook her head. "Wait until Kairi hears about this."

Sora was taken aback. "_**What**_?!"

Amemi started giggling. This made Sora smile and place his hands behind his head. This was one of those times….

"So, where's Frollo?" Sora inquired after two minutes had passed.

Amemi pointed to the stairs. "He went upstairs, saying something about 'unfinished business'. But he locked the door."

"No problem," Sora announced with a grin. He turned around and headed for the stairway. He marched up the stairs and found the door his sister was talking about. He pointed his Keyblade at the lock and watched as it shone a beam of Light into the keyhole. The lock clicked and the door creaked open.

"That was amazing… "

Sora turned around to see Amemi looking at him from behind. He shook his head and grinned some more. "You haven't seen anything yet."

The two headed up into the upper floors of the cathedral of Notré Dame. Hopefully there was still time to stop Frollo before anyone else got hurt….

* * *

Up in the bell tower of Notré Dame, Donald was grinning happily. The Heartless soldiers attacking the cathedral had been terminated. With the molten lead Quasimodo, Hugo, Victor, and Laverne had poured out over the edge of the railing, there was no way Pete or the others down below would be entering the cathedral anytime soon.

The duck mage looked to his left. Goofy and Launchpad were giving the gargoyles high-fives. Quasimodo rushed into a nearby room and declared in a thrilled voice, "We've done it, Esmeralda! We've beaten them back! Come and see!"

All eyes turned to the doorway. When Quasimodo and Esmeralda didn't come out, Donald trailed Goofy and Launchpad over to the entrance. There was Quasimodo knelt beside Esmeralda. The raven-haired woman was not moving. She didn't even seem to be breathing. Either she was out cold, in a coma, or she was….

Quasimodo was sobbing. Tears fell from his eyes like a tiny river. This sight was plenty for Donald to assume the worse had happened. He frowned, starting to feel what the bell ringer was probably feeling. Why hadn't he tried harder to break free from those chains? Was this how he would look after Daisy someday? The sudden thought of being married to a sore loser like Daisy was so shocking, Donald shoved it clear out of his mind.

The three closed the door in silence and strolled sadly away. Goofy pulled out a Kleenex and very loudly blew his nose. He handed the soaked tissue to Launchpad, who blew his nose into it, too. When the pilot tried to hand the drenched Kleenex to Donald, the latter shook his head and started to feel greenish.

The noise of footsteps hurrying towards them filled the air. Before their eyes, Sora and Amemi came rushing from around the side of the bell tower. "Sora! Amemi!" Donald declared.

"Where'd you come from?" Goofy wondered. "Are you both okay?"

Sora nodded quickly. "Yeah, we're good. Guys, we got a problem."

"What kinda problem?"

"Frollo's around somewhere," Amemi explained. This resulted in sudden gasps from Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. "We _must_ track him down."

"We've been here the whole time," Donald informed the two siblings. "Nobody's got past us!"

Sora crossed his arms in thought. Where could Frollo have gone? Was he lurking behind the corner waiting to strike a surprise attack on them? Had he slipped into the bell tower to hide until they gave up looking for him? Was he hunting down Quasimodo at this very moment?

One thing was for certain. There were a lot a places to search inside the huge bell towers.

* * *

Quasimodo's mind was reeling. His thoughts were in such a blur, all he could do was feel guilty. He hadn't rescued Esmeralda in time. He had failed to save the only true friend he'd ever had. He would never feel her kindness again. He would never see her smile. He would be able to tell her how much her friendship meant to him….

The door opened. A figure stepped inside. Quasimodo did not move. When a hand touched his shoulder, he knew who the stranger was. His Master, Frollo.

"You killed her," he said in barely a whisper.

"It was my duty, horrible as it was," Frollo answered. "I hope you can forgive me."

Quasimodo went on grieving. "There, there, Quasimodo," Frollo said in a voice that seemed to be trying to reassure the bell ringer. "I know it hurts. But now, the time has come to end your suffering… forever."

Through his peripheral vision, Quasimodo saw Frollo's silhouette on the wall before him. The shadow was raising what he could tell was a sharp dagger. In one hasty move, Quasimodo spun around and grabbed Frollo's arms. Frollo struggled to break free, causing the bell ringer to shove the judge aside and snatch the dagger as it fell to the floor. Frollo slammed into the wall beside the doorway and froze when he saw Quasimodo holding the dagger like he was a serious huntsman about to kill a princess. His hands were trembling from anger and his face showed signs of rage.

Frollo looked frightened and reached out his hand to stop the young man. "Now, now, listen to me, Quasimodo."

Quasimodo's anger towards his guardian had reached its peak. "No, _**you**_ listen!" he shouted with sorrow in his tone of voice. He violently tossed the dagger to the other side of the room. "All my life you have told the world is a dark, cruel place. But now, I see that the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like _you_!"

Frollo was shaking with fear. Deep down, the judge could sense the heart of Light Quasimodo was starting to show in full force. He could not allow that Light to escape. What would Maleficent say?

"Quasimodo?" The two turned around to see Esmeralda was now sitting up in the bed. She looked a little dazed.

Quasimodo was beyond pleased. "Esmeralda!"

Frollo was not pleased in the least, little bit. He glowed a dark-purple color and grabbed a sword from the floor. "She lives!"

"No!" Quasimodo was horrified when he saw the sword. He scooped Esmeralda into his arms and rushed out the doorway. Frollo was seconds behind.

* * *

Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad had looked through ever last nook and cranny in the bell tower. There was no sign of Frollo or any Heartless. For that matter, Sora also took note of how Quasimodo wasn't around. He did not see Esmeralda anywhere either. In fact, Hugo, Victor, and Laverne were nowhere to be found. It appeared the entire area had been vacated with such haste, only the people and talking stone gargoyles had left.

"Where is he?" Sora finally asked aloud. He had just reunited with his teammates on the balcony between the twin bell towers. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad shrugged.

"Who knows?" Amemi added. "Quasimodo and Esmeralda aren't here, too."

"Yes, they are," Donald stated. He pointed to a nearby door. "He's inside, crying."

"'Crying'?" Sora inquired. He failed to notice the door was slightly ajar. "Why?"

"Esmeralda's gone," Goofy explained. He looked down sadly.

Sora was suddenly filled with total astonishment and dismay. If the raven-headed young woman really was gone, then that meant Quasimodo had not rescued her in time. The smoke. It _had_ gotten to her. She had suffocated before the bell ringer and Launchpad had swung down to save her and the Keyblader.

He sighed. "No way… "

Why did this stuff always seem to happen? He had lost Kairi once… but he later found her. He had been all upset that Tron had been derezzed by CLU back in _**The Grid**_… until it was revealed Tron had been reprogrammed into the hostile program, Rinzler. Now it seemed Esmeralda was gone… or was she? Since the others had turned out to be okay, could Esmeralda _also_ be alright?

A loud crash echoed from the nearby room. Everyone swung their attention to it. A minute went by before they saw Quasimodo rushing past with a conscious Esmeralda in his arms. He hopped over the railing beyond the group and seemingly disappeared.

Sora felt relieved. Esmeralda _was_ alright. He and the others had been worried all for nothing.

Another person emerged from the room with a sword in hand. Sora and his team stared. There was Frollo, a dark-purple color illuminated from the older man's body.

"Where are you?" the judge muttered to himself, ignoring Sora and the others staring at him. He took a few steps over to the far end of the balcony and jumped around the corner. Seeing nothing, he looked both left and right. After seeing Sora's group, he stepped up to the edge of the railing. He gave a sinister grin.

There were Quasimodo and Esmeralda. The bell ringer was hanging onto the nearest figurehead. The young woman had her arms wrapped around his upper torso. "Leaving so soon?" Frollo inquired, a hint of pure evil in his voice.

Frollo swung his sword, but Quasimodo dodged the attack. The bell ringer had swung to another spot. When Frollo prepared to swing his sword a second time, Quasimodo yelled, "Hang on!"

Before Frollo could slice the two apart, Quasimodo swung off the figurehead and started hanging onto the next one over. Frollo yanked his sword out of the stone and moved on down after them.

* * *

Nearby, Sora and his friends were filled with alarm. "We gotta _do_ something!" Sora declared.

"But what?" Donald asked.

Goofy gulped. "Look at that!"

Frollo now had Quasimodo cornered on the railing. Esmeralda had climbed off the bell ringer's shoulders and was crawling away from the scene.

Sora had seen enough. He knew something terrible was about to take place and did not want to see it happen. He summoned his Keyblade. "_**Frollo**_! _**Stop**_ it!"

Frollo stole a glimpse of the Keyblade wielder rushing at him. He raised his left hand at the brown, spikey-haired young man. A wall of red flames appeared, forcing Sora to come to a sudden halt. It was clear. There was no way around the flames. Frollo had sealed off the area around him, Quasimodo, and Esmeralda.

"No!" Sora shouted. He swung his Keyblade at the fire, but it bounced straight back. He almost lost his grip on the weapon in the process. He veered his attention back to his friends. "Help me out, guys!"

"I have no magic!" Donald yelled in reply. He looked at the others. "_Any_ Eithers?!"

Amemi started going through the pockets in her jacket. Sora sighed in irritation. Waiting for his sister to go through everything she had zipped up in her jacket was no different than watching airline personnel going through an entire backpack of stuff at a snail's pace. He switched his eyes back to Frollo.

* * *

Frollo glared at Quasimodo. "I should have known you'd risk your life to save that gypsy witch," he snarled. "Just as your own mother died trying to save you."

Quasimodo's eyes lit up in shock. "What?!"

Frollo gave a "polite" bow before raising his sword back over his head. "Now I'm going to do what I should have done twenty years ago!"

Quasimodo jumped back as Frollo flipped forward and over the railing. The judge landed onto a figurehead. Quasimodo was about to fall when Esmeralda rushed over and grabbed his hand. "Hold on!" she said in a loud voice.

Not one to give up so easily, Frollo steadied himself onto the figurehead and stood up all the way. He gave a sinister laugh and gave an equally, dark grin at the raven-haired woman before him. He positioned his sword behind his head and, in a very loud voice, proclaimed, "And he shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit — _**forever**_!"

* * *

Sora was shaking with complete fear and anxiety. He felt a rush of super-energy, similar to what he'd felt while taking on the Wargoyle Heartless earlier. His heart started to race like he was a racecar in the _Indianapolis 500_. He positioned his Keyblade, ready to slash through the flames on a moment's notice.

"Here! I found one!" Amemi declared. She held up the Hi-Ether in her hand and handed it to Donald. The duck gulped the container's contents down and grinned. He pointed his wand at the flames and shouted at them.

"_Blizzara_!"

The magical ice doused the flames in an instant. Sora saw his chance had come. He darted to the railing where Frollo was about to swing his sword and kill Esmeralda, which would ultimately cause Quasimodo to fall to his doom, too.

"Frollo!" Sora hollered. He waved his left fist at the villain.

Frollo stopped and turned his eyes to the young man. His grin faded and he snorted his disapproval. He gestured at the still-burning buildings in the distant and the darkened sky above. "You see?" he said. "_This_ is the power that has been granted to me."

Sora pointed his Keyblade straight at Frollo. "All I see is some old guy with _**dark**_ heart!" he struck back.

Frollo's frown hastily became a scowl. "Again, you are _**wrong**_!" he argued. Darkness radiated from him as he raised his sword high into the air. He jumped back over the railing. "Now, you shall _all_ be judged — just like the _**rest**_!"

Sora readied his Keyblade in his normal fighting stance. The two glared at each other for a moment or two. Then the battle started. Sora lunged at Frollo, but the latter swung his sword and knocked him back. Frollo summoned a few flying Heartless Sora had never seen before. They were shaped like bats, but they were pure black and lacked the Heartless emblem. He swung his Keyblade at each monster, terminating them each quickly.

Frollo didn't stop there. He pointed his sword into the air and sent a barrage of Darkness orbs raining down from the weapon's tip. Sora was barely able to dodge them all before he turned back to face the judge. He rushed forward, only to have Frollo block and counter his attack. Sora felt backward onto the balcony. He flipped upright and landed onto his feet.

Frollo was furious. Sora was not going down easy either. The two were now locked into a constant clashing of sword and Keyblade. The fight wasn't all that hard for Sora. He had defeated multiple villains who used similar weapons. He'd countered and parried every swing Shan-Yu had dealt at him. He had forced Barbossa backward into a mound of treasure by blocking his swing, stepping on his sword, and then slapping his Keyblade under the villain's chin.

Unlike those other two, Frollo's swings were slow, but well-aimed. He could have sliced Sora's neck if the young man had not seen the attack coming. If Sora hadn't been focusing on simply defeating the judge, he might have stabbed Frollo to death.

Of course, _that_ was one thing Sora knew he could _**never**_ do! He'd never stabbed _anyone_! He was not a murderer. He was a Keyblade hero, and he wanted it to stay that way — no matter what befell him during his quests!

After the clashing had gone on for nearly ten minutes, Frollo and Sora both bent down to catch their breath. Frollo seized this chance to swing his sword at Sora. "Welcome to your Judgement Day!" the villain yelled.

Sora immediately brought his Keyblade up and blocked the attack. "_**Shut-Up**_!" he shouted.

With an unanticipated thrust of his arms, Sora shoved his Keyblade forward. The weapon lurched ahead, knocking Frollo back so far, the villain lost his sword and flipped backward over the railing. Sora was so startled, he rushed to the railing in time to see Frollo falling head-first toward the flames in the plaza below. In a loud voice, Judge Frollo declared, "Judgement is _**mine**_!"

Sora watched as the villain vanished from view. He felt a sudden wave of shock and alarm. Had he _really_ just _**killed**_ someone?! What had caused this to take place? Then again, it might have not been his doing. Frollo's heart had simply fallen to Darkness. Yes! That was it! He had _not_ killed anyone. He had only watched someone's heart disappear into the Darkness for good. Just like when Riku had shoved Mother Gothel out of Rapunzel's tower in _**Corona**_.

By now, Judge Claude Frollo and Mother Gothel were probably meeting each other in the _Realm of Darkness_, or wherever hearts go when their owners fall into Darkness.

With a deep sigh of relief, Sora turned his head back to see his teammates looking back. They were staring at him like they'd just seen an assassination taking place.

"Huh?" Sora asked. "What's wrong?"

Donald's hands were shaking as he pointed at Sora. "_**Sora**_!" he said, his voice barely able to bring out the words. "You were _**glowing**_!"

"It was _spooky_," Amemi admitted. "It reminded me of last Halloween."

Launchpad seemed unfazed. "It was nothing big," he remarked.

Goofy seemed to have a completely different approach. "Thuh Keyblade… it was covered by _Darkness_. Sora, you _**do**_ have some of Xehanort's Darkness still in ya!"

Sora could not believe his own hearing. He recalled how Goofy and Donald had suggested it was possible the Darkness Xehanort had placed into his heart back in the _Realm of Sleep_ was still in him. Apparently, they were correct.

There was still some extra Darkness in him. Wait. Did that mean he _had_ killed Frollo? No way! That would have been completely out-of-character for him! Then again, the very idea of using the Darkness at all was entirely out-of-character for him, too.

Sora shoved the contemplation aside and smiled at his friends. "Hey! No worries!" he tried to sound cheerful (as usual). "At least there's one less guy working with Maleficent."

Goofy and Donald were a little unsure. "I don't know," the latter said.

Amemi folded her arms across her chest. She took a deep breath before she spoke. "Sora, someone's death is _not_ something to be proud about."

Sora shook his head. "I didn't kill _**anyone**_! His heart fell to Darkness! That's all!"

Amemi rolled her eyes a tad. Only Launchpad was still smiling. "Heh, heh, happens to the best of us," the pilot chuckled. "Now we just have to save a damsel in distress."

Sora's eyes widened in a hurry. He'd completely forgotten about Quasimodo and Esmeralda. "Oh no!"

The young man spun around. Esmeralda was still leaning over the railing. He hurried over and saw Quasimodo was slipping. "Quasi!" Sora declared. He grabbed the bell ringer's hand.

"Quasimodo!" Esmeralda strained to hold on. "Quasi!"

Sora felt his hand slipping away. At once, Quasimodo slipped free altogether. Sora and Esmeralda stared in horror as the bell ringer plunged toward the flames below. Sora's heart skipped a beat. Was this the end of Quasimodo, too?

Quasimodo stopped falling. Halfway down the cathedral, someone helped the bell ringer safely inside. Esmeralda's eyes lit up and she rushed away to the nearest doorway in the bell tower. Curious about where she was headed, Sora followed. Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were directly behind him.

* * *

Down below, there was a narrow corridor inside the cathedral. It was here Phoebus had just finished clearing out some Heartless soldiers when he'd seen Quasimodo falling. He had rapidly reached out and caught the young man. After pulling him to safety, Quasimodo smiled and gave Phoebus a hug. Phoebus returned the embrace.

Esmeralda suddenly came rushing in through a nearby doorway. Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were straight behind. They all stopped and gave relieved smiles when they saw Phoebus and Quasimodo grinning.

Esmeralda stepped up to Quasimodo and gave him a heartfelt hug. Although Sora could tell Quasimodo enjoyed it, he refused to admit this was anything like how he felt about Kairi. He and Kairi were just friends, and they would _always_ be just friends. …Wouldn't they?

The bell ringer latter took Esmeralda's hand and held it. He did the same for Phoebus with his other hand. Quasimodo put his hands together and, with a large smile, removed his hands to reveal Phoebus and Esmeralda were now holding each other's hand. When they saw this, Phoebus and Esmeralda smiled at each other and shared a kiss. Sora and Amemi grinned while Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad covered their eyes in a hurry.

Sora shook his head. This was one sight he didn't want to forget… hopefully this would not be what he would see with Riku and Kairi. _That_ would _**not**_ be a pretty sight!

* * *

Phoebus and Esmeralda proudly stepped through what was left of the entrance doors of the cathedral. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were directly behind them. The group was met with a series of cheers and happy shouts from the townspeople outside. The Heartless were gone and the sky was as bright and clear as it should be. Phoebus and Esmeralda raised their hands into the air in victory.

In turn, Sora raised his Keyblade. "We _did_ it!" he declared.

"Yes!" Donald agreed.

"Yahoo!" Goofy cheered, jumping up and down.

"You _said_ it!" Launchpad proclaimed.

Amemi smiled at her brother. "I was wrong," she told Sora. "You used to make your adventures sound so exciting and fun. Now I can see they really aren't all 'fun and games'."

Sora nodded at his sister. "Yeah. The Heartless aren't something you wanna see in any world."

Amemi gave a nod of her own. She smiled brighter. "Still, can I tag along for the rest of this quest?"

Sora shrugged. "Why not?"

He glanced at his friends. "How 'bout it? Can we have a girl among us?"

Amemi looked stern. "That wasn't nice," she scolded. Her smile returned a moment later. She shook her head. "You sound a lot like Becky's brother, TJ."

Sora had to grin to _that_ statement. He knew it was true.

The applause finally died down. Esmeralda walked back inside the cathedral. She stopped and bent lower before extending her hand into the interior of the building. Sora and the others looked inside. They could see an anxious Quasimodo still hiding in the shadows.

Sora's grin faded. "Quasimodo," he said in a calm voice. "You can't let your heart be a prison."

"I know," Quasimodo confessed with a sigh. "Master Frollo… he made me live inside the bell tower. I can't blame him for putting walls around me. It wasn't those walls that were holding me back. The real walls were the ones I'd built around my heart."

He smiled at Sora and Esmeralda. "You helped me see that," he continued. "My heart is free now. I'm ready to really see what's out there."

Sora nodded. This was exactly what he had once expected to hear Rapunzel say.

Quasimodo took a deep breath and accepted Esmeralda's hand. She led him outside the doorway. The sunlight was so bright, the bell ringer had to pause so his eyes could adjust. When he looked again, he could see lots of people staring at him with uncertainty. He started to feel a little nervous.

Sora saw this anxiety written on Quasimodo's face. "It's okay," he told the young man.

At that moment, a little girl with golden hair and wearing a violet dress strode up the steps to Quasimodo. She also had a white apron-like garment around her skirt and her head was covered by a hood. She stared at the bell ringer for a second before reaching out and touching his face. Quasimodo wanted to step back, fear starting to take hold. Sora stared, fearing the worst.

When he realized he was safe and okay, he relaxed and smiled. The girl smiled, seeing how Quasimodo wasn't a dangerous person after all. She led him down the steps where everyone else started to gather around Quasimodo with smiles.

Sora grinned, knowing the townspeople were not afraid of the bell ringer. They could now see he was a harmless young man who cared about others more than anyone really had known. He noticed the tall, thin man (who had been leading the gypsies in the _Court of Miracles_) hanging onto a nearby maypole. In a cheerful voice, he shouted, "Three cheers for Quasimodo and his friends!"

The crowd cheered once more and they lifted Quasimodo into the air like he was a true hero. To Sora's team, that was the case. The man slid down the maypole and approached Sora and his team. He was still smiling. He gestured out at the crowd and declared, "So, _here_ is a riddle to — guess if you can — sing the bells of Notré Dame. _What_ makes a monster, and _what_ makes a man?"

Before Sora and his teammates had a chance to answer, numerous voices seemed to fill the air. "_Sing the bells… bells… bells… bells… _"

"Whatever their pitch," the man called out. "You can feel them bewitch you — the rich and the ritual knells… "

Sora relaxed and placed his hands behind his head. He started to rock back and forth. His famous grin was still showing on his face. He listened intently as the man and unknown voices all cheered, "…_of the Bells of __**Notré **__**Dame**_!"

When he felt a strong Light, the spikey-haired Keyblade wielder realized where the mysterious voices had come from. It was the world's heart calling out with joy. He had to grin much more brilliant than ever before.

A bright Light shone down. At first, Sora assumed it was coming from above, before he realized it was coming from behind him. He cocked his head to the left and stared in amazement. "Guys," he told his companions.

Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all turned around when they saw what Sora was pointing at. A rather large shape was glowing the middle of the stained-glass window above them.

A Keyhole… the world's heart was somewhere inside.

Sora stared at it like it was the first time he'd seen one, and by this point, he had seen several. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all walked over to him and looked up at the glowing keyhole.

"Wow!" Donald exclaimed.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy commented. "Kinda purty!"

"Aw shucks," Launchpad complained. "It's just a keyhole."

Amemi was staring at the keyhole with intense focus. "A Keyhole… why does this seem so… familiar?"

"Amy?" Sora asked the moment he noticed his little sister was in some type of trance.

Amemi broke free and whirled her attention over to the seventeen-year-old Keyblader. "Huh? Oh, yes. Sora, don't you have something to do?"

Sora gave a nod. He pointed his Keyblade straight at the Keyhole. A ball of Light shone out from the tip of the blade and sent a beam of Light at the Keyhole's center. The beam struck the Keyhole directly. The glow grew brighter for a few seconds before it faded away. There was an audible lock and the Keyhole disappeared from view.

Amemi was still impressed. "I wonder, why does the Keyblade do that little light show?"

Sora turned to his sister. "The Keyhole leads to the heart of the world," he told her. "The Heartless are trying to steal the world's heart."

Amemi looked a bit shaken. "Is there any way to stop it from happening?"

Sora nodded. "I can seal the Keyholes, with this," he held up his Keyblade. "Once I sealed that Keyhole, there's no way the Heartless can threaten this world."

Amemi smiled. "That's good."

Sora nodded. "Yeah, it is."

A bright Light suddenly appeared from above. The group swung their attention back to the stained-glass window. A beam of Light shone out from the window and into the sky. Everyone watched as the Light formed a gigantic Keyhole-shape in the sky.

Sora grinned. "Alright," he told the others. "Once I unlock _this_ Keyhole, we can move on with this adventure."

Amemi was startled. "'_Unlock_' it?! But I thought you were supposed to _seal_ the Keyholes!"

Sora shook his head. "This isn't an ordinary Keyhole. It's a gate to the next world. If I don't unlock it, we can't continue on our quest."

Amemi looked puzzled beyond understanding. Sora grinned at her. "I know, it's complicated," he admitted. "But other worlds are _still_ calling for help. We've got a job to do."

Amemi gave another shrug. "I'll just play along with everything you just said. Maybe WordGirl can help me makes sense of it — once I finally meet her in person."

Sora pointed his Keyblade straight at the Keyhole-shape in the sky. A beam of light shot out from the weapon and shone directly in the shape. It unlocked, sending a brilliant array of Light all around. Once it had faded, Sora turned to his friends.

"You guys ready to go?" he asked.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad nodded. Amemi gave her own nod a moment later. Sora nodded in return. Goofy reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, grey remote. He pressed a button on it and the five friends instantly teleported out of the view of any of the world's inhabitants.

**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches** was now at peace.

* * *

From the outside, _**Villain's Vale**_ was still surrounded by hordes of Heartless. The creatures were so tightly bound, it almost looked like they were swampy, black soup. In the fortress's tallest tower, a series of shouts, screams, and flashes of lightning magic could be seen, even from a few hundred feet away.

"_**You**_ _**incompetent**_ _**idiot**_!" Maleficent hollered. "How _**dare**_ you return here empty-handed — _**again**_!"

"B-but I _tried_ ta take over!" Pete pleaded. He tried the puppy-dog pout expression he'd seen his daughter, Pistol, use. Sadly, he had completely forgotten such techniques never work on someone like Maleficent.

With a twirl of her staff, Maleficent sent a bolt of green lightning flying at Pete. The large cat-man ducked down in a hurry. He quivered with fear. "Not only did you _**not**_ conquer a simple world," the evil fairy snarled. "You allowed Frollo's heart to be consumed by the Darkness. He was one of our _best_ members, and you let him be taken away by the Heartless."

Pete gulped. He glanced around the circular chamber. Only Mortimer Mouse was there. He tried to plead for help, but the long-snouted mouse did not pay him any mind. Knowing he was on his own, Pete turned back to Maleficent. "But what about them Beagle Boys?" he questioned. "They ain't come back neither."

Maleficent's rage decreased and she seemed to have calmed down at last. Pete gave a relieved sigh. One minute, the villainess had been going hullabaloo. Now she was as calm as Saïx, one of Organization XIII's former members.

"Yes… they haven't come back, have they?" the witch seemed to give a hint of a smile. She turned to face the grinning Mortimer Mouse. "Bring Cinnamon Teal, Doctor Drakken, and Don Karnage to me. I have a little 'proposition' for some of you."

The moment he heard "proposition", Pete's mind also thought "a _second chance_". He was on his hands and knees in an instant. "Oh, please! _Please_! Let me help out!"

Maleficent snorted at the large cat-man's behavior. "Stand up!" she demanded. Pete was on his feet in less than the amount of time it took the evil fairy to blink her eyes. "Now then, I will send you along — on one condition."

"Uh… okay? What 'condition'?" Pete asked.

"If you dare to fail me again, I will have you washing this entire fortress with a sponge and toothbrush ten thousand times over."

He gulped with anxiety. "I gotcha."

Pete knew it was so. There was no backing out now. He needed to prove himself to Maleficent, show her how loyal he was. The only way to do that now was to return from this assignment a success instead of the previous failure(s) from before.

* * *

There were no blinking stars. Only twinkling ones. This sight helped bring Riku's mind to rest. He knew there was an excellent chance Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad had saved a world from the Heartless yet again. What a relief!

He turned away from the moon-shaped window and walked around Master Yen Sid's desk. He noticed the retired Keyblade Master had his eyes closed and head tilted towards the floor. It seemed he was either deep in thought or meditating. Chances were, it was probably the former. After all, there was still no finalized information regarding whether it was Xehanort or Maleficent causing all the trouble this time.

The silver-haired youth strolled toward the small, wooden doorway leading downstairs. The door suddenly opened and Mickey stepped in. The mouse king stared at him in surprise. "Riku. I was just on my way to see you."

"Is something wrong?" Riku asked.

"I just spoke with Violet," the king admitted. "She said you said you weren't gonna trust her again. Sounds like you two had a fight."

Riku shook his head. "It wasn't a 'fight'. It was… "

Mickey's nod cut him off. "I know. You feel like you've been betrayed by a friend. I know how that is. When I first started learning how to use a Keyblade, Master Yen Sid had another apprentice."

"_Another_ apprentice?" Now Riku was interested. "Who was he?"

"We called him 'Bob'," Mickey explained. "But I always thought he looked more like an inkblot. I started to call him, '_The Phantom Blot_'. He liked the name. Then, one day, he just disappeared. Master Yen Sid later told me he'd given up his training, but it kinda felt like there's something missin' here."

He sighed. "I always wondered if my teasing ended up destroying him. If he disappeared because of me, then I'm the one who betrayed him."

Riku paused to think it over. If everything Mickey had just said was accurate, Master Yen Sid had once had two Keyblade apprentices. One was Mickey, and the other was named 'Bob'. One day, 'Bob' vanished, leaving Mickey mystified if it was his fault his fellow apprentice had left without a trace.

Hopefully this was not the kind of story ending the silver-haired Keyblade wielder was going to face with the Angel of Dreams. True, he had clashed with Violet sometimes. For the most part, the angel had simply frowned at him or scolded him for something he'd said. She had also done the same for Sora. She was a loyal and True Friend. He was _not_ about to give that up for anything. Same with… her.

His mind went moving back to Niccole. The golden-haired young woman he had met back in _**Wonderland**_. He had always tried to be a good friend to her, but then Maleficent was there and… he wished he could go back in time and straighten everything out. Yet, like Xehanort's Heartless had told in the _Realm of Sleep_, he couldn't run from the past and there was no way to rewrite history.

"I know how you must feel about Niccole," Mickey went on.

Riku was taken by surprise. Had the mouse just read his mind? It had to be a mere coincidence.

"She is a loyal friend," the king added. "I know. I rescued her from the castle dungeon. She was all upset, claiming she'd been betrayed by a friend. I told her I'd be her friend. She smiled, so I set her free."

Riku's eyes widened. He stared at Mickey. "She cares about you, Riku. Violet and Niccole are two of your Truest Friends — and they are both around here right now," the mouse king added. He sighed and his eyes became downcast. "But I can't help ya with this. You'll need to resolve these problems on your own."

Mickey stepped away. He headed for the closet. Riku leaned against the study's wall and slid down to the floor. He looked up at the ceiling. He imagined seeing glow-in-the-dark star stickers hanging from above. It would have felt just like the time he had spent the night at Sora's house ten years ago. With a deep sigh, Riku closed his eyes and tried to picture the sounds of distant waves lapping against a sandy beach.

He wondered if he would _ever_ be able to resolve all his problems by himself.

* * *

**A/N: YAY! WHAT A DETAILED CHAPTER!**

**(1.) So, here it goes. I will start by pointing out my favorite part in there. When Pete scolds Sora for defeating the Wargoyle Heartless, and Sora's reply is "I prefer, 'Keyblade Master'!", I just have to laugh at my own writing style. I actually create that particular moment a few years ago, but it was so well-accepted by my friends, I just had to bring it back.**

**(2.) I am certain you noticed how Sora directly battled Judge Claude Frollo. His style of fighting is shown in the movie, especially the way he handles his sword in the movie's climax. Interesting Point: After I wrote that entire scene, I looked back and realized how dark it truly was. It nearly blew me back!**

**(3.) You might be wondering what happened to the Beagle Boys. All I can say is, STAY TUNED! THEY MIGHT APPEAR SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THIS STORY!**

**(4.) Yes! I DO strongly feel Pete is a coward at heart. Try picturing how Pete would react in the "_Kingdom Hearts Games_" if he was working alongside Frollo. That's what helped me visualize This part of the story.**

**(5.) Yes, Amemi is supposed to be a huge fan of the PBS-Kids Show, "_WordGirl_". You might be able to take a guess as to why I decided to make her character that way... or maybe not. HA! HA!**

**(6.) In case I wasn't clear before, THIS PREVIOUS WORLD was one of the main reasons why I gave This Story a "T" rating instead of a "K+" rating.**

**So, without further ado, here is a RIDDLE HINT for the Next Disney-Based World in This Story!  
****HINT: "SORA AND HIS TEAM ARRIVE IN A "MIDDLE" CITY WHERE THE HEARTLESS RUN RAMPANT! WITH A "MAD" SCIENTIST TRYING TO CONQUER THE WORLD, AND HIS SIDEKICK POSSESSING WHAT APPEAR TO BE SUPERPOWERS, SORA'S TEAM WILL HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL TO CAPACITY! PERHAPS, THERE IS A CERTAIN HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADER WHO CAN PROVE QUITE HELPFUL... !"  
****IF You think you know what Disney Movie (OR Disney Franchise if you prefer) I am referring to, please post your answers in the REVIEWS Section for THIS CHAPTER!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	21. Ch21 - A Teenage Heroine In Middleton

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: I'M HERE! AND IN TIME TO SAY, "HAPPY THANKSGIVING!"**

**To Celebrate, here is CHAPTER 21! YIPPEE!**

**So, before I let you go on to read it, I wanted to say how I'm SURPRISED AT THE RECENT DECLINE IN REVIEWS! PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING! I understand it **  
**isn't easy saying something about a Chapter. I sometimes wonder what to say when I read someone else's story.**  
**It doesn't have to be a fancy, well-written review. Even a simple one will do!**

**For the record, I went to see "_The Good Dinosaur (2015)_" yesterday, so I can already picture "Kingdom Hearts" with it! Of course, as for MY stories, it might only be a Summon...**  
**On the positive side, I also got "_Inside Out (2015)_" on DVD and I've been watching it multiple times! It's interesting to have a Blu-ray Disc in 3D!**

**Plus, I haven't been having a good last few weeks. Maybe it's time for a temporary break...**

**Well... don't worry about THAT! It's time...**  
**...TIME TO READ ON! THIS CHAPTER REVEALS THE NEXT DISNEY-BASED WORLD IN _THIS STORY_! PLEASE READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! AND PLEEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEE _REVIEW_, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 21  
****A Teenage Heroine In Middleton**

_Herbie_ continued to soar rapidly through space. The stars outside were twinkling ever so slightly. The serene view was before Sora's eyes as he sat in the front seat of the Gummi Ship. He would have been awestruck at the very sight of all these stars, just like he'd been nearly two years ago.

He would have… if it wasn't for the loud theme music playing throughout the vehicle.

"_**WORD UP! IT'S WORDGIRL!**_"

He covered his ears with his hands.

"_**WORD UP! IT'S WORDGIRL!**_"

He slammed his eyes shut and tried to keep the noise out. He could still make out the song's lyrics.

"_**FLYING AT THE SPEED OF SOUND! VOCABULARY THAT ASTOUNDS! FROM THE PLANET LEXICON!"**_

"_**WATCH OUT VILLAINS! HERE SHE COMES!"**_

Sora gave a deep sigh. Ever since he'd returned to the Gummi Ship with Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi, the last two anthropomorphic characters had begged his sister to share everything she knew about the fictional superheroine, WordGirl. Goofy was _really_ impressed, saying things along the lines of, "A-Hyuck! She sounds sweet… and purty!"

"She's my kinda girl!" Launchpad had declared. "And I haven't even seen her in person."

Only Donald had rolled his eyes when Amemi had searched through a list of shows and movies in _Herbie_'s database. Unfortunately for Sora, she had found the first six seasons of the show and an hour-long movie. Per Goofy's recommendation, they were now watching some of Amemi's favorite episodes, which could've been all of them.

In fact, they'd been watching the show nonstop since leaving _**La Ville De Sonner Les Cloches**_. It was now starting to really annoy Sora. Through the corner of his eye, Sora saw Launchpad had a pair of headphones on and a CD player in his lap. He started to envy him; at least the pilot did not have to go through this annoying, deafening theme song on a daily basis!

"_**FACED WITH A CATASTROPHE, WE NEED THE LIVING DICTIONARY! HER SUPERIOR INTELLECT KEEPS THE CRIME WORLD IN CHECK! GO GIRL!"**_

Sora glanced back. He noticed Amemi's face with filled with excitement. Goofy was cheering and singing along with the theme music. It did not take long for the brown-haired young man to know why. The video displayed on the screen before the two was automatically subtitled.

"_**HUGGY FACE IS BY HER SIDE! VOCABULARY A MILE WIDE! SHE'LL MAKE SURE THAT CRIME WON'T PAY, THEN THROW SOME MIGHTY WORDS YOUR WAY!"**_

Sora's eyes landed onto Donald. The duck was ferociously trying to block out the blasting music by stuffing his ears with pieces of torn paper from a book in his lap. Sora had to smile when he saw the book's title.

"_**THE VERY BIG BOOK OF MANNERS**__**"**_

"…Very stupidly," was all that could understood from Donald's constant, soft, illegible garble.

"_**WORD UP! IT'S WORDGIRL! WORD UP! FROM THE PLANET LEXICON! WATCH OUT VILLAINS! HERE… SHE… COMES!"**_

Sora could finally uncover his ears. He noticed Donald was removing the crumpled paper. The show's volume level was much softer now; Goofy had turned it down. He glanced behind his seat to see Amemi and Goofy eagerly awaiting the episode as the title faded into the opening scene. "Hey, could you keep that softer?" he asked.

"Sorry," Goofy apologized as he pushed a button on the screen. The volume became softer.

Amemi shook her head. "I can't hear it now."

"It was too loud," Sora informed her.

"Now it is too soft."

"So? You've seen every show."

Amemi hit the "Pause" button and folded her arms. "Not _all_ of them. You know they're still making it."

Sora sighed. He was not getting through to his sister. "Look, could you keep it down? Some of us don't care for that show."

"Yeah," Donald spoke up in agreement. "It's very, very exasperating to watch."

"I like it," Goofy perked up.

Donald snorted. "You like anything."

"No I don't," the knight countered with a smile. "I don't like that there show about them weary-wolves."

He shivered, a little. "Too scary… "

Sora stared at the anthropomorphic dog. "Okay," was all the former could think of saying. He turned back to Amemi. "Just please make it a little softer."

Amemi looked away. After a minute or three, she took a deep breath. "I guess."

Sora turned back towards the front of the ship. He peered out the windshield into the distance. He grinned, feeling confident he had resolved another situation without having to resort to using his Keyblade. Hopefully, this time, his sister would do what he asked.

A small star up ahead started to get larger. Within seconds, _Herbie_ soared up to a large ball of glowing Light. Sora was surprised by what he saw through a number of openings in the clouds. An entire city could be seen somewhere in the middle of an enormous continent. A few smaller towns were also visible. He could also make out lots of ocean and mountains.

"This must be it," he muttered to himself.

Sora gazed back to see Amemi and Goofy watching the show, again. He spoke loud enough to be heard over it. "Guys, we're here."

"Already?" Amemi asked as she stopped the episode she and Goofy had been watching.

"Aw shucks," Goofy sighed. "We was gettin' to thuh best part, too."

"C'mon," Donald spoke up. "Let's go!"

Launchpad turned around in his seat. "Looks like a water-land below," he chuckled, keeping his eyes on the ocean. "Maybe we can go to the beach?"

"We've got a job to do," Sora reminded the pilot. "Let's teleport down."

Launchpad saluted. "Sure thing, lil' buddy!"

The pilot looked at the dashboard. He froze and scratched his head. "Except, I can't remember which is the 'teleport down' button."

He pointed at the buttons one at a time. "Was it this one? Or this one? Maybe it was the bright red one… or the dark-blue one. Or the orange one…. "

Sora rolled his eyes and slammed his fist onto a huge, golden-yellow button.

* * *

The next thing he knew, Sora was standing in the middle of a long, white sidewalk. Behind him, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were looking around every-which-way. Up above, they saw a massive, blue sky partly filled with clouds. Down below, they could see various houses and street signs, and even a car or two. The area was so peaceful, they could only hear the sounds of birds tweeting in some nearby trees.

The scent of something strong flowed into Sora's noise, followed by his companions. They quickly held their noses.

"What is that?" Sora inquired.

"It's _terrible_!" Donald complained.

"Reminds me of a barbecue gone bad," Launchpad stated.

"Me, too," Goofy added before he covered his mouth.

Amemi covered her mouth and tried to shove whatever the smell was aside with her free hand. "Whatever it is, it smells awful! Just… horrible!"

Launchpad looked around. "Is that a school?" he asked aloud. "It kinda looks like a 'school', with a brick building and windows, and it has a sign."

Sora and the others swerved their eyes to the side. Before them was a huge, stone building with at least two levels. There was a parking lot with a road that led up to the main entrance, which was partly covered by a study, metal awning. A tall flagpole was located out front, and there was a large sign near where the street led to the entrance. A capital letter "M" was on the sign as well as a message that read,

"**ARE U READY FOR THE BIG DANCE?****"**

Sora sighed deeply. If this really _was_ what Launchpad thought it was (and it sure _looked_ like it was), they were standing outside a school. The very sight made the brown-haired seventeen-year-old wish he was back home on the _**Destiny Islands**_. He didn't want to think about school during his Winter Break. Hopefully they could avoid this place at all costs.

Then again, the stench was getting much, much stronger by the minute. He wondered… could it be coming from inside this school?

"It's a school," Donald said.

Amemi shook her head. "Of course it is!"

Goofy looked around. "Where's all them kids?"

Before Sora or the others could say anything to answer Goofy's question, a series of shouts and screams filled the air. They swung their eyes at a nearby doorway, which happened to be open. Sora's eyes lit up; he could tell the foul smell was coming from inside that doorway.

"This way!" he called to the other four.

Before Donald, Goofy, Amemi, or Launchpad had a chance to react, Sora raced into the school. Certain this meant there was trouble afoot, they followed him. Still, neither Sora nor his teammates realized they were now in the world of **Middleton**.

* * *

Just inside the school, Sora came to a halt. He was inside a gymnasium, only without exercise equipment. Instead, both sides of the room contained wooden bleachers and the layout in the middle strongly resembled a basketball court. A series of banners hung from the ceiling. One of them read "_Middleton Mad Dogs_".

What had seized Sora's attention when he entered the room was not just the extremely terrible smell he had picked up from outside, but a group of cheerleaders grouped together in the middle of the room. He saw they were surrounded by a small group of creatures with black bodies, antennae, and claws — not to mention, glowing, yellow eyes.

"_**Heartless**_!" Sora exclaimed in alarm. He summoned his Keyblade in an instant. He charged into the horde of enemies.

In was then, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all reached the doorway and stepped inside. Their eyes all lit up with they saw the creatures in the middle of the gymnasium.

"_**More**_ _Heartless_?!" Donald exclaimed in shock. He pulled out his wand and hastily went after some of the monsters. Goofy held out his enormous shield and rushed into the horde.

"C'mon!" the knight yelled as he squashed some Heartless aside.

Launchpad pulled out his gas-gun and started shooting some of the Heartless. "Here I come, heh, heh!"

Amemi took out her slingshot and rushed at some of the Heartless. She tried to imagine being WordGirl, but was unable to do so since she didn't have the chance. These Heartless were _**relentless**_! Every time she tried to aim at one, another would rush at her and try to attack. One of them got its claw caught on her skirt, so Amemi had to kick it out of the way before she shot it out of existence. When she turned her focus back to the battle, Amemi's heart sank.

Her brother was on the other side of the room, completely surrounded by Heartless. Donald was being chased away by some other Heartless. Goofy and Launchpad were stuck, back-to-back with Heartless slowly approaching them from all angles. It was also clear that some of the Heartless were larger than the other ones. …How was that possible?!

"Sora!" she shouted. "Donald! Goofy! Launchpad!"

A Heartless reached at her arm. Amemi was about to jump away and strike the monster down when a young woman with thick, red hair and green eyes suddenly leaped over and kicked the Heartless away into Darkness. Amemi was surprised, realizing the young woman was one of the cheerleaders, mainly since the latter was sporting a violet uniform with red and yellow stripes on the bottom of the skirt.

Amemi watched as Sora suddenly transformed his Keyblade into a pair of pistols, one yellow and one silver. He started to shoot the Heartless out of the way. Donald was running so fast, he suddenly slipped and slid into Goofy and Launchpad. The three of them went spinning away on Goofy's shield, wiping out every Heartless in their way.

Before Amemi could count to twenty, all the Heartless were gone. The red-haired cheerleader now stood proudly before Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi.

"Thanks for helping," Sora told her with a large smile. It was clear he wasn't used to thanking girls for providing assistance in battles involving Heartless.

"No big," the cheerleader replied. "It's not like it was a life-or-death thing."

Sora's grin faded. "It was… something like that."

He shook his head. "I'm Sora. This is Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and…. "

Amemi felt like introducing herself, for once. "I'm Amemi," she said. "Sora's my brother."

"I'm Kim Possible," the cheerleader introduced. "Are you new at Middleton High?"

Sora and the other paused, unsure how to respond. They couldn't just tell Kim they were from another world. That could disrupt the Word Order, something that couldn't happen — ever.

"Well… why're you here?" Sora asked. "Those Heartless were after you."

"I'm used to it," Kim answered. "Being a world-famous teen hero has its pluses."

Sora wanted to stare at her. "You're a hero?!"

"And a _famous_ one!" Donald exclaimed.

Goofy chuckled. "Gawrsh!" He pulled out a small book with a blue cover and a pen. "Uh… could I have your aut-y-graph?"

"Me, too," Launchpad approved, holding out a notebook and pencil of his own.

Kim shook her head a little before smiling. "Okay," she agreed. She took Goofy's book and pen and signed the page where the latter had the book open. She did the same for Launchpad.

Amemi noticed how Sora had placed his hands behind his head and was rocking back and forth at a slow pace. He had his signature grin on his face. "Sora?" she asked. "Why don't you ask Kim where the Heartless came from?"

Sora turned his head toward his sister. His grin faded for a moment. "Oh yeah!"

The seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder switched his attention to Kim. "Have you see any other Heartless around here?"

Kim looked confused. "What are 'Heartless'?"

Through the corner of his eye, Sora saw Donald giving him a stern scowl. He tried to relax, although he was well aware how he had accidentally started to break the World Order. He rapidly decided Kim would probably know what they were without him saying much else.

"They're monsters with yellow eyes and claws," he explained. "They attacked you and your friends."

Donald slapped his own face in shock. It was clear Sora had told someone else about the Heartless — something that should've _never_ been done.

Deep, deep down, Sora was already questioning whether or not Maleficent or Pete was already lurking in this world.

"I don't know," Kim replied. "They only came in the last few days. I had Wade scan one, but he's as confused as I am."

"Who's Wade?" Amemi inquired.

"A ten-year-old super-genius," Kim told her. "I've only seen him in person once, but he's very helpful during rescue missions."

Sora nodded. "Kind of like how helpful Donald and Goofy are when I'm out fighting Heartless."

Kim smiled. "Something like that."

Sora thought he caught a glimpse of Donald and Goofy chuckling behind covered mouths. He shook his head slightly. This was not an uncommon sight for him to see. Those two tended to tease him for just about anything — especially his extra-close friendship with Kairi. Even now, days after his birthday, they were still teasing him for the fact Kairi had given him a kiss on the cheek. _**That**_ was something he _wanted_ to forget!

"Kim! What're you doing talking to those losers?"

Kim, Sora, and the others spun around. One of the other cheerleaders was marching up to them. She was slender like the other girls and wore the same uniform, but her tan skin, teal eyes, and shoulder-length brown hair with some spikes on the ends made her stand out like a sour thumb.

"Bonnie," Kim sighed with a frown. "What now?"

"Hey," Bonnie scoffed. "If you want to hang around with a bunch of losers, do it somewhere else. Maybe one of them can be your date."

"Date?" Donald asked.

"What's a 'date'?" Sora questioned.

Amemi shook her head at her brother's question. "It's… complex," she tried to say. "I can't explain it, Sora."

Sora grinned. "It's no big deal."

"Yeah," Kim approved.

"Yes, it is," Bonnie scolded.

Kim turned her eyes back to the other cheerleader. "What's this all about?"

"The Christmas Prom."

"What's a 'prom'?" Donald blurted.

"It's like a dance," Amemi informed him.

"I'm all about Brick Flagg — quarterback, hottie, top of the food chain," Bonnie stated. She gestured to the other cheerleaders. "Tara's with Jason Morgan, the basketball team's star forward. Jessica's with Steve Foley, the baseball captain. Soccer, track and field, lacrosse, ice-hockey… "

"You have _ice-hockey_?!" Sora exclaimed. Being from an island, he wasn't fully aware of how that sport worked. Still, he _did_ know it was played in an arena with an ice cover. The only time he'd ever seen ice himself was around Christmastime, which happened to be now.

Goofy walked up to a nearby window and peered out. "There ain't any snow outside," the knight indicated.

"What's a 'Christmas Prom' with no snow?" Launchpad added. "If it's winter, there should be snow. Unless we're in the middle of a rainy-forest."

"It doesn't snow," Kim replied. "At least not for a few weeks." She turned back to Bonnie with a scowl. "It's just another dance!"

"Try _the_ dance," Bonnie counter-argued. "Who you go with is, like, crucial. Face facts, Kim. All the remotely acceptable guys are taken. You're looking at captain of the chess team or worse."

Kim looked down at the floor. Sora saw her eyes were downcast and her lip seemed to quiver a little. He was about to say something when the doors to the gymnasium burst open. In ran a young man sporting blonde hair, fair skin, brown eyes, and light freckles. He was wearing a red shirt with white lining over a navy-blue shirt, khaki pants… or shorts, and white shoes.

"Hey, KP!" he hollered with excitement. "Do we have a date with Bueno Nacho or what?"

Kim, Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all turned to stare at him. "Ron," Kim sighed a little. "What're you doing?"

"It's _Nacho Night_!" Ron declared with lots of enthusiasm. The instant he took note of the other five around the red-haired girl, he froze. "W-who are you?"

"I'm Sora," Sora introduced. He gestured to the others. "These are my friends, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad, and that's my sister, Amy."

"Amemi," Amemi corrected. "He calls me 'Amy' for short."

"I see," Ron said, rubbing his chin in thought. He brightly beamed a moment later. "So who's up for some chow?"

"Yeah!" Goofy chuckled. "Muh stomach's growlin'!"

At that moment, a small, pink animal crawled out of a pocket in Ron's pants… or shorts. The creature looked around and frowned at Donald.

"Who's this little guy?" Launchpad inquired, pointing at the animal.

"That's Rufus," Ron replied. "He's a naked mole-rat."

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy declared. "Cute!"

"We're just wasting time," Donald complained. "There's Heartless out there, and we're in _here_!"

"Okay," Sora announced. "Let's get going."

The group headed for the exit. Along the way, Sora turned to Kim. "We'll be fine."

"Yes, we will," Kim answered.

* * *

It was not long before Sora's team, Kim, and Ron were all gathered at a local restaurant. The shape of the building was identical to a Mexican sombrero, only with lots of windows and a few doors. A giant sign outside held an enormous taco. The place had a drive-thru, even though no one was in it.

The moment everyone had walked up to the restaurant, Goofy's mouth had started to water.

Inside, the restaurant looked really nice, at least to Sora's eyes. He'd never seen such a cozy fast-food place before. It reminded him of a _Taco Bell_ restaurant he once went to back home. The notable difference was the menu, which contained mainly burritos, soft-shell tacos, and nachos… whatever _those_ were. There were seats with tables laid out around the inside of the building's perimeter. The counter and cash register were located on the opposite side of the restaurant from the front entrance. Some soft music was playing in the background.

Just after Sora and his friends got seated at a few tables close together, Kim waved down a young woman with dark skin and long, curly, black hair. "Hey, Monique!" Kim called.

After talking a little with the young woman, Sora had the feeling Monique was someone who loved to express who she was — no matter what anyone else said. After Ron went to the counter with Rufus, Goofy, and Launchpad, Kim filled Monique in on the whole dilemma with Bonnie.

"Girl, that is flawed," was Monique's reaction.

"You're not kidding," Amemi added. The sandy-haired girl had already taken a side, and Sora was well aware of which one it was, even though the conversation was something he did not really care about.

"I know," Kim sighed. "But what if Bonnie has, in her own stupid way, a point?"

"What?" Amemi was startled. "That's stupid!"

Sora yawned. He was rapidly losing interest in this conversation. He saw Donald had slipped under the table and was making his way to the line at the counter. Ron, Rufus, Goofy, and Launchpad were now second in line.

"I mean, what if there is something wrong with me?" Kim said.

"Cause you're not dating a quarterback?" Monique inquired.

"What difference does _that_ make?" Amemi asked.

Kim looked distressed. "I'm weirding guys out! They see me on T.V., round-housing some goon out of a window. It's a vivid image."

"Kim," Monique stated. "You are a strong, independent woman. Anybody afraid of that is not worthy of your time."

"Yeah, maybe, but what if she's right?"

"You're letting this get carried away," Amemi stated. "None of this stuff really matters where I come from."

None of the others really heard here, except for Sora, that is. The young man finally decided to get up and walk around. "Is there anything sadder than going to the prom with your 'just a friend'?" he heard Kim ask.

With a shake of his head, Sora walked up to his friends. They were now at the counter. The cashier Ron was talking to was a young man with short, brown hair, blue eyes, and circular eyeglasses. "Four Nachos, three quesoritos, and a tortada salad," Ron ordered. "Extra cheese on that."

Goofy licked his lips as he rubbed his stomach. Sora had to smile at the sight. He could tell the knight was getting really hungry, a sight he expected to see from Winnie The Pooh. Then again, this place didn't seem to have any honey lying around, which made sense. Goofy was just being Goofy.

The cashier rang up the total. "That'll be $7.52," he told Ron.

"Check your math, Ned," Ron returned. "This is my standard Nacho Night order. Always comes to $4.98."

"I'm sorry," Ned said. "The Nacho Night promotion has been cancelled."

Ron was startled. Goofy and Launchpad's ears perked up to the word "cancelled". Rufus was speechless. Donald gave a sneaky laugh. Sora was perplexed.

"Y-You cancelled Nacho Night?" Ron barely said the words.

Ned didn't smile. "I don't have that kind of power. New management."

"What's that mean?" Goofy questioned.

"Somebody bought the whole enchilada," Ned revealed.

"I know who did," Launchpad spoke up. "Mister McDee! He's going to expand into this city, too! Wonder if he'd give me a discount at this place?"

Sora rolled his eyes while Donald fainted onto the floor. The pilot had just said something _really_ random — and in a _**completely**_ different restaurant _**in another world**_! Sora felt like fainting himself. Still, his mind told him to stay focused and know who had bought out Ron's favorite restaurant chain.

"Who's the new owner?" the spikey-headed young man asked.

"I can't give you that," Ned answered. "I'm not sure myself. It happened a few days ago. I can give you the 800 number if you'd like to express a comment or concern."

Ron looked serious. "Oh, yeah. I got some concerns."

He turned to Goofy. "Have any extra change?"

Goofy reached into his pants pockets. Then he checked his vests. Next, he looked inside his hat. Last, he took off his gigantic shoes and shook them out. Only a few pieces of dirt and rock were found on the floor. A half-crumpled piece of blank paper was in his vest pocket. A broken pencil was under his hat, and about seven or eight bottles of green liquid were in his pants pockets. "Nope. Sorry. All I've got are these here potions."

Launchpad checked in all the pockets he had, only to find a few paperclips. "Heh, heh, I wondered where I put those."

Donald refused to look for any money until Sora crossed his arms and frowned. The duck magician hastily searched all his pockets and under his hat. He found a total of five dollars, twenty cents, a torn sheet of stamps, and a leaky ink pen. He handed them to Sora, who gave them to Ron and Rufus.

After paying for the meal, Ron grabbed the tray with Rufus on it and headed for the table. Goofy, Launchpad, and Donald were directly behind him. Sora turned to Ned. "So, did anything strange happen when this place was sold?"

"Yeah, there _was_ something strange," Ned responded. "Those weird-looking monsters started appearing in the streets."

Sora was a little shocked. Perhaps there was a connection between the Heartless being in town and the fact this restaurant chain had recently been purchased. Had it happened on the same day? Who had bought out the franchise? What did this mean? Was the new owner of the restaurant connected to _Maleficent's Council_?! For all he knew, the answer was directly in front of his face and he couldn't see it very well.

"Thanks," was all the Keyblader could say. He was still trying to piece together any other clues he had found. Sadly, there weren't very many. Since the Heartless had tried to attack Kim at the school, maybe the one behind them was one of the villains she'd brought to justice in the past? What he _really_ needed was a list of the enemies Kim had faced. Surely, at least one of them was linked to the Heartless.

By the time Sora returned to the table, Amemi, Kim, and Monique had already stopped talking. Ron, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were already there. "KP," Ron sighed. "Life as we know it has changed forever. Nacho Night is no more."

"Sorry," Goofy apologized.

"At least we got something to eat," Launchpad grinned. Sora could tell the pilot was trying to stay positive.

At that moment, a beeping sound came from Kim's pocket. She pulled out a small, blue device that seemed to resemble a miniature computer-phone. Sora noticed a ten-year-old boy on the screen; he was dark with black hair, freckles, and wearing a light-blue shirt. He was sitting in a dark room.

"What up, Wade?" Kim inquired.

"Drakken's been spotted," the boy on the screen told her. "The Bermuda Triangle."

Kim thanked the boy and clicked the device off. As she put it away, Sora asked, "Who's 'Drakken'?"

"My arch-nemesis," Kim explained. "He's a 'mad-scientist' who's intent on taking over the world."

She waved her hand to the side. "No big."

Sora crossed his arms and paused in contemplation. The name of Kim's enemy did sound a lot like someone Maleficent or Pete would manipulate to help _them_ take over a world. Maybe this villain was responsible for the Heartless roaming the streets. Could he have also taken over the restaurant? Or was that just a coincidence? Whatever the case, Sora couldn't just let anyone get away with using the Heartless — even if he hadn't seen them before now.

"Let's go," Kim said as she rose from the table.

"And my friends and I will be there," Sora announced. He punched his right fist against his chest. "Sounds like you guys need some help with the Heartless."

"Sure," Kim nodded. "Even if Ron and I can handle this by ourselves. You can come."

Ron (who had just took a seat to eat) threw his head on the table. "Aww… now? Can't we eat first?"

"Yeah," Goofy said. He was in the middle of his third Nacho. Plus, he was the only one who had eaten anything so far. "I was just about to order some more."

Amemi was on her feet now. "How about we take it to go?"

Goofy and Ron exchanged glances. Launchpad shrugged. "Sure thing, Miss Hikari!" the pilot proudly agreed.

Amemi shook her head. "You can just call me 'Amemi'. Remember?"

Launchpad saluted. He hopped out of his seat and raced for the door with Amemi trailing behind. Goofy grabbed a bag from the counter and dumped everything still on the tray into it. He handed the drinks to Ron before taking off for the entrance doorway. Launchpad was moments behind. Ron sighed deeply and headed for the exit with Rufus on his shoulder.

Still at the table, Sora and Kim headed for the exit. Monique stayed behind, looking calmly out the window.

Just before they stepped through the exit, Sora turned to Kim and asked, "So, where's this 'Bermuda Triangle'?"

"It's a casino just outside of town," Kim replied. "We'll need to go in undercover. Drakken knows me anywhere."

"What about _me_?" Sora asked. "And my friends?"

"No big," Kim assured him. "We'll just stop at _Club Banana_ on the way."

* * *

The _Bermuda Triangle_ was a fancy resort located on the far side of the city. It was not a very friendly place and known for its casinos, shows, and criminal gangs who considered it to be their meeting place. It was a humongous building with fourteen floors and three wings. One wing held all the casinos. Another housed the showrooms, and the third was all hotel rooms and suites. The place was situated on the edge of a large lake; within, lots of booby traps were set waiting for any intruder who might come along. The giant, light-green, triangular neon sign pasted on the roof flashed every now and then, showing a ship sailing across the waves before stopping and then sinking.

It was just outside this place where Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, Kim, and Ron all stood. Their eyes gazed at the fancy building. Just as Kim had suggested, everyone was wearing disguises. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were decked out in clean, black suits. Goofy had a monocle in his left eye. Amemi, Kim, Ron, Donald, and Sora stared at him.

"Makes me think of Colonel Klink!" Goofy chuckled. "A-Hyuck!"

"You mean '_Klink — the __**Stinky**__ Fink_'!" Launchpad declared.

Donald slapped his face and let his hand slide down his bill. "Phooey!" the duck grumbled.

Sora shook his head. He looked down at his navy-blue tuxedo. The sight made him feel a little uncomfortable. For all he knew, _if_ he ever got married to Kairi, he might be wearing this same outfit. Hopefully, that wouldn't be the case. His imagination was going wild… again.

When he saw Amemi dressed in a glittery, yellow dress, Sora had to shake his head and smile. She looked so excited. Even though he knew his sister didn't know how to dance properly (which probably was because her favorite animated character, WordGirl, couldn't either), he knew the dress was her favorite color. To him, it seemed to blend well with her sandy hair and blue eyes.

Kim was wearing a long, dark-blue dress and had a short, black wig. Other than her green eyes, Sora could not really tell this was the same red-haired cheerleader he'd met earlier.

When Ron showed a minute later in a fancy, light-sky-blue suit, everyone stared at him with their mouths open. "What?" Ron asked. "It was my dad's, he bought it for his prom. Never been worn."

Kim frowned and looked away. Amemi and Donald did the same. "A-Hyuck!" Goofy remarked. "Nice!"

"_Very_ nice," Launchpad agreed. "Like a prince wears to ball! …Though I don't know why he'd wanna go round and round."

"Okay," was Sora's reaction. He turned to Kim. "So, where's Drakken?"

Kim looked around. She stared at the front entrance. "There he is!"

Everyone swung their eyes to the resort's main entrance. They spotted a group of four individuals at the entrance. Sora immediately recognized one of them as Pete, only wearing a top hat and black bowtie. One of the other three was a slender man with a long black ponytail, scar under his left eye, and a thick unibrow. He was dressed in what seemed to be a blue-colored lab-coat with a black belt and matching collar, black boots, and black gloves. His hands were small and he had pale, light-blue skin.

The second was a slender, anthropomorphic red wolf possessing a cream muzzle, bushy tail, both black nose and claws, sharp white fangs, ochre circles surrounding his eyes, and thick black eyebrows. His left ear was damaged and he was wearing a blue Napoleon-style coat with a gold lining on its high collar, white pants, a crimson sash, black boots, and a large true-pirate-styled sword. He had a blue bowtie around his neck.

The last one was a woman with long, green-black hair, pale-green skin, piercing green eyes, and black lips. She was wearing a black-and-green dress with matching gloves and heels. One look at her, and Sora sensed a strong Darkness.

Still, having recognized Pete with these others, Sora knew Maleficent was definitely involved with the goings-on in this particular world. He needed to take action and learn just what the witch and her council members were up to. He was not about to let them take over a single world — especially not with Christmas just around the corner.

The doorman held the blue-skinned man back. The latter turned to the woman and said, "Shego, tip the man."

The doorman placed a black necktie around the blue man's neck. The group walked into the building.

"_**Pete**_?!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed at once.

Sora had seen enough. "We've gotta _**stop**_ 'em!" he shouted.

Kim grabbed his arm. "We can't barge in. We'll raise suspicion."

Sora sighed. "Then, what _can_ we do?"

"I know what to do," Amemi announced. She calmly strode up to the main doorway. She smiled at the large, nicely-dressed doorman. "Hi," she said to the man. "Can my friends and I come on in?"

The man stepped to one side and extended his arm in a polite gesture. "Thank you," Amemi said with a bit of a nervous smile.

Sora shrugged and walked up from behind. He was followed by Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Kim, and Ron. Once everyone was inside the building, Kim turned to the group and recommended they all split up to find Drakken. When Donald asked how they would find him, Ron said, "Blue skin, weird smile, scar on his face. How could you miss him?"

"Okay," Sora replied with a nod. He grabbed Amemi's hand and dragged her into a large showroom. Ron started down a corridor in the direction of the casinos. Goofy and Launchpad followed him. When Kim headed towards the hotel rooms, Donald shrugged and trailed Kim with his magical wand in hand.

* * *

Elsewhere in the resort, Drakken was heading into the upper floors with his sidekick, Shego — the woman Sora and the others had seen. Since Maleficent had placed him in charge of accomplishing a mission, he had sent Pete and Don Karnage to patrol the rest of the place with the Heartless. The very idea of being in control of creatures as strong and scary as the Heartless made him feel much more confident than usual.

"All right, Shego," he said. "I'm off to grill this common criminal. What's his name again?"

"Big Daddy Brotherson," Shego replied. "But you should know… "

"Please!" Drakken interrupted. He threw a hand between himself and his sidekick. "I am a super-genius. I think I can handle Big Daddy."

Shego stopped and crossed her arms. "If you say so."

"That's better," Drakken said. He always felt annoyed when someone tried to tell him what to do. Every time he had tried to take charge, someone always wanted to give him commands. Most of the time, they had been bullying demands. This time, he wanted to everything _his_ way — without any help.

Shego rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Maybe I'll go watch the show downstairs."

Drakken didn't pay his sidekick any mind. He proceeded into the next room. He slammed the door shut behind. Instead of leaving, Shego counted to five before the door flew back open. Drakken came flying out and landed on his back. Shego peered down at him, her hands on her hips. "Didn't have the password?"

"You might have _mentioned_ the password!" an outraged Drakken snapped.

"Thought a genius like you would figure it out."

"Shego, I am not a particularly patient man."

Shego rolled her eyes. "Okay. The password is 'Nee-naa'."

Drakken was instantly on his feet. "_What_?! What kind of password is _that_?!"

"I didn't choose it," Shego pinpointed.

With clenched teeth and a snarl, Drakken turned around and marched back to the doorway. He _**hated**_ this!

Once on the other side, Drakken told the password to the guard, who was a large man in a black suit. He was then allowed to come face to face with a rather large man in a green shirt, tan business suit, and nice, clean shoes. Other notable features about this man were his receding hairline and very large nose.

Drakken sat down on a bean-bag chair and fell over backwards. The man gave a grin and watched as a furious Drakken returned to his seat. "Big Daddy? Dr. Drakken. I understand you have information regarding top-secret codes and related things."

"Ah, yes," the man said. "For a fair price, I can trade you one very secret code. It will allow you to hack into all the computers at the Pentagon."

Drakken grinned. "Alright! I have the cash right here."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of money. The other man pulled out a slip of paper. Both held their hands above a small table between them.

"Put the money on the table," the man ordered.

Drakken refused to let this man tell him what to do. "Put the _information_ on the table."

"You go first."

Drakken jumped to his feet. This was too much for him to handle. He snarled. "Look, I _don't_ have time for silly games!"

The man looked shocked at Drakken statement. He glared and snapped his finger. The guard at the door marched over and picked up Drakken with his arms and threw him at the doorway. The villain flew through the open doorway and landed onto the floor — hard. When Drakken looked up again, there was Shego, looking down at him.

"He likes to play 'silly games', FYI," she informed him.

Drakken was beyond outraged. All he wanted was information regarding robotics, and he was getting nothing. He stormed back into the next room. At the same time, Shego turned and headed downstairs.

* * *

After giving the password a _**second**__ time_, Drakken finally put his money down on the table. The man put the paper on the table. The two glared at one another for several seconds. Drakken could tell this man was as ruthless about criminal activity as Maleficent was in getting revenge.

He reached out and snatched the information off the table in a hurry. "Ah-ha!" he declare as he unfolded the paper. "Now, with this top-secret code… "

He froze, unable to make sense of what was written on the paper. "'Milk… bread… eggs'?"

He gazed at the large man. "What kind of code is that?"

The man chuckled. "My grocery list. You, my friend, are quite poor at the trading game. Very well. I've had my fun."

Drakken was ready to blow his stack. "_**Well**_! I'm glad _**you've**_ had _**your**_ fun. Now, _**where**_ can I find the cybertronic technology I need?!"

"Ah, cybertronics," the man said, pondering aloud. "Some of the most brilliant minds on the planet struggle with its challenges."

"Surely _someone_ has cracked it?"

"Indeed, one genius has done just that. His name is, Doctor James Timothy Possible."

Drakken was taken by surprise. James _Possible_! He knew that man. Not only was he the father of his teenage nemesis, Kim Possible, he was also an old college buddy. What a coincidence! "Ooh, irony!" he declared with excitement. "And it's in _my_ favor this time!"

* * *

The showroom was packed. It was so full, Sora and Amemi got the last table available, in a corner close to the stage. Someone was on the stage playing the piano while a woman in a sparkly blue dress sat upon the instrument and sang into a microphone.

Sora shook his head. Seeing a show like this one reminded him of the time he, Donald, and Goofy had been part of an undersea musical in _**Atlantica**_. The main difference was this was on dry land and Ariel, Sebastian, and Flounder were absent.

No sooner had the two taken their seats than an anthropomorphic red wolf strolled by. Sora was startled, recognizing him as the same red wolf from the main entrance. The individual stopped at their table and looked at them. "So, my friends," he said in a mixed-accent. "Have you seen a large cat-man who goes by the name of 'Pete'?"

Sora rapidly shook his head. "No," he hastily replied. "Sorry."

Amemi shrugged with a hint of anxiety. "Maybe he's on the other side of the room?"

The wolf paused in thought. "Perhaps… "

He started for the nearest exit to the room. As he left, he was busy muttering about this and that. Once he was gone, Sora commented, "I wonder what _that_ was about."

"What do you mean?" Amemi asked.

"He was outside with Pete and that Drakken guy," Sora clarified. "Why didn't he notice me?"

"He did," the sandy-headed girl returned. "He probably doesn't know it was you. Maybe Pete hasn't told him."

"Yeah! I guess…. "

At that moment, the doorway on the far side of the room opened. Sora and Amemi looked up and saw Kim walking down the short flight of stairs leading from the second floor. She was still in disguise, so it took a moment for them to realize it was her.

As Kim slowly made her way down the steps, Sora heard a beeping sound. He saw Kim reach into the purse on her arm and pull out her little device. Amemi suddenly grabbed his arm and pointed at the upper floor. Sora looked in the direction his sister was pointing. To his surprise, there was the same black-haired woman he'd seen with Pete and the others at the entrance. She suddenly rushed at Kim, causing the latter to whirl around and leap out of the way — just in time.

Sora was startled. This strange woman, whoever she was, had glowing green hands that seemed to resemble balls of fire. She rushed at Kim again, but the teenager was already jumping to one side. The two started to attack and defend on another for a moment. That's when Kim hopped into a chandelier up above and the woman jumped at her. Kim leaped away, just as the chandelier fell from the ceiling.

Realizing the light fixture was headed straight for them, Sora yelled, "_Look out_!"

He and Amemi raced out of their seats seconds before the chandelier crashed onto their table. Shouts and screams came from the nearby spectators, who fled at the sight. When Sora saw creatures as black as night itself rising from the floor to surround him and Amemi, he glared. "_**Heartless**_!"

In the time it takes one to blink their eyes, Sora had his Keyblade in hand. He slashed the weapon clear through the Heartless over and over and over. Once he had made a path, he dragged his sister away from the monsters and demanded she find somewhere safe to hide.

"_No_!" Amemi stated in a firm voice. She pulled out her slingshot. "I'm going to help you!"

Sora sighed, knowing he could not force his sister to listen to him, even if it meant putting her in danger — again. Instead, he charged at the woman attacking Kim. He sliced his Keyblade at her, only to have her notice his assault, evade it, and punch him in the face. The brown-haired youth went flying back onto the stage. Amemi rushed over to him.

"Sora!" she cried. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sora replied. "C'mon! Let's get her!"

Amemi nodded. She turned away and fired her slingshot at the unknown assailant. The woman tried to dodge it, but Amemi's aim was too accurate. One of the fourteen-year-old's shots struck the enemy in the cheekbone, knocking her back long enough for Kim to kick her into a nearby food cart. The cart rolled back and smashed straight into the stage.

Sora was already on his feet and immediately pointed his Keyblade at the mysterious woman. "Alright! Who are you?" he demanded.

Kim and Amemi where at the stage in seconds. Kim grabbed the woman by the latter's collar. "Shego," she stated. "Where's Drakken and what's he up to?"

"Yeah, as if _I_ can understand his whacked plans," the woman whose name Sora assumed was "Shego" answered. "Please!"

Amemi crossed her arms. "You're such a rude woman!"

"She's Drakken's sidekick," Kim informed the sandy-haired girl.

Sora moved the blade of his Keyblade closer to Shego's neck. "You're not telling us everything!" he said in a firm voice.

"Maybe," Shego returned. Her hands started to glow and she knocked everyone back. "That's because I _**won't**_!"

Within seconds, Kim and Shego were at it again. Sora and Amemi watched them for a few minutes, shocked at how neither one of them were able to really injured the other. The fight went on and on and on.

"Man," Sora remarked at the display. "How can they just keep going?"

"They're probably used to it," Amemi said.

Without another word, the two joined the battle.

* * *

Donald was lost. This place was _**huge**_! Every corner he went around seemed to lead to a dead end. There seemed to be no exit, only more hallways and corners. Every corridor looked the same, with the same cream walls and blue doors. Some of the doors had "_Do Not Disturb_" signs on their handles.

True… Donald had known he was inside a hotel. However, he had gone into this place with Kim, only to get lost in this maze. Where had that red-haired girl gone?

He finally found himself approaching a large, brown doorway. He opened it to find himself on the second floor of a large showroom. To his shock, there were Sora and Amemi and Kim in the middle of a heated battle with a black-haired woman. Just one look at the scene was enough to make him faint backwards onto the floor.

* * *

Ron, Goofy, and Launchpad were strolling down an extensive corridor, unsure where they were. The hall was a strange shade of blue. There was a lot of noise. Cheers and shouts echoed down the hallway. To Goofy, it reminded him of a gambling casino he'd once been to many, many, many years ago.

They stopped at a small doorway. Ron pushed it open. To the group's surprise, there was a few people gathered around a table. A small spotlight shone down, revealing who they were. One was dressed like a cowboy. Another had an eyepatch. A third seemed to be from a foreign country, although Ron, Goofy, and Launchpad couldn't tell which one. The last one was a large cat-man in a nice suit and top hat.

"Huh?" the cat-man said. "Are youse the kid?"

Ron paused for a minute. "Yes," he finally said. "Yes, I am."

Goofy and Launchpad looked at one another. What was Ron doing?

Ron took a seat at the table. Goofy and Launchpad plopped themselves down in some empty chairs, too. The cowboy-man slid over a mountain of colored playing chips to each of them. "There you go. Five million fresh cow chips for each of you."

Ron stared at the chip in question. "These are mine?"

The other men stared at him. Goofy gulped. Ron shook his head for a moment. "I mean, yes. Good. Yes, my money," he said with a smile. He grabbed a small handful of chips and pretended they were gold coins. "Miss me, boys?"

One of the men passed out five cards to everyone. They all picked them up. Goofy stared at his cards. He could already tell Launchpad, Ron, and himself had gotten mixed up in a poker game. Last time he'd played this game, he'd been gone for twelve hours. If he hadn't won out, his wife would've smacked him silly.

Launchpad was feeling anxious. He hadn't really played poker much and wasn't really sure how it worked, completely.

The men started to toss chips into a pile in the middle of the table. After Goofy and Launchpad placed two or two into the middle, Ron did the same. Before long, Ron scooped up a few handfuls and calmly threw every last chip he had into the middle.

Everyone was staring at him in alarm. Goofy and Launchpad were astounded. If this truly was a gambling casino, then Ron had pretty much bet everything he had.

"Well," the cowboy-man said. "That's a bold move."

"Was it?" Ron asked.

"Ya good for this?" the cat-man inquired.

"Am I?"

"Can't ya tell when someone's lyin'?"

Goofy and Launchpad exchanged puzzled looks.

"Like when they ain't gonna look ya in the eye?" the cat-man continued. "Or theys touch their face? How 'bout they're breathing gettin' shallow and weak?"

The cat-man placed and hand of cards onto the table. "Three winners," he declared.

"Um… Go Fish?" Ron sputtered.

The cat-man gave a laugh. "I _won_!"

Before anyone could move, the doorway burst open. Two people came flying onto the table. Game pieces flew everywhere. Everyone jumped to their feet. Most of the men fled through the doorway, leaving Goofy, Launchpad, Ron, and the large cat-man.

"KP!" Ron exclaimed, recognizing his friend as one of the two people on the table.

"Ron?" Kim said, despite being under a lot of pressure. She shoved her opponent into the wall. The other person (who Goofy and Launchpad realized was the _same_ woman from the entrance) landed onto the floor before leaping back onto her feet. She charged at Kim a second time and the two continued to fight.

It was then Sora and Amemi raced into the room, weapons in hand. "Goofy! Launchpad!" Sora declared when he spotted the two.

"Sora!" the knight and pilot returned.

Donald was moments behind. The duck gawked at the sight of Goofy and Launchpad in a gambling casino.

"Who's the crazy woman?" Launchpad questioned.

"Her name's Shego," Amemi replied. "She's Drakken's sidekick."

"What's a 'side-kick'?" Goofy asked.

"It's like a henchman. WordGirl's sidekick is 'Captain Huggy Face'."

"Oh, yeah! A-Hyuck! Now I remember!"

"Worry about that later!" Sora told his teammates. He was gazing at Shego and Kim. "We've got a job to do!"

"What're youse doin' _**here**_?!"

The group whirled their eyes to the large cat-man. He looked extremely angry.

"Pete!" Sora and Amemi declared at once.

"You brats _**ruined**_ the game!" Pete snarled. "I'll teach ya a lesson ya won't soon forget!"

Sora and his friends readied their weapons for whatever Pete was about to send their way. The villain blew a whistle. A dark portal suddenly appeared. Out of it came a large, blue fish-shaped creature. It had yellow eyes, red teeth, and an orange tail and fins. The creature also had the Heartless emblem on its forehead.

"Get 'em!" Pete ordered.

The Heartless raced at Sora and the others. Kim saw the monster heading through the air and gave it a fierce punch. She then did the same for Shego, who tried to counterattack and got her flaming fist trapped in the table.

Without the supervillainess to worry about for now, Sora's team and Kim led the fish-shaped Heartless back to the main showroom. Once in there, they turned their undivided attention to the creature. Amemi shot at it while Sora slashed his Keyblade through it repeatedly. The Heartless countered with a barrage of super-charged bubbles. The bubbles short-circuited the nearby electronic equipment and caused it to go up in flames. It wasn't long before the building's fire alarm was going off.

Donald hastily used his magic to douse the flames. Next, he and Goofy simultaneously attacked the gigantic Heartless. Launchpad stood at one side, trying to avoid the enemy's attacks. One such attack was a line of fire, which nearly set the pilot on fire. Donald's tail feathers got hit and he ran around in a panic. "_**Yeow**_!"

Sora saw this display and instantly used a _Blizzard_ magic spell to put out the flames on Donald's tail. He noticed Kim was constantly jumping at the Heartless before she either kicked or punched it in the head.

All of a sudden, Shego jumped into the middle of the room and caught Sora's eye. She was glaring and her hands were glowing. Before he could turn his full attention to her, Launchpad pointed his gas-gun at the villainess and fired it repeatedly. The dust sent off by the weapon made Shego cough and finally collapse onto the floor.

With Shego dealt with for now, Sora and Launchpad returned to the main fight. Sora delivered a slicing blow onto the Heartless's tail. The creature shivered for a moment before it imploded and released a giant captive heart. Once the heart faded out of sight, the Heartless vanished into Darkness.

Sora wiped some sweat off his forehead. Despite the annoying fire alarm in the background, everything seemed to going well. He then spotted Pete and the anthropomorphic red wolf from before. They were helping Shego up.

"Hey!" Sora shouted. This drew the focus of Donald, Goofy, Amemi, Launchpad, and Kim.

"I bet you're all with Maleficent!" Donald snapped.

"KP!" There was Ron, running into the room from the second floor. He suddenly tripped and bounced down the steps. He slammed straight into Pete, who banged into the other two beside him. Sora and his friends rushed over and helped the young man to his feet.

"You okay?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ron answered. Rufus was in his suit pocket, trying to catch his breath.

A deafening _**CRASH**_ came from above. To Sora and his friends astonishment, there was Drakken himself. He was hanging onto a rope ladder attached to a helicopter hovering over a gaping hole in the roof.

"Shego, Pete, Don Karnage," Drakken ordered the three down below. "Time to fly."

Shego, Pete, and the red wolf, who Sora now knew was named "Don Karnage", jumped and grabbed the rope ladder. "Next time, Princess," Shego told Kim.

"He who runs away lives to steal another day," Karnage quipped.

"This ain't over!" Pete called out.

As the helicopter flew off, Drakken shouted back down, "Kim Possible and key-brat! You think you're all _**that**_? But you're _**not**_ even close!"

There they were, standing around in a group gazing up at a hole in the ceiling. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all sighed in disappointment. They had hoped to bring this villain and his companions to justice. Now it seemed that was going to take quite a while.

"Don't worry, Sora," a king, little voice said. Sora whirled his head to his left shoulder. He relaxed, noticing it was only Jiminy Cricket. "I'm sure we'll catch them, sooner or later."

Sora nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

Kim didn't seem so sure. "This is so annoying," was her response to watching the evildoers escape.

* * *

Sometime later, Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Kim were walking down the streets of the city. They'd just dropped off Ron and Rufus at their house before heading away.

Kim led the group to a nearby neighborhood and finally stopped before a large house. "Here it is," she announced.

Sora and his team were amazed. The house was unusually shaped with black, slanted roofs and brown walls. It had a stone chimney, an outdoor deck on the second floor, lots of large windows including a distinct circular one near the middle, a red door, and a large garage. The site was on the top of a smooth incline and surrounded by what seemed to be lemon trees.

"Whoa!" was Sora's reaction.

"Wow!" Donald and Goofy remarked.

"Nice and big!" Launchpad said.

"It looks cozy," Amemi said with a smile.

"Yeah, it's nice," Kim agreed. "And it's my home."

She strode up to the main entrance. Sora and the others were not far behind. Before she opened the front door, Kim turned to the others. "I should warn you, my family's a little, well… "

"Relax," Sora reassured her. "I'm sure they're nice, just like you."

Kim had to smile. She opened the door and walked in. "Mom! Dad! I'm home."

"We're in the kitchen, hon!" came a reply.

Kim led the way to the other side of the house. Amemi was the last one in and carefully closed the door. They all strolled into a nice, clean room with yellow and white walls. When he saw Goofy and Launchpad start to step toward the refrigerator, he shook his head, knowing this was the kitchen.

Two people were already there. One was a man with brown-turning-gray hair, brown eyes, and Caucasian. He was wearing a white shirt, dark-gray tie, dark-gray pants, a brown belt, and brown shoes. He was seated at a table that seemed to resemble a restaurant booth. In his hand was what appeared to be an electronic drawing pad.

The other was a slender woman with fair skin, blue eyes, pink undertones, and lighter red hair compared to Kim's. She was wearing a white doctor's uniform. She was standing by the table when Kim and the other stepped into the room.

"Kimmy," the woman said. "Who are your friends?"

"I'm Sora," Sora said.

"Donald," Donald announced.

"I'm Goofy," Goofy grinned.

"I'm Amemi," Amemi added.

"The name's Launchpad McQuack," Launchpad declared. "If it's got wings, I can _crash_ it!"

"Nice to meet you," the woman said. "I'm Kimberly's mom, Dr. Ann Possible."

The man at the table waved to the group. "And I'm her father, Dr. James Possible."

"Nice to meet you," Amemi smiled. She took a seat at the table. Goofy and Launchpad were seconds behind. Sora shook his head when he saw there wasn't enough room at the table for Donald and him.

Amemi noticed Kim's dad was busy doing something on the electronic device placed before him on the table. "What's that?" she asked.

"A top-secret project," Kim's dad replied. "It will revolutionize the world of robotics."

"Really?" Donald asked.

"_Do you wish to delete File Hephaestus_?" the device said in a monotone voice.

"Yes," Kim's dad confirmed for the group.

"_Dr. Possible voice print acknowledged_," the device said. "_Deleting file now_."

Kim's dad's eyes lit up and gasped in shock. "No, no, no! Undo! Undo!"

"_File delete aborted_," the device said a moment later.

Kim's dad gave a sigh of relief. "No worries," he told everyone around him. He pointed to his head. "I got it all up here."

"Wow," Donald remarked.

"You must be really smart," Sora added as he placed his hands behind his head.

"I am a rocket scientist," Kim's dad informed them. "I'm down to the wire on the _Hephaestus Project_. Three years, three billion dollars. Boy, I hope this works."

Sora gave a nod, even though he had absolutely no idea what the man was talking about. This wasn't abnormal for him. He usually didn't know most of what others were talking about. Unless, of course, they spoke to him in simple terms. Whatever project Kim's dad was working on, he had no clue what it was about or how it operated.

Kim's mom placed a few plates on the table. "I'll bet you're hungry," she told everyone. "Here is some leftover spaghetti."

"Thanks!" Goofy said before he dug into a plateful of food. Launchpad did the same. Amemi winced at the sight of the two slurping noodles into their mouths. It would have appeared the two hadn't eaten in days if not weeks.

Donald turned green and looked away. Amemi slid under the table and crawled out from under it. She accidentally bumped her head while climbing out and carefully rubbed it.

At that precise instant, a small robotic rocket swooped into the room. Sora jumped and then ducked to avoid it. Donald ducked down like a sailor hitting the deck. Kim grabbed a frying pan and smashed the rocket on its front.

"Good move!" Sora congratulated.

"Not yet!" Kim shouted.

A moment later, a second, identical rocket came soaring into the kitchen. Sora summoned his Keyblade and crushed it with on hit. The rocket fell to the floor beside the first one.

"_Tweebs_!" Kim yelled.

Two boys appeared in the doorway leading to the rest of the house. They were clearly twins, both possessing fair skin, messy brown hair, and blue eyes. They're clothes seemed to match, except for their shirts. One had a green shirt and the other had a red shirt. These were Kim's twin brothers, Jim and Tim.

"Mom!" Jim declared.

"Dad!" Tim added.

"Did you see our… "

They paused, spotting the two broken rockets lying on the floor. They also saw a scowling Kim, Sora, Donald, and their parents with frowns. They scowled straight at Kim. "You did this," Tim accused.

"Why don't you play a video game?" Sora demanded. He picked up one of the smashed rockets. "These things are dangerous."

"We do," Jim informed him with a smile.

"We use them for parts," Tim added with a matching smile.

"It's true," Kim's dad confirmed.

Kim's mom looked straight at the two boys. "No missiles in the house, boys."

The twins sighed. "Fine," they said together before leaving the room.

Kim shook her head. "This is what happens when a rocket scientist and a brain surgeon reproduce."

Sora's reaction to Kim's statement was a simple, "Okay… "

"They remind me of Huey, Dewey, and Louie," Launchpad remarked. "Those three could really get on you."

"Yeah," Donald grumbled in agreement. "And they're _my_ nephews."

"Muh son, Maxie, never was so much work," Goofy spoke up.

"And I have a sister," Sora sighed, gesturing at Amemi.

"I see it," Kim's mom said.

"See what?" Sora and Amemi said in unison.

"The resemblance. You two look very similar."

"No, they don't," Donald stated. "His eyes are a different color and she's got different hair."

Not wanting to mess with such randomized conversations, Sora turned to Kim. "So, what're you gonna do now?"

"I have school tomorrow," Kim replied. "What about you?"

"We have to stay until we stop Pete and Drakken," Sora explained. "If they're using the Heartless, you'll need some help."

"There's nothing she can't handle," Kim's dad broke in. "Anything's possible for a Possible."

"Okay," Kim said. "I can use some more help."

"Great!" Sora declared with a proud grin. "It's settled! While you're at school, we'll look around for Drakken, Pete, or anyone else using the Heartless."

"You can spend the night in the living room," Kim's dad said. "It'll be nice and quiet in there."

"Thanks," Sora approved. He was sure nothing could make this night better than having a place to sleep. Tomorrow, he and the others would go out and track down Pete… wherever he was.

This city _**did**_ seem rather huge….

* * *

Somewhere miles away from the city of Middleton, there was a tropical island. It mainly consisted of a tall mountain. Local legend went around about this island, claiming it was supposed to be haunted. To makes matters worse, there were dozens of warning signs located along its base. Heartless were patrolling all side of the mountain, in case anyone dared to ignore the warnings.

At the peak of the mount was a large building crafted from metal beams and stone walls. The structure seemed to have been built inside a huge cavern. It consisted of many rooms and a few enormous chambers. Every one of them was well-lit.

It was in one of these large chambers that Pete was gathered with Drakken and Don Karnage. Pete was lounging calmly in a large, cushioned chair and staring at a blank television set. He could see Karnage standing on the far end of the room with his arms crossed. Drakken was somewhere in between, pacing back and forth while pondering. He had a sinister grin.

The silence was unbearable. Pete had started to doze off several times. If it wasn't for a strange smell, a few spiders and their webs on the ceiling, and a weird-looking contraption or two in the lair, he would have fallen into a deep, sound sleep.

"What's taking youse so long?" Pete finally complained. "We need to take over this here world quickly, or Maleficent's gonna have our heads!"

"Don't worry about a thing," Drakken stated in a rather calm voice. He stopped pacing. "I have everything taken care of."

To Pete, the self-proclaimed "mad-scientist" was standing tall and proud.

"In that case," Karnage spoke up. "Where's your girlfriend? We need her to have the meeting, no?"

"Not necessarily," Drakken said. "I have something else in mind. Listen closely… "

Pete rose from the chair and approached the other two. He took a deep breath and tried his best to remain calm. Hopefully he would not be in the doghouse this time.

He knew he could not fail Maleficent — _**again**_.

* * *

**A/N: AND... THERE YOU ARE! WELCOME TO MIDDLETON!**

**In case you haven't really noticed, _MIDDLETON _is based on the Disney TV Series, "_Kim Possible_". Yet, for the purposes of This Story, it is mainly based on one of that franchise's two movies - "_Kim Possible: So The Drama (2005)_". This does not mean there won't be anything based on the other parts of said show. You'll just have to keep your eyes open and watch and learn!**

**So, I want to say I had a difficult time trying to write This Chapter. It wasn't easy with lots of interruptions and annoying classwork getting in the way. It became a little difficult to imagine the characters saying their lines - especially in the first two scenes I wrote in This Chapter.**  
**I just Hope I was able to keep Don Karnage in character enough for you.**

**Yes, yes! Launchpad and Goofy's comment about "Colonel Klink" is a reference to the Classic show, "_Hogan's Heroes_". It's one of my favorite shows, so I might include more references to it throughout This Story and its Sequel - given the next story is unlocked because this story receives at least 214 reviews!**

**By the way, can you picture Goofy and Launchpad chowing down on lots and lots of nachos? I can!**  
**Now, Try imagining Goofy, Launchpad, and Ron in an eating contest. Things like THIS helped me picture some of the scenes I have in This Chapter (and one that was removed)!**

**Plus, the scene with Donald wasn't in the "Storyline Summary" I wrote for This Story. The same goes for Drakken's scenes in The Bermuda Triangle. I was startled to see I had somehow forgotten them, so I had to create them as best I could.**

**I can't think of anything else to say at this time. I HOPE you're looking forward to Chapter 22!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	22. Ch22 - The Love Triangle

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: _MERRY CHRISTMAS_, EVERYONE OUT THERE! IT'S CHRISTMASTIME! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! YES!**

**So, since it is Christmastime, I decided to give you a present - a whole new Chapter! In This case, it is CHAPTER 22! Why not give a new Chapter for Christmas? After all, This Story's title IS "_Kingdom Hearts - Season of Light_".**  
**"_Season of Light_"... I wonder what that means to you? To me, it means "HOPE" and shows that there's always "_Light deep inside the Darkness_". That's the main reason why I chose to title This Story "_Season of Light_". It even takes place during the Holiday Season! Coincidence? No way!**

**That aside, I wanted to give you a piece of TRIVIA today! That's the Bonus present I have for you!**  
**DID YOU KNOW? "_Kim Possible_" was a record-holding Disney show. Unlike all the Disney shows before it, it had four seasons - making it the longest Disney show at the time. This record was later broken by "_Phineas And Ferb_". Despite this, "_Kim Possible_" STILL holds the record for being the only Disney show to have an extra season after its initial finale. The main reason for the show's continuation in a fourth season was due to its immense popularity.**  
**What does this tell you? If a show you REALLY enjoy is on the verge of being cancelled, discontinued, or simply put on hiatus, make sure there's plenty of fans out there who also want it to return. If there are, the company might decide to bring it back and maybe finish the story they were telling (provided the show has a linear storyline).**

**On top of all that, I have an ANNOUNCEMENT!  
****Regarding those of you who read and enjoyed my "LATE story", "_Once Upon A Time ~The Darkest Age~_", I have recently completed a full storyline summary for its revival. Instead of making it a spin-off, I decided to move the story around and have it take place sometime AFTER the story of the show's Fifth Season has ended. It may not be completely accurate in comparison with the show since it was mainly being planned out this past Fall. Either way, I do have plans to bring it back sometime in the not-too-distant future.**

**I HOPE all of you "_ONCE UPON A TIME_" fans will be looking forward to it! I know I am!**

**So, since This Chapter is a little on the LONG side, I shall allow you to read on ahead.**  
**PLEASE READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! AND PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO!**

**LET'S GET BACK TO SORA AND HIS FRIENDS IN _MIDDLETON_!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 22  
****The Love Triangle**

The dawn came early over the city of Middleton. To Sora, it had come a little _too_ early. He was used to sleeping in at least two hours whenever he didn't have school the next day. Clearly, school was still in session in this world, unlike back home on the _**Destiny Islands**_. He sighed and carefully clambered off the couch.

As he stretched, Sora took a look around. He noticed the living room was a brownish color and the television on the other end was a large one. Donald was lying on the living room table covered by a blanket. Goofy and Launchpad were lying on cots before the television set. Amemi was still laying on the other couch near where Sora was. All of them were fast asleep.

So… what had awakened him?

The sound of footsteps rushing down a staircase filled his ears. Sora turned his eyes towards the house's entrance and hurried that way. He found Kim rapidly heading for the door. She was wearing a crimson sweater and tan pants.

"Hey!" he called, seizing the teenage girl's attention. "Where're you going?"

"To school," Kim replied.

"I don't think it's safe," Sora said, recalling the Heartless incident from yesterday. For all he knew, the city streets were probably swarming with Heartless by now.

"So not the drama," Kim reassured the brown-haired young man. "Those 'Heartless' are miles away."

She opened the front door. At once, an Air Soldier Heartless swooped inside. Kim ducked. Sora's Keyblade was in his hand and he swung it. The Heartless split into two and crumpled apart into Darkness.

"That was _close_!" Sora declared.

"What was?"

Sora and Kim turned around to see Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were up and about and staring at them with perplexity in their eyes.

"A Heartless just came in," Sora clarified. He turned to Kim. "Looks like you'll need some help getting to school."

"_**School**_?!" Donald exclaimed. He nearly fainted from shock. How he _**hated**_ that word! Aside from the time he'd been a truant officer, the idea of being in a classroom was just plain boring. His least favorite aspect of it was homework. That was one of the main reasons why he had decided to avoid going to college and instead enlisted in the Navy. Homework… and his lifelong desire to see the world.

Kim nodded. "While I'm there, you can look for Drakken's latest lair."

"Okay," Sora approved.

Before long, Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were walking down the street with Kim. As strolled along, some more Heartless crossed their path. They worked together multiple times to clear the way. Despite having a backpack with heavy textbooks and her homework assignments in it, Kim was still able to move about with ease, which came in handy when she had to punch and kick a giant Shadow Heartless into oblivion.

After about fifteen minutes, Kim turned to Amemi. "You were totally right."

"I was?" a surprised Amemi questioned. "What was I right about?"

"The Bonnie problem," Kim explained. "Non issue. Who cares about the 'food chain'? Ron and I are cool."

"What made you decide that?" the sandy-headed girl asked.

"I thought about it overnight," Kim went on. "Ron's been my best friend since we were in Pre-K. I mean, he's… "

At that moment, Sora and the others spotted a motorized scooter slowly driving down the street. It was a faded blue color with the image of a ferret displayed as a logo on its handlebars. Seated at the controls was Ron with Rufus riding on his shoulders. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be smiling.

Kim sighed. "…Full of child-like wonder."

"Hey, buddy!" Launchpad called to Ron. "Seems to me, you're enjoying the ride."

"Yeah," Ron took a deep breath and smiled all the more. "When it's just me and my machine scorching across the blacktop, I kinda lose myself."

Rufus gave Launchpad a thumbs-up. "Hey!"

"See you at school," Kim called as Ron started to pick up speed.

"Later, Ron!" Sora called in turn.

* * *

The school seemed a bit more inviting when Sora and his teammates arrived. The giant sign out front had been changed. It now read,

"**MONSTERS! TAKE COVER HERE!****"**

Sora had to shake his head. He was not sure what it meant… unless it was referring to the Heartless. Either way, he didn't have the time to worry about it. He needed to track down Drakken, Pete, and Don Karnage in this very city. Then again, if this world was much bigger than this one city, they could very well be anywhere.

Wherever they were, Sora was confident he would be able to find and stop them before the day was done.

They all stopped at the school's entrance. Kim walked on inside. Sora waved to her and she waved back. "Later!" Sora called to her.

"See you later at Bueno Nacho!" Kim returned.

Before she could get two feet away from the doorway, a large man strode through. Sora and his friends stared at him. He was tall, muscular, with dark eyes and dark hair cut into a neat flattop. He was wearing a dark-brown suit jacket, grey shirt, black tie, khaki pants, and black shoes. He scowled at the sight at the group.

"H-Hi, sir!" Sora tried to say. He gulped halfway through the first word.

"Mr. Barkin!" Kim declared.

"I hope you're not planning to run late again, Possible," Barkin told her in a deep, gruff voice. "Or I'll be seeing you after school, in detention."

Since Barkin was focused on Kim, Sora took the opportunity to turn away. Donald whispered to the others, "He's mean."

"He reminds me of your admiral," Launchpad told the duck.

"No way!" Donald stated. "Admiral Grimace was _nice_! This guy's _**mean**_!"

Sora and the others had gotten only four steps away when a booming voice shouted. "You there! Stop!"

The group halted in their tracks and spun around. To Sora's horror and surprise, Barkin was scowling straight at him. "Trying to skip class, are we?" the tall, large man stated in a firm voice. He pointed at the doorway. "Get inside — _now_!"

Sora gave a deeper-than-normal sigh. He gradually made his way to the school's main entrance and opened the door. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all dragged on in like kids dreading a Monday morning. Sora closed the door behind himself and followed the others inside.

Kim met up with them. "Sorry," she said to Sora. "Mr. Barkin's the principal. He often substitutes in class."

Sora sighed in dismay. "I thought I was done for the semester," he muttered. "Now I'm back in school."

He stopped. "How am I gonna find Drakken and Pete while I'm stuck in _here_?!"

"Don't worry, Sora," Amemi spoke up. "We'll take a look after school is over." She smiled. "I don't think we'll have to look too far."

Sora grinned. "Yeah, you're right."

That was when Sora realized Goofy and Launchpad were missing. He scanned his eyes around, but the tall dog and duck-pilot had disappeared. "Huh? Where'd they go?"

"Goofy!" Amemi called. "Launchpad!"

"They wandered off, again," Donald grumbled. He turned to face Sora. "I _told_ you Goofy and Launchpad aren't the smartest around!"

Sora sighed, again. Could things get any worse? First, he had been unable to stop Pete and Drakken at the resort last night. Second, he had been forced into a high school by who he assumed was the principal of said school. Now, Goofy and Launchpad had wandered off someplace. With all those Heartless roaming the streets outside….

He shook his head. Things had not been working out lately. He'd been stuck trying to keep peace between his teammates, especially after Donald had declared he was not going to fight alongside Goofy or Launchpad anymore. He had nearly watched a few worlds fall to Darkness — _**Ancient Empire**_, _**Jamestowne**_, and _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_. His new cellular phone had been cracked by one of Xehanort's Organization members, Isa. He'd witnessed someone taking their last breath because he'd been unable to protect them from the Darkness. He had had to protect his sister ever since he'd learned she'd stowed away aboard _Herbie_. He'd even almost been _burned at the stake_!

Yet, other things had managed to work out well. He _had_ succeeded in saving the lost city of Atlantis from the Heartless. He had restored peace between a Native American tribe and some English settlers. He had brought _true_ justice to a city and put an end to the terror of a corrupt public official. He had encouraged Milo to save Atlantis despite how terrible everything had seemed, helped Pocahontas save John Smith and prevent a war, and convinced Quasimodo not to let his heart be a prison.

Having done all these things in one quest so far, Sora had to grin brightly. Perhaps this was just another annoying setback he needed to wait out. Chances were, it would be over before he knew it. Then, he could leave this dreadfully boring school building and return to battling some Heartless!

A strong smell entered his nose. It wasn't a bad smell. It smelled like… food?

"Do you guys smell that?" Sora inquired.

Amemi took a sniff. "Yes, I do."

Donald looked further down the hallway. He noticed a sign that read "Cafeteria". "Aw phooey," he grumbled. "They went to the lunchroom."

Sora had to shake his head. Goofy and Launchpad were only being themselves. What better place to search for them than the school's cafeteria?

Kim led the way into the cafeteria. Sora, Amemi, and Donald were seconds behind her.

When they got inside, they looked around. The cafeteria was a wide room with lots of tables and chairs. The floor was tiled and there were rectangular windows on the far wall. One table was decorated, which made it stand out like a sore thumb. There was a short line at the counter and an older woman was serving… something or other.

"Let's take a look," Kim suggested.

Sora quickly noticed Goofy and Launchpad at a nearby table. They were chowing down on what appeared to be greenish slop. Donald took one look and turned away.

Sora walked up to the table. "Guys! How'd you get here so fast?"

"We smelled food," Goofy replied, despite his mouth being a little full.

"It smells like what mother used to make," Launchpad added. "But it doesn't taste as good."

Sora had to agree, the two each had a good point. The food on the pair's trays did not look very appetizing. The same thing was true about the food he had eaten at his own school back home. Well… at the leas the food back home _seemed_ edible.

The seventeen-year-old Keyblader took a seat beside his friends. Amemi plopped down next to him. Donald sat beside her, so Kim took a seat beside him. To the duck's horror, Kim had a tray of the same sloppy mess Goofy and Launchpad had. He tried to look away since he was jammed between two people.

Ron came over to the table to join them. He was yakking away to someone who Sora didn't recognize. The stranger was a tall, young man sporting somewhat-messy, long, dark hair, tanned skin, dark eyes, and thick eyebrows. He was wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt with a green stripe across his upper torso, white pants, and red-and-white sneakers.

Amemi stared at the young man. To Sora, she seemed to have been "taken in" as he'd heard it was called. Of course, this was something he was not well-informed about, so he was not sure if he had this information accurate.

"Hey, KP!" Ron declared.

"Ron," Kim turned to look at her friend. She stared at the unknown young man the same way Amemi was already.

"Hey, Erik, my man," Ron said as he prepared to sit next to Kim. "Pull up a chair. Why don't you… "

He was cut off mid-sentence when the young man took a seat on the other side of Kim from Sora. This sudden movement caused Donald to get pushed away from the table and knocked the duck mage onto the floor.

Ron seemed a little startled and puzzled. "Isn't that interesting? Actually, that's my chair. Not that my name's on it, but… "

"Hi," Kim said to the dark-haired young man.

"Hey there," Sora called with a brief wave. He then noticed the stranger was keeping his eyes only on Kim.

"Hey," the young man said to Kim. He gestured to himself. "Erik. How you doing?"

"Your name is 'Erik'?" Goofy wondered aloud.

"Yeah," Erik acknowledged. "What else would it be?"

Goofy paused in deep thought. "Hmm… good question."

"I like him," Amemi said with a large smile. She extended her hand to him from across the table. "I'm Amemi, but you can call me 'Amy'."

Erik shook her hand for a moment before he went back to looking at Kim. The red-headed teenager was staring back with a slightly-timid smile.

Monique suddenly passed by. She stared with excitement written all over her face. "Girl," she exclaimed to Kim. "I just went from so to _whoa_!"

Erik, Sora, Goofy, and Launchpad were equally mystified. "Huh?"

"It takes a while to learn 'Monique speak'," Kim chuckled with a nervous smile.

"How about you?" Erik asked.

Kim was seemingly caught off guard. "What about me?"

An impatient Ron pushed his way between the two. "Ha, ha! Yeah… Kim is _such_ a kidder," he declared. "Did I mention we'd known each other since Pre-K? Good time. Good times!"

Everyone stared at him. For a moment, Ron was grinning with joy. The next, his face was downcast. He sighed and stood up to leave the table. As he walked away, Sora saw Bonnie sitting close by at a nearby table. She stuck out her leg and caused Ron to trip. He stumbled over and landed face-first onto the floor. His tray went flying and everything on it splashed onto Donald, who had been sulking against the wall.

Donald was furious, even at an anxiously-smiling Ron. The mage clutched at the ends of his blue clothes, now dripping with sloppy green who-knows-what. "This is _very __**exasperating**_!" Donald grumbled out loud.

Ron gave a deep sigh and his eyes saddened within seconds. "I feel as though a loop has just been formed… and I'm not in it."

Sora turned back to the table. He could clearly see all the attention Kim and Erik were giving each other. This sight reminded him of how he often felt about all the attention Kairi had given Riku a few years ago. It was something he would rather _not_ remember. Then again, this scenario was probably not uncommon. He _had_ once seen Amemi try to have a date with a boy back on the islands. Yet, their mom refused to allow her to go on a date — at all.

…That wasn't related to what was going on here… or was it?

He wondered if he really did know what Ron was going through, watching Kim and Erik holding each other's attention….

* * *

The day seemed to move at a snail's pace. Sora and Amemi trailed Kim from class to class, while Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad followed Ron around. A few times, their classes did cross one another.

In one such class, Sora was pleased to see his entire team in there, even with Kim, Ron, and Erik also in it. He noticed how Kim and Erik were looking at each other every chance they got, much to Ron's displeasure. Yet, what stood out about this particular class was that Mr. Barkin was there to greet them.

"Listen up, people!" Barkin announced. "Ms. Carlson, while catching some big air at the skate-park, neglected to check for cross-winds."

Ron raised his hand and asked, "You're taking over this class, too?"

"No, Stoppable," Barkin replied. He pointed at the classroom door. "_She'll_ be taking over this class."

The door opened. In stepped a young woman with long, black hair, pale-green skin and green eyes. She was decked out in a tan jacket over a sea-green shirt and dark-gray skirt. There was a teal headband nestled neatly in her hair, and she had black heels slipped on her feet. In her arms were a few thick books. She grinned at the class.

Sora was startled. Why did this woman seem so… familiar? He noticed her body was giving a faint, greenish glow. It seemed so strange, yet nostalgic. Why?

He caught a glimpse of Kim gasping from shock.

The woman stepped up to the chalkboard and wrote what Sora assumed was her name — "Miss Go". She turned around to smile at the class. "Good morning, class!" she declared in a happy voice.

"Good morning, Miss Go," most of the students returned. The ones who didn't say anything were Kim, Sora, Goofy, and Donald. The knight was busy doodling on his desk and Donald was starting to doze off.

Kim nudged Sora. "That's _Shego_," she stated.

Sora paused in thought. Was this young lady teaching the class _really_ Drakken's sidekick? Could she be the same woman he'd fought in the showroom just the night before? He wasn't quite sure. Then again, he wasn't sure about a _lot_ of things.

Barkin strode up to the teacher. "_If_ there's anything I can do," he said with a friendly grin.

The young woman giggled a little. "Gee, thanks, Mr. Barkin."

"Please, call me 'Steven'," Barkin told her. "'Steve', whatever rolls off your tongue."

Sora was startled and confused. The first few times he'd seen this school's principal, he'd seemed rather loud, stern, strict, and completely unfriendly. Now it appeared Mr. Barkin had a softer side… was it all his imagination?

Barkin started for the open doorway. He stopped and turned back. "And don't let them tell you that they're supposed to have class outside," he stated firmly. "We put a stop to that after the 'jellyfish' episode."

The green-skinned woman gasped and smiled. "Aww, that's so _**sweet**_!" she remarked. "You took the class to the beach!"

"No beach," Barkin corrected from the doorway. "Just jellyfish. Don't ask."

He left the room, shutting the door behind him. Sora was as perplexed as Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, Kim, and Ron were. What was this nonsense about "jellyfish"? Whatever it was, it probably did not matter anyway.

The teacher turned to the board and started writing a mathematical equation. It read,

**2a – 3b + c = 0**

She turned back and asked the class, "Does anyone know what the answers are?"

Goofy scribbled down on a piece of paper in a hurry. He then raised his hand and declared, "One, and one-half!"

The green-skinned young woman smiled. "That's right!"

"_What_?!" a shocked Donald exclaimed. His eyes with wide with the same sight as someone who had just witnessed something they had assumed was impossible. To Sora, this was not completely unfamiliar. After all, the duck _had_ been pointing out pretty much all of Goofy's faults.

Amemi was also startled. Sora was not quite sure as to why she was. She had not known the knight as long as he had, so he wasn't sure how she could be taken by surprise over something like this so easily. Then again, he might've just answered his own contemplation.

Of course, this didn't mean Goofy didn't make mistakes easily. It meant that he could surprise others with quite a bit of intelligence. It was clear, the knight knew quite a lot about Math, the _**hated**_ Quadratic Formula (at least as far as Sora was concerned), and probably had attended college sometime in the past. How else could he have solved that equation so rapidly?

The spikey, brown-haired youth's eyes wandered over to his left. He could see Kim and Erik holding each other's undivided attention. Ron was seated two seats behind them with a scowl written across his face and his arms crossed. He looked like he was sulking.

Sora shook his head a little. Deep down, he wondered if Ron was feeling left out. This could very well be the way Riku tended to feel whenever he saw Kairi and Sora himself spending time together. True… Kairi and Riku _were_ his best friends. Still, did that mean he had to spend more time with one over the other?

* * *

The clock on the wall now read "2:05 P.M.". It was the last class of the day. As far as Sora could tell, it was going to be the longest one, too. This class was named, "_English 301_", but it felt more like a detention room than a normal classroom. It probably had something to do with the fact Mr. Barkin himself was filling in for the teacher. Unlike the other teachers that day, the principal did not write anything on the chalkboard except for a list of assignment instructions. Other than that, he demanded silence and kept an eye out for possible troublemakers.

With Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Ron all in this class with him, Amemi, and Kim, there was still the possibility of trouble coming their way.

Sora was forced to look at a book on the desk before him. The title, "_To Kill A Mockingbird_" sounded rather boring. Of course, the story itself didn't seem _as_ uninteresting as he had heard it was. Since it took place during the 1930s, he found the style kind of interesting. The characters were mostly likable, although it reminded him a little of the various townspeople back home on the _**Destiny Islands**_. There were no pictures and the story seemed to drag on at times. _That_ was particularly boring….

He was starting to doze off when a large shadow loomed over him. He looked up with half-shut eyes to see Barkin was standing directly over him. "_**Wake up**_!" the principal shouted.

This caused a startled Sora to tip his desk over and fall sideways onto the floor. He was in a slight daze for a moment or two. He could then hear the sounds of hushed laughing. He swung his focus over to Donald and Goofy. The two were laughing behind their hands. Amemi was also staring at Sora with a look of relief. Launchpad wasn't paying the Keyblade wielder any mind. Kim and Ron were busy reading, even though Ron's eyes were half-closed.

Sora gave a deep sigh as Barkin returned to the teacher's desk. The young man righted his own desk and picked up the book from the floor. He sat back down and tried to read it some more. His hands flew to the sides of his face for support. One of his elbows started to slide off the desk, so he had to readjust it.

He could not wait for this dull class to end. He looked up at the clock. Either it was his imagination, or the hands were moving very rapidly….

Barkin strolled up to the clock and banged his fist against it. The hands stopped moving. "Darn clock's busted again," he muttered in a soft voice.

He returned the hands to the correct time — "2:15 P.M.". Sora gave a deep sigh.

The door opened. Sora gazed towards the doorway to see Miss Go was standing there with a startled look in her eyes. "Is everything okay in here?" she asked Barkin. "I heard a crash."

"Everything's taken care of," Barkin replied.

In that moment, Sora sensed something familiar about Miss Go. Her eyes… they were the _same_ eyes Shego had — the ones that had been glaring at him the night before. Did this mean Drakken's sidekick was living a double-life?

Whatever _that_ meant, that is… Sora didn't really understand all of his own thoughts. Sometimes, his mind would wander about and he would think of something he never knew he actually knew. Talk about astounding!

With a smile, Miss Go turned to the rest of the class. "Be careful and pay attention to Steve-y."

When Sora realized she was referring to Mr. Barkin, he rolled his eyes and shook his head. He noticed Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were all exchanging puzzled looks. Kim and Ron were both startled and bewildered alike.

* * *

The last bell rang. People ran out of the school building like a stampede of kids on the last day of school. To Sora, this reminded him of the last day he had had to attended class back on the islands. He had to grin about _that_!

He remembered how he had walked out the door into the late-afternoon sun. He had smiled and cheered while tossing a broken pencil to one side. That was when his mom's voice had crossed his mind and he had been forced to wait the next twenty or so minutes for Amemi to come out. The two of them had then headed home for the rest of the day.

"Finally!" Sora said with relief. "Class is over."

"Until tomorrow," Kim added from his left. She was walking alongside Erik. Ron was about ten paces behind them, dragging along. To Sora's right were his sister, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad.

"Let's search the town," Sora told his teammates. "Drakken and Pete could be anywhere."

"Along with that wolf-man," Launchpad indicated.

Sora gave a nod. "Right."

Kim and Erik hopped aboard a red-and-black motorcycle and sped off towards Bueno Nacho. Ron hopped onto his motorized scooter and slowly dragged along behind. Judging from the dismayed expressed on Ron's face, Sora had the feeling the young man viewed Kim as more than just a friend.

He brushed this pondering aside and headed in the opposite direction. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were directly behind him. They hurried down the street for two or four blocks when a pack of Heartless of various types appeared. Shadows… Soldiers… Air Soldiers… Large Bodies… Mega-Shadows… even a roller skate-shaped Heartless with a bright red color scheme were all there in a large group.

Sora summoned his Keyblade and charged into battle. His teammates were ready only seconds later. The Heartless seemed relentless! Every time he destroyed one of them, Sora found himself taking on three more. Donald's magic was holding back a few more, Goofy was knocking several aside as he rushed through the area, Launchpad was shooting two or so aside, and Amemi was knocking them down one by one.

After a few minutes, the street was clear enough for the group to continue on their way. More Heartless showed up further down. Each time more enemies appeared, they whipped out their weapons and attacked. This seemed to go on for hours… and it did go on for a few hours.

By the time the group could rest for a minute or five, the sun was starting to dip down low in the sky. They had crossed about ten blocks of nearly nonstop skirmishes. Hopefully now they could take a breather.

As everyone knelt down to catch their breath, Sora looked around. They were standing in front of a large, white building that consisted of three smaller buildings that were connected as one larger structure. A towering structure that resembled an elevated alien spaceship was located behind the main building. A parking lot separated the group from the building. A sign out front read,

**MIDDLETON SPACECENTER**

Sora paused in thought. Recalling what Kim had said the night before about her father being a rocket scientist (something her father had confirmed himself), he wondered if her dad was here, at this place.

He looked around the immediate area. There were no Heartless left. The sky was now starting to turn a shade of orange. The sun was setting below the horizon. He yawned and stretched. It seemed Drakken, Pete, and whoever the third guy was weren't anywhere close by… at least not anywhere close by where they'd already searched.

The spikey-haired Keyblader swung his attention to his companions. "Let's go back to Kim's house," he suggested. "There's no sign of Pete, Drakken, or anyone else around here."

"Unless we missed 'em," Goofy pinpointed.

"Yeah," Donald agreed, which was not something he tended to do with Goofy. He even said so. "I agree with Goofy — for once."

Sora shrugged and turned back the way they came. Amemi was next in line. She and her brother were quickly trailed by Goofy, Donald, and Launchpad. Behind them, the shadows from the sunset grew longer. Crickets started to chirp, and the air steadily grew cooler.

By the time they were down the street, they were too far away to notice the large cat-man sneaking up to the spacecenter's main entrance. He was accompanied by a blue-skinned man, an anthropomorphic red wolf, and a few dozen shadowy creatures.

* * *

Night had descended by the time Sora and his team arrived at Kim's house. The house was lit up in all its windows, making it seem there was a party going on inside. When they opened the front door, they heard two voices echoing about. "Attention, please!" one called.

"We detect cooties in the area," the other shouted in turn.

"Repeat. Cooties in the area."

"This can mean one thing."

The two voices echoed a chant at the same time. "Kim's got a boyfriend! Kim's got a boyfriend!"

"_**Waak**_!" Donald yelped in surprise. Sora and the others laughed when Tim and Jim strode down the stairs with a pair of megaphones. "What's the big idea?! That _**wasn't**_ funny!"

"Sorry," Tim said.

"But Kim's got a boyfriend," Jim stated. "They're in the kitchen."

At that moment, Kim's mom came into the foyer and was a little surprised to see Sora and his friends in the doorway. "Come on in," she said. "We're having pizza for dinner."

"Okay," Sora agreed.

"Oh boy!" Donald declared.

"Yum!" Goofy said. He licked his lips and rubbed his stomach.

"I like pizza," Launchpad stated aloud. "Get one with extra pickles."

"_Pickles_ on _pizza_?" Amemi exclaimed. "That does _**not**_ sound very good!"

Sora and his friends headed into the dining room and sat down at a long table. They saw Kim and Erik sitting side by side on one side with Ron seated on the other side. Ron was scowling and Rufus was pouting along with him.

Kim's mom returned to the kitchen. "Who wants what on the pizza?" she called out.

"Cheese!" Donald, Launchpad, and Goofy all said.

"Pineapple," both Sora and Amemi chimed in together.

"Pepperoni," Kim and Erik shouted out together.

"Jinx," Erik told Kim. "You owe me a soda."

"Very cute," Kim's mom said as she walked into the room.

"Yeah," Goofy remarked. "A-Hyuck!"

"Get in line," Ron grumbled, still scowling with his arms crossed. "You know, she owes _me_ a soda from before she even met you. No soda for you."

Sora felt a little downcast. Perhaps there really _was_ something serious going on between Ron and Kim… something he probably didn't understand. Or… maybe he did? How would he know for sure? _When_ would he know for sure?

The next half-hour flew by. Launchpad and Goofy spent a little time with Tim and Jim, even though they had no idea what the twins were talking about. Donald was sulking in the living room with Ron and Rufus. All Sora did was keep an eye on Kim and Erik. He noticed that Amemi was doing the same thing.

Finally, it was time for dinner. Kim's mom had gone out and brought back a few boxes of freshly-baked pizzas. There was one for each person. Sora dug into his pineapple pizza, while Goofy and Launchpad devoured their cheese pizzas. Amemi and Kim were eating their food, but they looked a little green watching the duck-pilot, Captain of The Royal Knights, and brown, spikey-haired Keyblade wielder chowing down so rapidly, tiny pieces of food went flying in all directions. The whole time, Donald seemed to be glaring at Erik. Ron and Rufus were doing the same thing.

Sora appeared to take note of this behavior. Had Donald sensed something about Erik he didn't like? Was the magician just being stubborn for no real reason? Or was he siding with Ron and Rufus when he wasn't actually directly involved in whatever Ron was feeling?

"Say, I just remembered," Launchpad declared, breaking the almost silent atmosphere. "I left a half-eaten slice of pizza at Sora's house. I wonder whatever happened to it."

"My mom probably threw it out," Sora replied. "That's what she does."

"Yeah," Donald agreed with the seventeen-year-old Keyblader. "She tossed it out the window! I saw it!"

Kim's mom took notice of Ron's discouraged behavior. "Ron?"

Ron sighed. "Actually, Doctor P, I've got the… uh… belly-flips."

"Got my endoscope in the car," Kim's mom informed the young man. This seemed to make Ron shake himself into alert mode. "I'm kidding! Why don't you stay?"

Ron hesitated. "Well… "

"Later, Ron!" Kim and Erik called at the same time.

"Jinx," Kim said a moment later.

Erik smiled. "Again? Man!"

A scowling Ron scooped up one of Tim and Jim's megaphones from the table. "Cootie alert!" he shouted into it. His voice echoed about the house.

Less than five minutes later, Ron set the megaphone back down and walked out of the room. Rufus followed him to the front door.

Kim's mom seemed a little disturbed, although she didn't show it. "He's always been prone to drama, I guess."

Kim waved one of her hands to the side. "He's fine."

Goofy and Launchpad were looking the empty seat at the far end of the table. Jim and Tim were there, looking at the untouched pizza still in its box.

"Dad's pizza's getting cold," Jim said.

"Cool!" Tim added. "Can we heat it up?"

"No," their mom said. She snatched the box away and frowned at the two boys. "The fire department said no more fusion experiments."

"Why not?" Goofy asked.

"They might have caused a few fires," Donald informed the knight. He was still scowling at Erik.

"You're not kidding," Kim commented.

Kim's mom was now staring at the empty seat at the end of the table. "Where is your father?" she inquired out loud.

Sora was also staring at the empty chair. He paused in contemplation. Recalling how Kim's dad had said he was a rocket scientist, and the sight of the Middleton Spacecenter, the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder started to wonder what could be holding him up at work. For all he knew, Kim's dad might be in trouble with Heartless…

…or worse.

"Sora?" Amemi suddenly asked.

Sora spun his head to face his sister. "Huh? What?"

"I was wondering," the sandy-haired girl said. "Since we're here in another world, have you seen anything about what happened to Aunt Shelly?"

Sora was a bit startled. "Wha… what do you mean?"

"You've been to multiple worlds. You've seen so much and met so many people. I have only met a few of them and seen a few other places. But you've been _all over_ this universe."

Sora grinned and placed his hands behind his head. "Yeah… it's been a blast."

He thought back to how he had been so enthralled when he had first seen the dimly-lit streets of _**Traverse Town**_, which had been shortly after the islands had vanished. He had explored lots of hidden passages, nooks, and crannies in _**Wonderland**_. He had battled a number of dangerous monsters at _**Olympus Coliseum**_. He had swung on vines and slid down trees in the _**Deep Jungle**_. He had flown on a magic carpet over the sands of _**Agrabah**_. He had wandered through miles of chambers inside of Monstro's intestines. He had swam like a fish under the sea in _**Atlantica**_. He had walked along a curled hilltop in _**Halloween Town**_. He had flown like a bird… or fairy in _**Never Land**_. He had helped some friends get reunited in _**The 100-Acre Wood**_. He had even battled Riku and Maleficent inside of _**Hollow Bastion**_. Had stopped Ansem — Xehanort's Heartless — at that Heartless world.

Sometime later, he had explored the streets of the "somewhat" quiet _**Twilight Town**_, brought order to _**Hollow Bastion**_ — _**The Radiant Garden**_, climbed a mountain in _**The Land of Dragons**_, saved his friends from an Organization XIII member in the _**Beast's Castle**_, defeated the Hydra at _**Olympus Coliseum**_, restored the Light to _**Disney Castle**_, sang in an undersea musical in _**Atlantica**_, stopped a powerful curse in _**Port Royal**_, helped stop an evil genie in _**Agrabah**_, saved Christmas in _**Halloween Town**_, restored a kingdom in the _**Pride Lands**_, freed the computer system of _**Space Paranoids**_, reunited more friends in _**The 100-Acre Wood**_, and even found Riku, Kairi, and King Mickey, and stopped Organization XIII in _**The World That Never Was**_.

After all _that_, he finally had returned home safely. Unfortunately, he ended up travelling through the _Realm of Sleep_ and met more friends and saved more people. He had reunited the Cybersquad, encouraged Rapunzel, helped Tinker Bell, saved Pinocchio, restored Tron's memory and stopped CLU, reunited Pooh with Christopher Robin, learned a _few_ things from Merlin (which wasn't much at all!), helped Mickey, Donald, and Goofy save Princess Minnie from Peg-Leg Pete and the Beagle Boys, and use a few "_Sound Ideas_" to break a powerful spell and save Mickey, The Sorcerer's Apprentice. In the end, he had excitedly watched Riku and Violet be declared _**True**_ _Keyblade Masters_.

When he thought about, Sora realized a _**lot**_ had happened. And his quest was still far from over. Yet, he was not sure if he really had met his Aunt Shelly. Had that been a dream? He wasn't sure anymore and could not tell his sister otherwise.

"Well," Sora finally said. "I'm not sure. I _might_ have… but I don't know if it was her. It _might_'ve been her… but I don't know. You know what I mean?"

Amemi crossed her arms and turned away. Sora wondered if she had noticed his hesitation. Oh well!

* * *

The Middleton Spacecenter was atypically quiet and dark. The only light on was in one of the smaller laboratories. It was here, Kim's dad, Dr. James Possible, was busy looking through a microscope and some miniature robotic data.

"Come on," he said to himself. "Daddy needs to see some cybertronic replication."

The fragment of data in the viewfinder started to vibrate. As if on cue, it grew and filled the whole thing. James smiled with enthusiasm. "Oh! Outstanding!" he cheered happily. "The _Hephaestus Project_ is a go!"

He pressed a small button on his portable, computer device. "Who's the man?"

He seat suddenly spun around. To James's shock and surprise, he was looking straight at a giant creature. He glanced around the room and saw a few more such creatures and a number of smaller, shadowy ones.

Three figures were also in the room. One of them resembled an anthropomorphic red wolf in a pirate's uniform. Another was a large, cat-man. The third he instantly recognized as the blue-skinned man his daughter often took on while saving the world.

Doctor Drakken.

"_I'm_ the man," Drakken announced as he strode forwards. "The man who wants the _Hephaestus Project_!"

James scowled at Drakken. He recalled how this very man had once attended a college class with him. Only difference was he himself had passed and the other had become a college dropout. "My teenage daughter is not afraid of you," he struck at Drakken. "Why should _I_ be, Drew?"

Drakken winced at the name. He caught a mere glimpse of Pete and Don Karnage chuckling from behind. "I _**hate**_ it when you call me that!" Drakken yelled. "I am _**not**_ the man you knew in college, Possible."

"Still can't get a date, though, I bet," James stated with a grin. He enjoyed teasing his former college roommate.

Pete and Karnage went on chuckling. Drakken felt so humiliated, he only wanted to rant. "Why is it every Possible I capture feels the need to give me lip?" he cried out. "Doesn't _anyone_ respect the traditional captive-captor relationship anymore? Has society just gone _completely_ to seed?"

"If I could interrupt your rant to point out," James spoke up. "That I'm not telling you _anything_ about the project."

Drakken gave the older scientist a sinister grin. "Oh, I anticipated that," he said. "You know what they say. If you want to make an omelet, you've gotta break a few eggheads."

With one last evil chuckle, Pete snapped his fingers. An enormous creature appeared. It was shaped like a velociraptor (dinosaur) with red fangs and matching sharp toes, dark-blue skin, and glowing yellow eyes. Its tail had orange spikes and it also sported the Heartless emblem on its stomach. "Meet the new 'Vamptor Heartless'," Pete told James Possible.

The Heartless glared at the scientist and opened its jaws. A ferocious roar echoed about the room for a couple of seconds. A startled and slightly-anxious James Possible stared at the creature. "Okay," he said at last. "Hold the phone, here."

He spun around to his handheld device, which was situated on the table in front of him. He pushed something on it. "_Do you wish to delete File Hephaestus_?" the device asked in a monotone voice.

Drakken was shocked. "No!"

"Yes," James stated.

The device spoke again. "_Dr. Possible voice print acknowledged_."

A moment later, the device went blank and turned off. Drakken was shaken. Had his archenemy's father _really_ deleted all the information regarding such an important project?! No one else in this world had been known to discover how cybertronics worked. Without this data, his plans would be ruined.

Not to mention, no one would ever benefit from this new technology… not that he really cared about _that_.

"You deleted it," Drakken exclaimed. "Are you _mad_?"

James spun back to face the villain. He was smiling and seemed rather calm considering what had just happened. "No worries," he said in a proud voice. He pointed at his forehead. "Got it all up here."

Drakken immediately recalled something… something that now sounded important. He gave a sinister grin. "Well, good news then, because I have a brain-tap machine and I've been just _dying_ to use it."

James stared at Drakken in shock and worry. He had not expected this response. In addition, he had never noticed how Drakken's clean, white teeth always shown whenever the villain gave his sinister smile….

* * *

The dinner plates had all been put away and the Possible residence had never been so active… for the most part. Kim and Erik were in the foyer looking at pictures of the Possible family. In the living room, Sora, Amemi, and Donald joined Goofy and Launchpad around the television. Goofy was busy flipping through channels, which made Donald wish he would stop on one or the other.

Finally, the knight stopped when he heard the familiar song from an older classic show. "_Just sit right back and hear a tale — a tale of a fateful trip, that started from this tropical port, aboard this tiny ship._"

As he watched, Sora relaxed in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. He knew this show anywhere. It was one he could watch over and over and over and over… without getting the least bit bored of it.

It was _**Gilligan's Island**_. This particular episode was in black-and-white. The camera view switched through the first mate and the captain before showing the boat sailing towards the sea. "_The mate was a mighty sailin' lad, the Skipper brave and sure. Five passengers set sail that day for a three hour tour. A three hour tour._"

A lightning bolt flashed across the screen. Donald yelped and nearly jumped onto Goofy. Launchpad grinned at the screen when it showed the captain and first mate pushing each other around the ship's wheel. "_The weather started getting rough. The tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost. The Minnow would be lost._"

When the camera showed the ship's wheel going round and round into a blur, Launchpad's head started to do the same. He suddenly wobbled and fell out of the chair he'd been sitting in. The result was an audible _**THUD**_ as the pilot hit the floor. "I meant to do that," the pilot commented softly.

No one except Donald took any notice. Sora felt his heart racing, knowing his favorite part of the song was just up ahead. The camera showed the boat lying on the beach of a tropical island. It started to show the cast members moments after. "_The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle… with Gilligan… the Skipper too… the millionaire and his wife… the movie star… and the rest… _"

Sora stared for a moment. "_And the rest_"? What had happened to "_The Professor and Mary Ann_"? His mind jumped around for a moment before he remembered how the show's first season didn't have them introduced in the same way as the others. Only seasons two and three did. No wonder — he and the others were watching the wrong season for what he had expected!

The screen showed the island from a distance and the title appeared. "_…Are here on Gilligan's Isle._"

"…_Here on Gilligan's Island_!" Goofy cheered along with his arms in the air. "A-Hyuck!"

The episode started. To Sora's surprise, he instantly recognized it. He glanced at his sister and saw her smiling from the couch. He turned his eyes back to the show.

This one was of his favorite episodes. It was the one where everyone tried to fix the _Minnow_ so they could get off the island on a high tide. After Gilligan discovered some super-sticky tree sap that settled like cement, the Professor had decided to use it to fix the boat. However, Gilligan's usual mishaps got him and the Skipper pasted onto their ship. If it hadn't been for Mrs. Howell's perfume, they'd _still_ be stuck on it.

Later, Sora's favorite part of the episode came along. Goofy and Amemi were watching it intently. Even Launchpad was enjoying it. Donald, on the other hand, was either half asleep or just plain bored.

This was the part where Gilligan discovered the tree sap wasn't as permanent as everyone had thought and tried to warn them. When the Skipper had tried to show Gilligan how sturdy the _Minnow_ was, the boat started to come apart.

Goofy and Launchpad burst out laughing when pieces of the _Minnow_ flew through the air and landed all over the beach. Sora started to laugh when he saw Gilligan standing amongst the wreckage, holding the ship's wheel. All the first mate was able to say was, "Well, at least I saved the wheel, Skipper."

After the episode ended, another one started. Sora looked around the room. He wondered what had become of Ron and Rufus. The two had left suddenly and he hadn't seen them for a few hours. Where were they?

"Say, Amy," he said to his sister. "Where do you think Ron went?"

Amemi shrugged. "It's hard to say. He might've gone back to that restaurant."

Sora paused for a moment. He remembered how Ron had behaved at the Bueno Nacho restaurant. He assumed the young man _loved_ the restaurant more than anything else — besides his pet, Rufus. Maybe he was there. After all, Ron hadn't eaten his pizza before he left. He might've been so hungry after he left, he had decided to go somewhere else to eat.

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah! Good idea."

He rose from the chair and headed for the front door. He was almost there when a voice called out, "Where ya goin', Sora?"

Sora spun around. Goofy was standing the front hall behind him. The brown-haired youth grinned. "I was going to look for Ron," he admitted, knowing he couldn't hide anything from the knight. Goofy was too smart to trick easily… at least not anymore.

He always noticed things everyone else missed. The best example Sora could recall was when his team had met Mulan when she was trying to join the Imperial Army. Only Goofy had taken note of how Mulan wasn't a boy named "Ping", but was a girl in disguise. "Yer pretendin' ta be a boy, aren't ya?" Goofy had said.

Ever since then, Sora had known never to question Goofy's intelligence.

"Where'd he go?" Goofy asked, swinging his head around from side to side.

Sora shook his head a little. "I think he's at the restaurant."

Goofy nodded in confirmation. "A-Hyuck! Let's go! I want some of them tacos."

Sora sighed, knowing he _had_ to bring Goofy along — no matter what. The two went out the door.

No sooner had they gotten onto the driveway did a small group of Heartless appear. These creatures were a light-blue color and shaped like blades of grass. When Sora summoned his Keyblade and charged in to fight, he was attacked and got his right sleeve torn through to his elbow. He realized these Heartless were _**sharp**_ blades of grass.

"Goofy!" he declared. "_Watch out_! These Heartless are _more_ dangerous than before!"

A curious Goofy knelt down and touched the edge of a Heartless's leaf. "_**Yeowch**_!" he yelped. "That thing's _**sharp**_!"

Sora had to roll his eyes and sigh. He slashed his Keyblade through several of the Heartless. They took a few tries to eliminate. Goofy spun around like a top and used his shield to smack the Heartless away. Sora was nearly caught off guard when one of the Heartless Goofy had smashed into went flying at him. If he hadn't swung his Keyblade and sliced the enemy in half, the sharp leaves would have cut into his lower neck!

After about three minutes, the Heartless were gone. Knowing this meant there were more Heartless elsewhere, Sora and Goofy hurried down the street. They soon had to resort to sidewalks when a car suddenly came up from behind and honked its horn.

* * *

The Bueno Nacho restaurant was rather quiet and lit up considering the time of day… or the time of night (whichever it was). The place was nearly deserted. The background music which had been soft before was now much louder and easier to hear.

Sora wondered where everyone had gone. It felt strange being one of the few people in a restaurant. Then again, he hadn't been to many restaurants during his adventures while exploring the worlds. For that matter, this was first quest he'd had where he'd actually been to a restaurant or two. Then again, if he were to count "_The Snuggly Duckling_" tavern from the Sleeping World of _**Corona**_… maybe he _had_ been to a restaurant before this quest.

Goofy marched straight up to the counter. Ned was there. Before Sora's eyes, Goofy glanced at the menu for a few seconds and said, "I'd like twenty-three of them yummy tacos."

"You mean 'nachos'?" Ned asked. Sora noticed how nervous the young man was acting.

Goofy nodded. "Yeah."

Ned rang up the total. With a sigh, he looked back at the knight. "That'll be $24.57."

Goofy pulled out a handful of shiny, golden Munny from his pocket. Before his eyes, the Munny transformed into paper bills of the same value. He handed the cash to Ned. Before long, Ned handed Goofy his change and Goofy strode back to Sora.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy chuckled. "Yummy!"

Sora had to shake his head. It was clear Goofy was getting distracted by food, as usual. The spikey-haired seventeen-year-old suddenly spotted a blonde-haired young man seated at a nearby booth. A tray of nachos… or tacos… or whatever they were was placed in front of him. A small, pink mole-rat was happily chowing down on the food.

"Hey, Ron," Sora said as he walked over. Ron didn't answer. He simply saw Sora and scooted over to make room. Sora took a seat. A few minutes later, Goofy climbed in beside Sora, his tray overloaded with the nachos he had ordered.

It didn't take Sora two minutes to realize Ron was depressed. His eyes were drooping and he wasn't the smiling, happy-go-lucky young man Sora and his team had first met at the school upon arriving in this world. He wondered if something was on Ron's mind. There was only one way to find out.

"Hey, is everything alright?" Sora inquired.

Ron still didn't answer. Recollecting how Ron had seemed envious of Kim and Erik spending so much time together earlier that day, Sora concluded seeing such behavior was bothering Ron quite a lot. He knew how it felt, having been jealous of all the time Riku and Kairi had spent together years ago.

At that moment, Ned came strolling over and plopped himself into the other side of the booth. He looked just as dismayed as Ron did. Sora thought there was something different about his appearance.

Ron was first one to speak. "Dude, your clip-on tie."

"Clipped off," Ned sighed.

"But you're assistant manager."

Ned gave a deeper sigh. "Not any more. Lars is in charge."

Sora was mystified. "'Lars'?" he questioned. "Who's that?"

Ned pointed in the direction of the counter. Sora saw a large, muscular man who lacked hair standing in the back. He wasn't paying any attention to the group. To Sora, he looked stern and more like a ship's captain than the manager of a restaurant.

"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked despite the food still in his mouth. "That there guy sure looks mean."

"Home office sent him," Ned explained. "Change is in the air. Serious change. Kiddy meals."

"With toys in them?" Ron asked.

Ned nodded. "Affirmative."

"Wait, hold on," Sora spoke up. "What's wrong with that? I used to collect toys from the restaurants back home."

"Imagine the brat factor," Ned said. He looked worried and a little frightened. "Next they'll add a playground. And _then_ what? A _**spokesclown**_?!"

Sora could tell Ned was frantic about these changes. He wasn't sure why. To him, it sounded like Bueno Nacho was trying to reach out to a younger audience. Of course, having seen this location's new manager, he wasn't sure if such changes were going to be a good thing.

The whole thing. It felt somewhat… somewhat like a setup. Maybe even a cover-up. Could this have something to do with the Heartless? Was Pete using the Heartless to force the restaurant's owners to do this stuff? How did Kim's enemy, Drakken, fit into all this? What about that other guy… Donald Karnage (at least, that's what Sora assumed his name was)? He didn't seem to be from these world… or _any_ world the brown, spikey-headed Keyblade wielder had been to before.

There were _so_ many questions, and _so_ few answers. As far as Sora could tell, something funny was definitely going on. He just couldn't tell what it was. Everything felt so… so random. None of the other villains using Heartless had created schemes this complex. Then again, none of the other villains he'd dealt with before were mad scientists.

Sora wondered… had he been underestimating Drakken, Pete, and Karnage's scheme from the start? He sighed. It would be quite some time before he could leave this world in peace. Besides, he had to find its keyhole before the Heartless did.

At that exact instant, Ron's beeper went off. Rufus, the same naked mole-rat Sora and Goofy had seen chowing down on Ron's food, popped his head out and pointed at it. Ron scooped up the pager and his eyes widened.

"What's going on?" Sora asked.

"It's Kim," Ron announced. "911!"

Sora didn't have to hear anymore. Anytime he heard "911", "SOS", or "CQD", he automatically knew it meant trouble. Chances were, Kim needed their help — immediately. "Let's go!" he shouted, his voice echoing about the almost empty room.

Sora leapt from the booth. Goofy held out a paper bag and dumped the rest of the nachos from his tray into it. He left the tray on the table and hurried behind Sora. Ron and Rufus were moments behind.

Still seated at the table, Ned sighed deeper than before. "Ned! Get up and get to work!" a voice yelled.

Ned spun around to see Lars towering over him. "We've got a long line in the drive-thru. Get moving! And _don't_ forget to ask if they want Diablo Sauce with it!"

Ned shook with anxiety. "Y-Yes, sir."

* * *

It did not take long for Sora, Goofy, and Ron to reach Kim's house. As soon as they arrived, they found Kim, Amemi, Donald, and Launchpad standing in the driveway. Kim looked horrified. Amemi was worried, as was Donald. Only Launchpad seemed a bit confused.

"What happened?" Sora asked. "What's going on?"

Kim now had a grave look on her face. "Drakken has my dad," she quickly said.

Ron was shocked. "_**No**_! _**Not **_**him**!"

He paused. "Wait? Why am _I_ getting so worked up? He's not _my_ dad."

Sora had to shake his head. He wondered if Goofy and Launchpad had rubbed off on Ron. Or… maybe it was the other way around? He would never be able to tell for sure.

Sora approached Kim. "Don't worry," he declared. "We'll save him. My friends and I will help."

"We will?" Donald asked in surprise.

Amemi nodded. "My brother always wants to help. That's who he is."

Sora had to grin at his sister. Sometimes, she was standing by his side, ready to help on a moment's notice. However, there were those other times when he had had to fight alone… but that was beside the point.

"Where'd that there Drakken feller go?" Goofy asked.

Launchpad shrugged. "Maybe he's in a haunted mansion. Maybe he's really '_Count_ Dracula Duck'."

"He must have taken my dad to his 'secret' lair," Kim realized. "But, that could take forever. He has lots of lairs all over the world."

A loud beeping sound came from Kim's pocket. She pulled out the same blue device she had had earlier. The same boy Sora remembered was on the screen. "Wade," Kim said. "What's the sitch?"

"I've tracked your dad to one of Drakken's lairs," Wade said. "The Caribbean islands."

"Wow!" Donald remarked. "I can go swimming in the sun!"

Sora shook his head. He looked up into the sky. "It's night, Donald. We can't go swimming at night, even if Kim's dad wasn't in trouble."

Donald turned away. "Aw phooey."

Ron looked at the device's screen. A picture of the lair appeared. "That's Drakken's oldest lair," he informed Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi."

Sora looked closer. The image was of a tall mountain. At the peak was a large building with lots of lights. "That's a strange place," he commented. "No wonder it's a lair."

"That's not all," Wade explained. "Local legend has it the island is haunted."

"Gawrsh," Goofy gulped.

Amemi looked around at everyone. When she saw how worried and nervous everyone (except for Sora, of course!) looked, she shook her head. "Look, we'll never save Kim's dad if we stay here. Let's go!"

Sora nodded. "She's right," he told the others. "We're wasting time. Let's get goin'!"

* * *

It took a little more than two hours to reach the island. Sora's team had boarded a super-fast plane with Kim and Ron. The plane had taken them to an island in the Bahamas. From there, they had boarded a sight-seeing boat captained by an older, kind man.

Now, they were approaching the island with the tall mountain. Sora recognized it from the image Wade had showed him on the device… whatever the device itself was called, that is. He was certain Drakken, Pete, and Karnage were holding Kim's dad captive up there… somewhere.

As they drew closer, Amemi pointed out a few wooden signposts. They read various messages such as "_KEEP OUT_", "_HAUNTED_", and "_STAY AWAY_". Sora stared at them. He noticed Donald and Goofy looked a tad nervous. He shook his head; this was the same reaction they'd had when the three of them had ventured into the _**Underworld**_ to meet with Hades.

"Man," Sora muttered. "Someone must _really_ want to keep us out."

"There's a legend," the captain of the boat informed them. "The island is haunted. No one wants to go there, especially after strange creatures started to show up on the mountainside."

Sora was shocked to hear this. Were there _really_ Heartless crawling along the mountainside? He grabbed a pair of binoculars from on top of a wooden crate. As he scanned the steep cliffs with them, Sora kept his eyes peeled. He froze. He had spotted a few Shadow Heartless patrolling the upper cliffs.

With a sigh, Sora lowered the binoculars. He turned to his teammates. "Guys, there are Heartless here. We need to be careful."

"You sound like King Mickey," Launchpad remarked. "He's always tellin' me to be careful — even when I crash."

The boat finally drew to a safe spot against the shoreline. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all stepped off. Ron and Kim were next in line. "Thanks for the lift, Mr. Hernandez," Kim told the captain.

"Kim," the captain replied with a smile. "It's the least I could do after you saved me in that hurricane."

Kim waved her hand to the right. "No big," she returned. "It's not like it was a perfect storm or anything."

The captain nodded before he sailed away. In the meantime, Sora and his team followed Kim and Ron up the steep mountain slope. The higher they got, the steeper the terrain seemed to get. At one point, Donald started to slide, so Sora used his Keyblade to catch him.

With thirty minutes, the group reached the summit. "Phew," Donald panted.

"You're tellin' me," Launchpad gasped for air.

Amemi sat down and tried to catch her breath. "Climbing… it really… takes it out… of you."

Goofy panted like a dog for a moment or two before he was ready to go. Ron and Kim didn't have to pant, let alone catch their breath. Sora did not have to either. He assumed his Keyblade might be the reason (for him). As for Kim and Ron, they'd probably been to this location several times before and were used to climbing up the mountain.

"So, where's the entrance?" Sora asked. All he could see was a large wall of rock with a metal wall jutting out the top.

Kim pointed to a particular spot on the rock wall. "There," she said. "Drakken's lair is through there."

Sora nodded. He marched up to where Kim had pointed. When he saw a rocky keyhole on the wall, he pointed his Keyblade at it. A beam of Light from the Keyblade shone into the keyhole. The keyhole unlocked and the wall opened. Just before Sora and the others could proceed inside, a bunch of Heartless appeared to the right.

"_Not __**again**_!" Donald complained.

"_**KP**_!" Ron exclaimed.

Sora's team and Kim raced at the creatures. They kicked, shot, burned and iced, and slashed and sliced every one of the Heartless. The enemies started to retreat, so Sora and the others all nodded. They hurried into the lair.

All the Heartless that had retreated had left with such haste, they slid off the edge of the cliff and tumbled down the mountainside. Within a minute, they had bounced across the sand and vanished into the deep, blue ocean beyond.

* * *

The interior of the lair was a gigantic cavern. To Sora and the others' surprise, it was held up by enormous, metal supports. The design seemed to remind Sora and Amemi of a sports stadium back home on the islands.

The whole area looked deserted. Other than a few boxes, a large Hi-Tech computer, a widescreen television, and a few more gizmos of strange design and function, there was absolutely no sign of anyone being around. It appeared Drakken and everyone else in the lair had gone out.

Sora knew better. He had sensed the powerful Darkness coming from inside this place. He looked around, but there was no sign of anyone lurking in the shadows. Then again, a Heartless might be hiding and be about to spring onto him. There could be an ambush at any moment. He knew they had to proceed with extra, extra, extra caution.

As Sora and Kim led the others into the gigantic room, Kim held out her device. The current location of Kim's dad was represented on the screen as a red dot. Sora had his Keyblade out, just in case. Donald and Launchpad were hiding behind Goofy's shield. Amemi was carefully trailing her brother by a few inches.

"I don't like this," Kim said. "It feels too… "

"Trappish?" Ron suggested.

Kim looked at Ron. "Not a word, but yes."

"What does _that_ mean?" Amemi asked. "WordGirl doesn't know it?"

Ron stared at the sandy-haired girl. "Who's 'WordGirl'?"

Amemi smiled. "She's my favorite animated character."

"Really? Mine's the Fearless Ferret," Ron declared with pride.

Amemi had to smile all the more. Sora took note of this and shook his head.

As the group neared a shadowed doorway, a trapdoor in the floor opened. Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all fell in, shouting in surprise. Kim and Ron also fell, although they weren't screaming or shouting at all.

* * *

When the tunnel the trapdoor had led into ended, Sora's team, Kim, and Ron all found themselves in another underground room. They clambered off the floor.

"Is everyone okay?" Sora asked.

Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all nodded.

"That's good," Kim said with relief. Even Ron felt a little better.

"Kim Possible," a voice said from behind the group.

Sora, Kim, and the others spun around to see a blue-skinned man standing on a platform. "Drakken," Kim scowled at him.

"Yes," Drakken nodded. He paused. "Kim Possible and her sidekick, whose name escapes me."

Ron looked upset and frustrated. "Kay," he shouted. "After all the time you battled him, how can he not know my name?"

A second figure was on the platform. One look at it, and Sora saw it was a large, cat-man. "Pete!" he yelled.

"What's a lil' brat ta do?" Pete laughed.

With his Keyblade in hand, Sora rushed at Pete. He swung his weapon. He suddenly found himself falling off the other side of the platform and landing onto the floor. He looked back in time to see Kim rush as Drakken and go straight through him.

Sora gave an irritated sigh. Drakken and Pete were holograms — just like Maleficent when she had magically appeared in _**Disney Castle**_'s _Hall of The Cornerstone_. Even then, Donald had charged at Maleficent and gone straight through her.

Pete laughed with his signature sinister tone. "Youse can't get your mutts on me that easily!"

"Miss Possible," Drakken said. "You would do well to save your energy. Your father is in quite a pickle."

The villain pointed at a nearby tank of water. Sora and the others stared at it. Inside was a humungous, orange-yellow octopus bearing the Heartless emblem. Wrapped in its tentacles was Kim's dad.

"_**Dad**_!" a frantic Kim exclaimed. She rushed at the tank. Sora was directly behind her.

"_**Look out**_!" Amemi hollered. A beam of strong energy nearly struck them. Kim and Sora slid to a stop. They looked back to see a tall laser weapon aimed at them.

"_**Sora**_!" Donald and Goofy yelled in alarm.

Pete gave another sinister laugh. "You'll need ta be more careful than _that_!"

"I must warn you," Drakken added. "My latest _death_-ray is killer!"

Ron looked confused. Goofy and Launchpad exchanged perplexed looks. "Hey," Ron stated. "Isn't that redundant?"

"I wish we could be there," Drakken went on. "But we're busy settling into our new lair, the lair from which Pete, Karnage, and I shall take over the world. Farewell, Kim Possible and key-brat! Farewell… what's his name again?"

Drakken pointed straight at Ron. "Whatever, you know who you are."

Ron was _still_ complaining. "I mean, come on, it's really not a hard name to remember."

"Gee," Launchpad muttered aloud. "I thought your name was 'Ron'."

"Ron," Kim said.

"Yes," Ron sarcastically yelled. "Thank you."

"Sora!" Donald declared. He pointed into the distance. "Look!"

Sora spun his head around. Sure enough, a number of flying and land-dwelling Heartless had appeared in the room. Among them was the anthropomorphic red wolf. He was brandishing a curved sword — _a cutlass_, Sora realized.

"So," the wolf said. "We meet again."

Sora readied his Keyblade. Donald prepared his wand and Goofy raised his shield. Launchpad took out his gas-gun. Amemi held out her slingshot. All eyes were pinned onto the wolf.

"Who are you?" Amemi inquired.

"_What_ are you?" a puzzled Kim added.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the wolf said as he bowed politely. "I am Don Karnage, captain of the _Iron Vulture_ and leader of the air pirates. I stalk Khan's planes and steal their cargo. I hunt priceless treasures. I plan to plunder all of Cape Suzette. If it wasn't for the interfering of that idiot pilot, Baloo… "

Karnage continued to ramble on and on. Seeing how distracted the pirate was, Sora knew this was the best time to stop him, the Heartless, and save Kim's dad. "Let's go," he told the others.

Within seconds, Donald and Goofy were rushing into the Heartless horde. Launchpad was directly behind them. Amemi and Ron headed for the tank. Sora and Kim rushed at Karnage.

The laser swerved around, trying to choose which of them to shoot at. It focused on Donald before aiming at Amemi. Each time, it missed and struck a Heartless or three. Not wanting to be fried to a crisp, Amemi reached into her jacket pockets and pulled out a small, hand-sized mirror. She held up the mirror at the laser. The laser shot at her. The beam bounced off the mirror and struck the weapon. It exploded in an instant.

Amemi gave a short sigh of relief. "That's one dilemma solved."

Sora and Kim stopped before Karnage. When he saw them, the wolf-pirate was _not_ pleased. "Hey!" he declared. "No fair! I'm supposed to be slicing you into itsy-bitsy pieces!"

"Maybe you shouldn't go on and on about stuff nobody cares about," Kim stated.

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "I never thought this fight would be so easy. _I'm_ a Keyblade hero!"

"As you wish," Karnage responded. He swung his sword at Sora. The Keyblader blocked and countered. Karnage evaded the attack and swung his sword from above at Kim. She leapt over the sword and kicked him in the face. Karnage glared and snarled. "You can't beat me easily! _I'm_ the infamous Don Karnage, captain of the _Iron Vulture_ and leader of…. "

Before Karnage could finish his statement, Sora sliced his Keyblade through the villain's hand. Karnage dropped his sword and turned away. He opened a dark portal. "Then again, he who runs away lives to steal another day."

Without another word, Karnage disappeared into the Darkness. The portal sealed shut a moment later.

Sora gave a sigh of relief. "That's that," he remarked.

"Not yet," Kim said as she hurried to the tank.

Sora whirled his attention over to the tank. When he saw Ron and Amemi were trying to pull Kim's dad out of the tank, his eyes lit up. "Oh yeah!"

He rushed at the tank, too. He found Kim jumping into the tank. "Stop!" he yelled at her. "It's too dangerous!"

To Sora's shock and surprise, the Heartless octopus suddenly became limp. Kim's dad fell into the tank, along with Amemi. A giant, captive heart came from the tank and the creature vanished into Darkness. All Sora could say was, "Whoa…. "

Ron leaned onto the edge of the tank. "I'll have you out of there in no time," he told Amemi.

When Amemi grabbed his arm, Ron fell into the tank. "Man," Ron commented. "This is awkward."

Amemi shook her head and took a deep breath. She dove into the water. A moment later, Kim and Amemi surfaced from the tank with Kim's dad. They dragged him out and helped him onto the floor in the middle of the room. Sora rushed over to make sure the scientist was okay. At the same time, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad finished defeating all of the Heartless and turned their attention to helping Ron out of the tank.

Kim was relieved her dad seemed alright. She still had to make sure. "Dad, are you okay?"

"Yep," Kim's dad replied. "Least, I think so."

"So, what did Drakken do?" Sora inquired.

Kim's dad paused in thought. "I… I have no idea."

"He captured you in your lab," Kim spoke up. "Right?"

"Didn't he?" Amemi added.

"Did he?" Kim's dad said. "I don't remember. I remember wanting bacon on my pizza. Then nothing."

Kim led her dad to the room's exit. "Come on, Dad, better get you home."

Kim's dad looked around. "Which is where?"

"1642 South Main Street," Launchpad blurted. This drew in the attention of everyone else. The pilot shrugged and chuckled with nervousness. "That's the street I grew up on."

Sora shook his head. He decided the best option was to get Kim's dad home as soon as possible. They could move on from there. Maybe they could locate Drakken's next lair and stop him, Pete, and Karnage before the three had the chance to take over the world. Maybe they could stop the Heartless before it was too late.

Whatever Drakken did to Kim's dad, they'd probably never know. Either way, Sora was determined to make Drakken pay for his crimes. Same with Pete and Don Karnage.

* * *

The next day, Sora and his team were spending time with Kim, Ron, and Monique. They had all gone to a local shopping mall so Kim and Monique could buy some dresses for the upcoming "Christmas Prom". When Amemi had seen a golden-yellow dress decorated with sunflower petals, she decided to try it on, even though she had to wait a moment for the last dressing room to become available.

While they were busy trying on some possible outfits, Sora yawned and stretched. He'd always hated shopping for clothes. He wanted to be outside, fighting Heartless with his Keyblade. Yet, for all _he_ knew — mainly given the events of the night before — Drakken, Pete, and Karnage might very well send some Heartless to get rid of Kim. He _had_ stand guard over her… at least, until the situation was resolved. He just didn't know when that would be.

He gazed out the store's front window. He could see Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad busy looking at model trains and LEGO sets over at the toy store across the way. If only he could leave his post for a minute or two. If only he could….

To keep himself busy, Sora helped Kim tell Monique all about their last mission. Monique was amazed about what had happened. "You saved your dad?!" Monique exclaimed.

Kim shrugged. "So not the drama, Monique."

"You know what this mean. You got it goin' on."

Kim seemed bewildered. "I do?"

"You can never be grounded, girl. Why did evil dude pull the dad-napping anyway?"

Kim shrugged. "To play me, I guess. Something's off the road, here, though."

Now Sora had a turn to speak. "What do you mean?"

"Usually, I can crack Drakken's sicko plots no prob," Kim replied. "This time, it's all so random."

Sora had to nod. He was still trying to determine whether or not Drakken, Pete, and Karnage were responsible for changes happening at the Bueno Nacho restaurant. Was that the new lair they had been referring to? He had no idea.

This mystery was as big as the time he'd first learned about Xehanort from the King. _That_ time, the spikey-haired Keyblade wielder had been completely lost about what King Mickey had been telling him, Donald, and Goofy.

Amemi stepped out of her dressing room. "What do you think?" she asked.

Sora stared at her. So did Kim and Monique. There was Amemi wearing the golden dress. It seemed to sparkle. There were several sunflower petals attached to it, mainly around the collar.

"That's what I'm talking about," Monique commented.

"It's nice," Sora remarked.

"'_Nice_'?" Amemi asked her brother. "You should be saying 'It's _beautiful_' or 'It's _lovely_'. 'Nice' doesn't work here."

Sora shook his head. "You know I don't like shopping for clothes." He gestured out the window at the toy store. "Mainly if Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad are looking at toys."

Amemi shook her head. She rolled her eyes. "I'm still buying it. I may not dance, but I love this dress."

Sora had to smile. He calmly placed his hands behind his head. He had to admit it. His sister was naturally drawn to yellow and golden things. Once she had her eyes set on one, you couldn't tell her "no".

Kim sighed. "Maybe I should just raid my closet."

"Not for the prom," Monique stated with a quick shake of her head. "You're gonna be Kim-derella."

Kim strode out of her dressing room. She was wearing a long, shiny and silver dress. Sora smiled when he saw her. It almost made her look like a princess. It reminded him of Kairi… only she would have been wearing a _pink_ dress.

At that moment, Erik walked into the store. "Hey, hey," he greeted the group. Everyone turned their eyes to him.

"Hey," a shy Kim returned.

Erik pointed at the dress the red-haired young woman was wearing. "You should buy that dress," he said.

Kim hesitated in her response. "I… I sh-should?"

Erik nodded. "Yeah. And I know I've only gone to Middleton for five minutes… "

"That's an understatement," Amemi whispered to Sora. Sora rolled his eyes and shook his head. He knew it was simple an expression — one his sister sometimes took literally.

"But," Erik added. "About this prom…. "

"Have you met Ron Stoppable?" The voice cut Erik off and drew everyone's attention to the dressing rooms. One of the other dressing room doors opened. Out stepped Bonnie. She was wearing a short dress with blue, green, and yellow colors. "Kim and Ron are, like, inseparable."

Sora and Amemi both rolled their eyes. It was clear Bonnie was meddling in other people's business. Talk about being rude!

At that moment, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad strode into the store. They had heard everything Bonnie had said. Goofy looked around and spotted a large, young man with short, blonde hair talking to someone in the middle of the space between the stores. "Gawrsh," he said. "Ain't that there Brick fella talkin' to thuh _purty_ lady outside?"

"He's hypnotized by her big hoop earrings!" Bonnie exclaimed. She raced out of the store. The store's alarm went off as she dashed away. Red lights started to flash. A security guard outside chased down Bonnie.

"She didn't buy the dress," Donald realized.

"What's the sitch?" Ron shouted as he raced out of the last dressing room.

One mere glimpse of the young man and Kim, Erik, Monique, Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all turned their eyes away. "What? What?" Ron inquired.

Erik was frowning. "Dude…. "

Ron looked down. "XYZ?"

Sora could not look. He noticed his sister had shut her eyes before covering her face with her hands. In his peripheral vision, he saw Ron race back into the dressing room. Once he was in there, everyone was able to look again.

Erik turned to Kim. "Wanna go get a bite?"

Kim gave a nod. "Hey," Erik went on. "It's pretty weird to just run into you here, isn't it, Kim?"

Kim and Erik smiled at each other. Kim hurried into her dressing room to change. Goofy's stomach growled. "Gawrsh! Can we join 'em?"

Sora shrugged. "Why not?"

Amemi took a deep breath. She clenched the edges of the dress she was wearing. "I should buy this before we leave. I don't want that alarm going off because of me."

She hurried into her dressing room. In the meantime, Monique came out with a smile. She had a nice, dark-purple dress in her hands.

Sora took a look over at Ron's dressing room. The blonde-haired young man looked saddened at the sight of seeing Kim and Erik. He knew this look. It was the same way he'd felt whenever he'd seen Riku spending so much time with Kairi all those years before.

"What's wrong?" Amemi asked as she exited the dressing room.

Sora did not answer. At this time, he was as mystified as Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad.

* * *

Drakken's lair was rather quiet. In one of the rooms, Shego was staring at an enormous computer monitor. She could see lots of things on the screen. She knew these were all key components in Drakken's latest scheme to take over the world. It was his so-called "Master Plan".

Having never been filled in on any of this, she was lost and staring at the screen, trying to put two and two together. Yet, everything she was seeing seemed so random. None of it made any sense when combined. Ever since Drakken had teamed up with that witch, Maleficent, he'd seemingly been losing his mind.

Slumber parties… mutant lifeforms… death-rays… none of these projects of his made any sense. Had the idea of working with someone as strange as that witch and the rest of her so-called "Council" gotten to him? There were no real connections. "What is he up to?" Shego finally said out loud. "A child's toy design, top-secret cybertronic technology, Syntho-drone personality and performance upgrades, teen-zine junk, and weird creatures with no feelings?"

She gave a deep sigh of disbelief. "What's he gonna do? Throw the world's _weirdest_ pajama party next Halloween?"

"You really haven't figured it out, have you?"

Shego leapt from her chair and whirled around. She relaxed. It was only Drakken, Pete, and Don Karnage. Deep down, she wondered why Drakken would ever choose to work alongside a giant cat-man and a talking red wolf pirate.

"There is no plan here," Shego stated. "No way."

Drakken, Pete, and Karnage all grinned. "Oh," Drakken said in a taunting voice. "But there is!"

"Yeah," Pete nodded.

"It's a most-brilliant plan ever!" Karnage agreed.

"_Spill_!" Shego demanded. To further illustrate her point, she allowed one of her hands to become engulfed in her green plasma powers. She glared at all three of them.

Drakken seemed unfazed, even though Pete and Karnage were ducking down. "No," the blue-skinned man said.

"Why not?!" Shego snarled.

"Kim Possible is not smarter than you."

Shego's powers disappeared from her hand. This allowed Pete and Karnage to gives sighs of relief. "True," the young woman approved.

"If you can't figure it out, she can't figure it out," Drakken indicated.

"What about the key-kid?" Karnage asked.

Pete shook his head. "That runt with the Keyblade's clever, but not clever enough for all three of us. We've got 'im confused 'til doomsday."

"Yes," Drakken acknowledged. "And that means… "

Shego paused for a moment. If Kim Possible couldn't figure out the plan — and that annoying kid with the Keyblade couldn't solve it — there was only one answer. Neither one would be able to figure out the villains' scheme. That meant….

Shego's eyes were filled with complete astonishment. "You just might win."

"Oh, I'm quite confident," Drakken stated. He turned to Pete and Karnage. "Once this planet is ours, I'll let you each have a continent of your own."

He paused for a moment. "Except Europe."

"Now den," Pete said to Shego. "If youse excuse us, we've gotta be somewhere."

Shego looked puzzled. "Where?"

"We're due at a board of directors meeting," Drakken replied. The three started for the exit.

Shego was more perplexed. "You? At what company?"

Drakken, Pete, and Karnage were now at the exit doorway. They turned their eyes back to the shocked and puzzled Shego. "Oh," Drakken said. "The one we recently acquired in a hostile takeover with the Heartless."

* * *

**A/N: Huh? I wonder what "company" Drakken, Pete, and Don Karnage are talking about? What a mysterious cliff-hanger... EVEN IF IT'S NOT HANGING FROM A CLIFF! ...AND THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED A "_CLIFF-HANGER_"!**

**So, I certainly HOPE you enjoyed your present! I had quite a LOT of fun writing it! I'd like to go over a few of the points in there.**

**(1.) The scenes with Shego as a teacher are based on the episode, "_Stop Team Go_" from _Season 4, Episode 12_. I thought it would be interesting to have Sora and the others see her and have this encounter seem to "hint" at the story's conflict... unless you don't know what I mean.**

**(2.) I know a LOT of people who HATE using the Quadratic Formula. Personally, I find it rather intriguing... I even have it memorized!  
"_Negative 'b' plus or minus the square root of 'b' squared minus four 'a', 'c' divided by two 'a'_."  
****See? ****Goofy's true knowledge can be VERY surprising. That's why I had him answer the question.**

**(3.) I decided to have Sora read "_To Kill A Mockingbird_" for one simple reason. That story was one my class had to read in High School. I thought it was really good all things considered. I liked how I made Sora start to doze off during one of the slower parts. I think that shows his true character when it comes to school.**

**(4.) Yes, yes. Mr. Barkin is the school's principal. Whenever I included his dialogue in there, I pictured Patrick Warburton's voice. It worked since he is the actor who voiced that character. I do think his character resembles that of Admiral Grimace - Donald's admiral - from the Disney show, "_DuckTales_".**

**(5.) The "Vamptor" Heartless Pete summons is based on a Velociraptor dinosaur. I thought it would be interesting to include one. No, no, no! It was NOT intended to be a reference to any of the "Jurassic Park" movies. That is simply a pure coincidence.**

**(6.) When Sora and his friends are watching "_Gilligan's Island_", the episode they watched was _Season 1, Episode 8: _"_Goodbye Island_". I know this is true since I have the entire show on DVD. I also tend to watch it on Sunday Mornings when it comes on. That particular episode is one of my favorites.**

**(7.) After I wrote it, I found myself snickering at Don Karnage's rambling. I can't remember for sure, yet I think there might have been an episode where he goes on and on about something or other like that. I still found it to be in character enough (as far as I could tell).**

**(8.) I HOPE I don't have to tell you why no one was looking at Ron while in the clothing store. If you've seen "_Kim Possible: So The Drama (2005)_" or any of the episodes of the show itself, you can make an educated guess.**

**(9.) Sometimes, I do wonder why it seems Drakken doesn't want to give Europe to anyone he agrees to team up with. Why is that? I might just be my opinion, yet it seems it's probably just a notable quirk of his.**

**True, that was a LOT to cover. Still, I thought it was necessary to go over all of it. I'd STILL like to hear YOUR Reviews about THIS Chapter.**

**With all that said and done, Stay Tuned for the Next Chapter! Have A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!"**


	23. Ch23 - Drakken's Scheme — Revealed

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR'S! IT'S NEARLY 2016! WOW! A LOT HAS HAPPENED!**

**Yes, I mean what I said! A LOT happened this year. I would like to give a moment of silence for four particular Actors and Actresses who died this year.**  
**(1.) Leonard Nimoy (Age 83) - Known for Spock on _Star Trek_, &amp; Master Xehanort in "_Kingdom Hearts_".  
****Tetsuya Nomura chose him for the role of Xehanort specifically because of his role as Spock.  
I only Hope he was able to record his lines as Xehanort for "_Kingdom Hearts III_"...  
****(2.) Christopher Lee (Age 93) - Known for Saruman in "_The Lord of The Rings_", Count Dooku in "_Star Wars_", and Ansem The Wise in "_Kingdom Hearts_".  
****(3.) Melody Patterson (Age 66) - Known for Wrangler Jane in "_F-Troop_". I shall REALLY miss her...  
****(4.) Al Molinaro (Age 96) - Known for Al Delvecchio in "_Happy Days_", &amp; Murray Greshler in "_The Odd Couple_". I shall REALLY miss him...  
****(5.) Dick Van Patten (Age 86) - Best Known for Tom Bradford in ABC's "_Eight Is Enough_".**

**As it is, Richard Wayne Van Dyke \- Better Known as DICK VAN DYKE \- celebrated his 90TH BIRTHDAY on December 13TH, 2015!**

**HAPPY BE-LATED BIRTHDAY, DICK VAN DYKE! YOU ARE A TRUE _DISNEY LEGEND_!**

**In Addition, Two New Disney-Pixar Movies came out This Year! "_INSIDE OUT (2015)_", And "_THE GOOD DINOSAUR (2015)_"!**  
**Since I have seen both, I shall just say - without any spoilers - those two movies seemed to be Counterparts that go together. I will not say anything else about them.**

**Plus, Two of my favorite Classic Television Shows celebrated their 50TH Birthdays This Year!**

**"_HOGAN'S HEROES_", And "_GET SMART_"! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HIP-HIP-HOORAY!**

**Sadly, it appears the _Disney Fairies_ Franchise is slowly dying out now... Their Latest Movie, "_Tinker Bell And The Legend of The NeverBeast (2015)_" is most-likely the Last One _DisneyToonStudios_ will make for that franchise.**  
**To me, this is very sad... I found myself REALLY enjoying those movies - especially since they were spun off of Disney's "_Peter Pan_"!**

**For that matter, it also looks like the _PBSKIDSGO!_ Show, "_WORDGIRL_" might have come to end This Year, too.  
I don't think I want to know how Sora's sister would react if she heard this news...**

**So, without further ado, here is a piece of TRIVIA for the road!**  
**DID YOU KNOW? The actress who voiced Shego in Kim Possible was _Nicole Sullivan_. She was also two other Disney-made productions. One was Franny Robinson in "_Meet The Robinsons (2007)_". The other was Mira Nova in "_Buzz Lightyear of Star Command_". I am not sure if she did any other work for Disney. It would not surprise me if she did.**

**Well, with all THAT aside, LET'S GET UNDERWAY WITH CHAPTER 23! READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!**

**PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO - PLEASE!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 23  
****Drakken's Scheme — Revealed**

The sun had long set below the horizon. The air had grown cool and the moon had appeared shortly after. The streets were deserted now and also illuminated by the occasional streetlamp. The houses were lit up brighter than a million fireflies, let alone a lighthouse's lamp.

At Kim's house, everything was rather calm and easygoing… for once. Everyone was gathered around the television. Sora was slumped on the couch beside his sister. Amemi was yawning here and there. Donald was lying on his stomach upon the floor. Goofy was slouched in a chair. Launchpad was leaning against the wall, and sitting on the floor, all at the same time.

Sora's eyes started to droop. He was beyond drained. After leaving the Middleton Mall with Kim, Erik, and Ron, the spikey, brown-headed Keyblade wielder and his teammates had encountered a swarm of Mega-Shadow Heartless. Although they had cleared the parking lot of all the enemies, the group had decided to search the city for any sign of Pete, Don Karnage, or Drakken. The next few hours had flown by….

…Yet, there was no sign of the three villains anywhere in the city. Having recalled how Drakken had claimed they were settling into a new lair, Sora had reached the conclusion the evildoers were lurking somewhere in the city itself. His assumption had been extended when he remembered how Shego had been a teacher at the school.

Apparently, his conclusions were wrong. For all _he_ knew, Drakken and the others had seemingly disappeared altogether. Of course, he knew such an event was truly impossible without using a Corridor of Darkness or some other form of transportation between worlds.

Either way, he knew he had to track them down and stop their evil scheme before the Heartless overran the world of _**Middleton**_ and it was lost to Darkness, possibly for the second time, too.

Sora yawned himself and continued to watch the television. The news was on. The boring part… it _had_ to be the news. This was one part of the media he didn't care for in the least little bit.

He was about to doze off when a newsflash, or (Special Report" as it read) came on about the local Bueno Nacho restaurant; there was a large amount of children's laughter going on inside the building. Sora's eyes opened. He was curious about this newsflash.

An anchorwoman came on. She had blondish hair, teal eyes, and a matching business suit. She was holding a small toy shaped like a smiling devil with a capital "D" on its head. It hands and feet resembled a LEGO Minifigure and it had a red and black color scheme. "I'm here at Bueno Nacho, the home of Little Diablo," she said. "This tiny toy, this mini must-have, this cute little devil, is the latest craze for kids all over the world. Just one look around tells you that Little Diablo…. "

At that moment, a blonde-haired young man who strangely looked exactly like Ron Stoppable barged in front of her. "I can't even get to the counter to order!" he shouted in a frenzy. He looked frantic, worried, and discouraged. "This used to be _my_ place — _**mine**_! I'm losing _**everything**_ I ever _**cared**_ about!"

Sora stared at the screen in complete shock. It really _**was**_ Ron himself! He had been at Bueno Nacho during the time the reporter had been there. The brown-haired Keyblader could sense a state of distress and panic in Ron's voice. Either it was his imagination, or it seemed the young man's heart was slowly being consumed by a dark emotion of some kind.

Whatever it was, it was clear Ron's heart was gradually falling into Darkness. Sora knew this _had_ to be the case. He had seen Riku go there and back — twice! …Or was it only once? He wasn't sure. It didn't really matter now.

"Ron's on T.V.," Tim pointed out from where the twins were watching on the floor.

"And he's freaking out," Jim added.

Kim's mom (who was sitting beside Amemi) looked at the screen in time to see the restaurant staff pulling Ron away from the anchorwoman's microphone. "Honey," she told Kim's dad. "I think the boys are right."

Kim's dad looked up from the newspaper he'd been reading. "Hmm," he pondered aloud. "Ronald? Freaking? Oh, so he is."

"Mom," Jim spoke up. "Can we go to Bueno Nacho?"

"Please?" Tim pleaded.

Sora shook his head. Recalling how Kim had been in her room since he and his team had return to the house, Sora decided to inform her about what had happened.

After all, this was not something to be taken lightly. Sora silently and carefully left the room.

* * *

Amemi noticed her brother leaving and suddenly had a strange feeling. Was something up? She glanced at the others. Goofy grabbed the remote control and switched channels. An episode of _**Gilligan's Island**_ was just starting… in color, too. When she saw the words "_Gilligan's Island Marathon — Tonight_", Amemi decided it was time to find out what Sora was doing.

Why not? He had a lot more experience in these situations than she did. Maybe he'd found a clue or something. The newsflash might've had something along those lines. For all she knew, there was a connection between the goings-on at the restaurant and whatever Drakken, Pete, and Don Karnage were up to.

She trailed her brother up the stairs. She was careful not to make any sounds. If Sora knew she was following him… she didn't wish to consider it.

When she reached the second floor, Amemi followed Sora to a large room at the end of the hall on the right. The door was slightly ajar, so she simple peeked in and listened.

There was Sora and Kim sitting on a decent-sized bed. Kim's device was in her hands. Amemi could hear something coming from the device.

"_I'm losing _**everything**_ I ever _**cared**_ about!"_

Amemi had to shake her head. This was the same thing she and Sora and the others had seen on the television downstairs.

She heard Kim sigh. "I'd better talk to him," the red-haired young woman said.

"He's in the old tree house," a voice from the device said.

"I'll come, too," Sora added.

Her eyes lit up. She heard footsteps approaching the door. The sandy-haired girl hurried down the hall and ducked into a closet. She peeked through the doorway and watched as Sora and Kim both left the room and marched down the stairs. Amemi emerged from her hiding place and followed them.

Downstairs, the noise from the television was louder than normal. The last time Amemi had heard a show being _this_ loud was the last time she'd watched _WordGirl_ at home, which had been the Friday before Sora's birthday. Now, she was starting to wish she'd stayed home. Hopefully her DVR was still taping the show whenever she wasn't around.

Well, even if it wasn't, she still had something else to look forward to. An adventure unlike any she'd ever heard of before. Traveling to far-flung lands. Making new friends… and enemies. Seeing sights she'd never dreamed of before. Fighting strange creatures every step of the way.

Amemi had to smile. Maybe it was worth missing a few episodes of _WordGirl_. She was enjoying the time she was spending with her brother.

When she saw Sora and Kim head out the front door, Amemi hurried along behind them. She could still hear Gilligan and the Skipper from the television just after she closed the door behind herself.

* * *

The tree house was in a tall, wide tree just outside a house a few yards away from Kim's house. The shape of it reminded Sora of a wooden crate, only with a hole in the bottom and a window or two. Not to mention, it was situated in a tree. And it had a peaked roof, like a real house.

To Sora, this tree house also reminded him of the wooden shack on the Children's Play Island back home on the _**Destiny Islands**_. He recalled spending many stormy days huddled in that very shack with Riku, Kairi, and anyone else who'd been on the island with them.

One time, he had been on the island with his sister when she was only five or six years old (his parents had made him bring her along that day). A violent thunderstorm had formed and washed over the entire seashore. If Sora, Amemi, Riku, Kairi (as well as Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka) hadn't taken cover in the shack, they'd have been washed away with most of the island's sand. It had taken five weeks to fix the docks and get the place cleaned up from palm tree leaves and other debris. Several of the trees had been uprooted and had to be replanted.

Despite all this replaying within his mind, Sora tried his best to keep his focus on the current task at hand. That task was helping Kim find Ron.

Kim scaled the tree rather quickly. As she neared the top, a voice shouted from above, "I have a lethal weapon!"

The teenage girl sighed and shook her head a little. "Put the slingshot down. It's me and Sora."

There was a sigh from above as Kim finished clambering on up into the tree house. Sora was seconds behind her. "Oh," he heard the voice say. "I always wanted to use this on somebody."

Sora was inside the tree house in a flash. He noticed Ron was slouched on a large, blue sofa, a small slingshot was in his right hand. A green blanket with a faded-green stripe was draped on the sofa behind him. Two posters were located on the wall behind the sofa, although the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder wasn't able to tell what they were supposed to be. There was an open crate of sport-related things to the left. A closed crate with a paper bag on top was to the right.

Kim stood before Ron. "You did once, don't you remember?"

"Arnie Custer?" Ron asked.

"Arnie Custer."

"Huh?" Sora broke into the conversation. "Who's that?"

Kim and Ron didn't pay the spikey-haired youth any attention. "I was trying to stop him from hurting you," Ron said.

"I pulled him off you because you beaned him with the slingshot," Kim countered.

"We were six, okay? The details are sketchy."

Sora rolled his eyes and started to look around the room some more. He spotted a wooden sign bearing the words "_**NO GIRLS ALLOWED**_" in red paint. "What's this?" he inquired.

Kim noticed the sign a moment later. "I never noticed that sign before."

"Really?" Ron scoffed (a little). "It's been up there forever."

Sora had his doubts. The paint looked fresh and seemed to still be drying. He had the feeling the sign was directly intended for Kim… as well as any other girls who might try to enter the tree house.

Kim grinned at a poster hanging over the entrance to the tree house. To Sora's surprise, it was a picture of Kim and Ron, only much younger. It reminded him of how he and Kairi used to look less than five years ago. "Oh, it was fun!" Kim said. "When we were kids, I mean."

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "Just the two of us."

Kim picked up a small raccoon hat from the floor. Sora stared at it. How did he miss it when he had looked around the room? Was it because it was so tiny?

"Hey, I remember this," the red-headed teenager smiled. "Ron, the happy camper."

Ron appeared to be miserable. "Camp Wannaweep. The worst summer of my life."

"I know, I know," Kim nodded.

Sora was puzzled. "What made it so bad?"

Kim turned to him. "The ticks," she explained. "The poison ivy, the toxic lake, his mom stopped accepting his phone calls."

"Wow," Sora marveled in surprise. "That _does_ sound terrible."

"Yeah, you know, all that stuff was bad, KP," Ron spoke up. Sora and Kim turned their eyes back to him. "But you know what was worse? Spending a whole summer away from you."

"Oh," Kim sighed.

Sora was not sure what to say. After what he'd just heard, he had the feeling something serious was bothering Ron. Just like he had assumed from hearing the newsflash. Ron's heart was struggling with a dark emotion. Could it be jealousy? Or was it worse? He didn't know.

Ron scooped up a paper carton full of nacho chips and melted cheese. "You want any?" he offered the other two. "I only do 'to go' now. Little Diablo's ruined everything."

Judging from Ron's scowling face as he spoke the last four words, Sora had the feeling the Bueno Nacho issue was only part of the problem. "I think," he said. "Something else beside the restaurant changes are bothering you, Ron."

Ron snapped into attention in a hurry. "Talking about Erik? Why… No!" he stated in a frantic rush. "Why would I have a problem with Erik? No! I'm down with Erik!"

With the blonde-haired teenager started to wheeze, rub his nose, and look all around the room, Sora crossed his arms. He had the feeling Ron was not telling the truth.

Perhaps Ron was jealous of all the attention Kim was giving Erik? True, Erik was new at the school… and he _did_ hang out with Kim quite a lot. Could it be the real problem? Was Ron not able to spend enough time with Kim anymore?

Kim shook her head. "Ron, Erik's not going to change what we're all about. We'll always be tight."

Ron looked down. "Yeah. Pretty words, Kim."

"We're not in Pre-K anymore. Time to grow up."

Ron turned his eyes away from Kim. "Maybe I don't wanna grow up. You know, if that means…. "

"Kim?" a voice called up from below. Sora, Kim, and Ron all rushed to peer out from the hole in the floor. There was Erik, standing at the base of the tree.

Ron scowled at the other two. "He can't come up here."

Kim frowned back. "Ron!"

"No," Ron shook his head. "I mean, like he really can't come up here."

"Why not?" Sora questioned.

"This tree house had a weight limit," Ron explained. "And while all three of us are up here we're already pushing it."

"We'll talk tomorrow," Kim said. She started to climb down.

Sora turned to Ron. "Don't worry," he assured the young man. "You still have your friends. I know what it's like to have someone stand in the way."

Ron turned away and crossed his arms. "I'm _**not**_ jealous!" he stated with vigor.

Sora sighed. He was getting nowhere. Ron was certainly jealous of all the time Kim had been spending with him. He just refused to admit it. Instead, he was holding it all deep inside. It was slowly becoming Darkness.

For all Sora knew, the next Heartless he had to fight would be Ron Stoppable.

He headed for the exit. "You haven't lost a friend," Sora added. "I know what it's like to lose someone close to you. It's worse when you know they're never coming back."

Ron didn't move. Sora gave a silent sigh and headed down below. No sooner had he reached the ground did he see Kim and Erik strolling down the street together. Sora decided he ought to follow them, just in case any Heartless chose to show up.

As he trailed the pair of teenagers, Sora hid behind lampposts and ducked behind mailboxes. He felt a little like a certain secret agent from a classic show his dad really liked. He'd seen most of the show's episodes since Senzu (Sora's dad) owned copies of the entire series. It had starred a forgetful, and somewhat _incompetent_ agent named "Maxwell Smart", who often had to take extreme risks to prevent an organization called "_KAOS_" from taking over the world. Sora had liked the show, even though he wasn't sure what was going on throughout much of it. He still remembered the title — "_**GET SMART**_". What a classic show!

"You think Ron's okay with us?" Erik asked Kim.

"Us what?" Kim replied.

"You know. Us."

"Oh, that us. I think he's okay."

Sora ducked behind a bush. If what he'd just heard was true, it seemed Kim had forgotten all about Ron the moment she'd been alone with Erik. Before he could hear more, Sora found himself being grabbed and pulled into the bush he'd been hiding behind.

"_Wha_—?!"

"Shh!" a voice said. To Sora's shock, it sounded feminine. He caught a glimpse of a silhouette. It looked like a girl. With curiosity creeping on him, Sora reached into his jacket and pulled out a small, navy-blue flashlight. He flipped it on.

"Hey!"

Sora nearly leaped out of the bush. Before his eyes was a sandy-haired girl who seemed to be about fourteen years old. She had covered her eyes the instant he'd turned on the light.

"_**Amy**_?!" Sora declared, realizing it was his own sister. "What're you doing?! You shouldn't be out here all by yourself. It's dangerous!"

"I couldn't help it," Amemi answered. Her eyesight came back a minute later. "I wanted to come with you. I thought you had figured out something important. I just wanted to know what it was."

Sora shook his head. "You could've asked. There's no way I wouldn't have told you. You're my sister. But… why are you sneaking around in the bushes?"

Amemi leaned closer and whispered into his ear. "I have a strange feeling about Erik. He reminds me a little of Tobey from _WordGirl_. I think he's up to something."

Sora paused in thought. Maybe his sister had a point. Erik did seem a little odd. He had seemed out-of-place (somewhat) from the moment Sora had first seen him at the school. He wondered… was Erik connected to the Heartless? He rapidly scratched _that_ option off his list. Too much circumstantial evidence. Even _**Matlock**_ would be able to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Erik's innocence.

The sounds of loud gasping filled his ears. Sora and Amemi hopped out of the bush. To their shock and complete astonishment, a handful of Large Body Heartless were surrounding Kim and Erik. There were a few Air Soldiers hovering above.

"_**Heartless**_!" Sora yelled in alarm. He summoned his Keyblade and charged over. Amemi pulled out her slingshot and followed him.

Sora reached Kim and Erik in a heartbeat. "Get to safety!" he told them both.

Kim hastily started to kick and punch the Heartless aside. When two of the Air Soldier Heartless swooped in low, Sora and Kim ducked. Erik jumped and easily avoided the enemies. Sora was amazed. He quickly shook it aside and continued to slash, slice, and slam his Keyblade into the Heartless.

From nearby, Amemi had witnessed the entire scene. She was impressed with how swiftly Erik had evaded the Heartless's attacks. She shrugged it to the side and continued to use his slingshot to terminate the Large Body Heartless from behind.

Within minutes, all the Heartless were gone. A small group of hearts had gone floating into the air. They had then vanished from sight once they were too high up.

"Phew," Sora sighed with relief. "That was close!"

He grinned at Erik. "Nice moves!"

"Thanks," Erik replied.

The young man turned to Kim. "Can I ask you something?"

Kim gave a nod. "Sure."

"This thing you do, the missions. How… What… It's just… It's kind of…. "

Kim looked down. "Weird?"

"No. Cool."

Kim was taken by surprise. "Oh. Yeah!"

"You wanna know what my mission is?"

"Okay. What?"

Erik pointed at her with a smile. "To take you to the Christmas Prom."

Kim seemed to be completely caught off guard. She gave a big smile. "O… kay… "

"Great," Erik smiled all the more.

Sora watched the two head down the street. He grinned and allowed his Keyblade to disappear. Amemi walked up to him. She stared into the distance.

"The Heartless weren't really bothering him," she said.

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "So?"

Amemi gazed at her brother. "Doesn't that seem strange? It seems like he's not afraid of what could happen to him."

Sora shrugged. "It's nothing to worry about."

The two continued to watch Kim and Erik head down the street. Deep, deep down, Sora was starting to sense something truthful about Amemi's claims. Maybe Erik _was_ connected to the Heartless after all. Without any visible evidence to go on, there was no telling for sure.

Either that, or Amemi was making the whole thing up. Maybe it had been a mistake to take her along on the remainder of this quest. Then again, Sora knew he _had_ promised to let her tag along for the rest of the mission. He just wished it wasn't such a dangerous one.

Hopefully she was be alright. His mom was counting on her safety… and it was up to him to ensure she was protected.

He sighed softly. The two of them were probably going to get quite the lecture from their mom the minute they returned to the _**Destiny Islands**_ once this quest was finished.

* * *

The next morning felt like a repeat of what had happened two days before. Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all escorted Kim to the school. When Kim went inside, they had started to leave, only to get yelled at by the principal, Mr. Barkin, again. "I told you before, no one here skips class without a permission slip," he snorted at them. "Get inside — right now!"

As Sora slowly dragged his feet into the building, he glanced back. A few Shadow Heartless were dashing down the street. He gave a deep sigh, knowing he couldn't do anything about it. Well… he could do _something_. It would just threaten the World Order in the end. He was _**not**_ about to do _**that**_!

Instead, Sora's team had gone through the same class schedule as before. When it came time for Math class, Sora was surprised to see Miss Go… or "Shego" (at least he still thought it was Shego). He took a seat near the wall on the left side of the room. Amemi sat at the desk beside him. Donald sat in the back row. Goofy and Launchpad sat side-by-side somewhere in the middle. Kim and Ron were both in the class (as expected). They sat on opposite sides of the room.

"Good morning, class," Miss Go said with a smile.

"Good morning, Miss Go," the rest of the class replied.

Sora yawned and stretched. He really wanted to be outside, fighting Heartless and tracking down wherever Drakken, Pete, and Don Karnage happened to be. This was what he considered to be the only way to waste a perfectly good day away.

Miss Go strode up to her desk. She smiled when she saw a red apple sitting on it with a card. "Aww, an apple for the teacher," she remarked. She looked at the card. "That's so sweet. Now, which one of you is 'Steve-y'?"

Sora swept his gaze around the room. No one else acknowledged the name. He paused in thought. Who was the mystery student? Apparently there wasn't any named "Steve-y" or "Steve" or even "Steven" in this class.

He noticed Barkin peeking into the room from the door. He had a large grin and gave a short wave. Miss Go gave a wave of her own in return. Sora rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"So, class," Miss Go said. "Today is a _very_ special day. It's the last day for this class. You know what that means?"

No one spoke. The teacher scooped up a number of stapled packets from her desk and smiled. "It's the Final Exam!"

Sora gave an especially deep sigh. He _**hated**_ exams of any way, shape, size, or form. Tests were annoying. He just wanted to go out and fight as many Heartless as he could within twenty minutes… or more given the time was extended to two hours.

Miss Go handed out the test packets. They were thin, but still at least five or six pages long. Sora sighed when one landed in front of him. He took out a pencil and started to write his name on the top of it. He read the first question in his mind.

"_**If a train carrying 2,028 scoops of ice cream leaves Chicago at 7 A.M. and the freezer stops working, how fast will it have to travel to reach New York City before half the ice cream melts, factoring at a melting rate of six scoops per minute?"**_

He stared at it in surprise. Was this some kind of joke? It was the exact same question he had seen on his own Math exam back home on his birthday. Nothing had changed. It was one hundred percent the same.

With a soft, irritated sigh, Sora decided he had had enough. He took his pencil and started to doodle on the test papers. He ended up with a drawing that seemed to resemble a Heartless wielding a Keyblade. That wasn't correct. It was all wrong.

Heartless _**never**_ used Keyblades! They feared the Keyblade. They didn't wield it! It just was not done.

Sora immediately erased the drawing. He turned the page and started on the next blank space. Another question was there.

"_**Using Mathematical equations, explain (in your own words) what is the meaning of life."**_

Sora was stumped. This question was even harder than the one before. He flipped to the next page. He was stunned.

"_**Peter Pan picked a patch of pickled peppers. A patch of fifty pickled peppers Peter Pan picked. If Peter Pan picked a patch of fifty pickled peppers, how many pickled peppers did Peter Pan pick?"**_

This one was even more confusing. None of it made any sense. Sora did not really care for tongue twisters that much, unless it was "_Sora sells seashells by the seashore_". He recalled how Donald and Goofy had taught him one. He tried to remember how it went. …It suddenly clicked into his mind.

"_Mickey Mouse makes a muddle moping mud_."

It was a nice one, even though Sora wasn't sure what it meant. He turned the page to the next question. He froze.

"_**Two trains are running on parallel tracks. One is heading from San Francisco to Chicago at 120 miles per hour. Another is heading from Chicago to San Francisco at 228 miles per hour. Where will these two trains collide?"**_

Sora shook his head. He never cared for brain teaser questions either. He decided to flip to the last page. This was most mystifying and startling question he had seen in this test.

"_**Calculate the shortest distance between two points when the **_**TITANIC**_** sailed from Southampton, England to Cherbourg, France and then to Queenstown, Ireland before heading towards New York City, USA."**_

Sora gave an extremely deep, extremely soft, sigh. He took his pencil and started to doodle all the more. He thought back to his previous adventures and wished he was there then. His mind continued to wander around and around and around.

* * *

_As Sora, Riku, and Violet approached the table, Tinker Bell caught a glimpse of them in her peripheral vision. She sighed, "Go ahead and laugh. My inventions __**never**__ work!"_

"_**Laugh**__?!" Sora exclaimed rather awkwardly. "We're not here to laugh, Tinker Bell!"_

_As soon as the words registered in her head, Tinker Bell's eyes lit up in astonishment. She barely was about to say, "You… you know my name? Have we met?"_

_Sora was taken aback. How did Tinker Bell not recognize him? He clarified, "Tinker Bell, it's me — __**Sora**__! Don't you remember __**me**__?!"_

_Tinker Bell shook her head in return; that was all Sora needed to see. Rather than explain why, Tinker Bell turned to face Riku and Violet. She asked, "Who're you?"_

"_Riku." Riku replied._

"_I'm Violet." Violet introduced._

_After a few moments, Tinker Bell turned back to Sora. "Look guys," she calmly explained with a smile. "I'm kind of in the middle of a problem and would rather be alone."_

_When Tinker Bell turned back to her table, Sora blurted, "How do you not remember me? We're friends!"_

_At the mention of 'friends', Tinker Bell spun back to face Sora. She stated as clearly as she could, "How can we be friends? I'm the new girl!"_

_Sora paused for a minute, trying to figure out how to respond to this. He softly muttered, "Oh yeah! The __**real**__ Tinker Bell isn't supposed to be trapped in this world. The dream world must be putting her back where she belongs. I don't get it."_

"_Huh?!" Tinker Bell exclaimed, causing Sora to snap back into reality. With a smirked grin, Sora added, "It's very nice to meet you, Tinker Bell!"_

_Out of the corner of his eye, Sora thought he saw Riku and Violet nodding at one another. Though he didn't blush, Sora was feeling humiliated._

_Violet stepped forward. "You really want to visit the Mainland," she clarified. "I can detect it in your heart."_

_Both Riku and Sora stared in surprise. Tinker Bell nodded. "It's just… why don't Tinkers get to visit the Mainland?"_

_Sora was unconvinced. "Why's that matter?"_

"_Well," Tinker Bell explained. "All the other fairies get to go!"_

_Riku strode forward. "I think you're supposed to be here."_

"_Yeah," Sora agreed as he stepped over to the others. "Unless you could do something different, what's the point?"_

"_Maybe you three could help me switch my talent!" Tinker Bell suddenly exclaimed, much to everyone else's surprise._

"_How would you 'switch a talent'?" Riku inquired._

"_Don't worry about a thing," Tinker Bell reassured. "My friends will help. I just know it."_

_Sora paused in consideration for a brief minute. "I guess it's worth a try," he finally concluded. Deep down inside, he wasn't so sure it was the best option — even if the others did._

* * *

Sora looked down at his test packet. To his surprise, there was a detailed illustration of himself, Riku, and Violet talking to Tinker Bell. He saw the wings he had given Riku and himself. He grinned, knowing this was the result of a memory from his previous journey through the _Realm of Sleep_.

He had enjoyed exploring those worlds. He had especially liked helping Matt, Jackie, Inez, Digit, Widget, and the others from _Cyberspace_ in _**Traverse Town**_. He had had fun dancing in the streets of the kingdom of _**Corona**_. He'd found flying as a fairy a _lot_ of fun in _**Pixie Hollow**_. He had enjoyed seeing the amusement park in _**Rascal's Dreamland**_. He had been excited upon realizing he was back in _**The Grid**_. Getting to make friends with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, and Roo all over again made it worth visiting _**The 100-Acre Wood**_ — not to mention getting to meet Christopher Robin all over again. He'd laughed with glee at Merlin's clumsiness while in _**Camelot**_. He'd had a blast being an honorary Musketeer in _**The Country of The Musketeers**_. He had even enjoyed himself while venturing through the musical dreams of the _**Symphony of Sorcery**_.

He thought back to how much fun he'd had exploring those musical lands.

* * *

_Sora was wiping some sweat from his forehead when something else caught his eye. Turning to look into the distance, he spotted the family of flying horses coming in for a landing in a nearby bay. Sora dashed over to the edge of the shoreline in time to see the flying horses land and hear the music become louder as they each did so. To his left, Sora saw the six, smaller flying horses setting down upon a marble pillar beside the water. Each of the animals took turns leaping from the pillar and splashing into the water below. The music became loud for a moment each time one of the horses hit the surface of what Sora assumed was a great, wide sea. The brown-haired youth gave yet __**another**__ smile._

'**This place is **_**truly**_** a nice, peaceful spot!'**

_Sora remained smiling as he placed his hands behind his head and started rocking back and forth. Nearby, he saw one of the satyrs from earlier sitting on a rock, blowing a set of musical pipes that the background music made sound like a whistle. Sora was starting to stroll closer when he spotted a small, red flower drifting in the air nearby. He began thinking deeply._

'**Kairi would **_**love**_** to see that flower!'**

_Sora darted for the spot where he was certain the flower was about to land. He failed to notice the shoreline ending and fell into the water of the sea. As he was carried along by a current, Sora watched the flower land into his hand. He smiled, only to then notice a drop in what appeared to be a river rapidly coming up. Unable to swim to the bank fast enough, Sora now found himself descending over the waterfall and straight down onto a slower-moving river below. As he drifted along the current with the flower still in his hand, Sora laid on his back and shut his eyes._

_Before long, exhaustion had seeped in and the spikey-haired Keyblade wielder had dozed off. The last thing he saw before he started to nap was a bright, golden sun with crooked flames extending off the corona. The music fell into a state of serenity._

* * *

Sora glanced at the back of the test packet. He saw an illustration of floating musical notes and himself racing around, looking for a floating musical score. He relaxed and shook his head. This was one of those times when he wanted to simply enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

He looked around the room. Goofy was staring at his test with a look of deep concentration. The knight was tapping his pencil gently on the desk. His face lit up and he looked like he was thinking "Aha!". In one quick move, he wrote something down.

Launchpad was seated beside Goofy. The duck-pilot was in total focus. He was chewing his eraser in thought. Before Sora could wonder why the two were behaving the way they were, an audible _**SIGH**_ filled the air. Sora glanced back to see a miserable Donald throwing his head onto the desk. Sora smiled and shook his head. For all he knew, the duck mage was treating the exam like it was any type of homework.

When he turned his head back to his test, Sora caught a mere glimpse of Amemi in his peripheral vision. The sandy-haired girl seemed to be focusing on the exam in front of her. He took another look. He saw Amemi was on the "_Peter Pan_" question. She rapidly wrote down "_50_" on the paper. When she turned to the next page, Sora saw her glance at Miss Go's desk.

Curiosity filled his mind. Why was Amemi looking at the teacher's desk? Sora hastily swung his eyesight to the desk. Miss Go was standing in front of it, leaning against the desk. She was smiling as she watched everyone taking the test.

Sora shook his head and was about to look back down when he saw something on the teacher's desk vibrate. Miss Go picked up the gadget and leaped behind the desk in a hurry. Now the spikey-haired young man was perplexed. What was going on? He had _never_ seen a teacher jump behind a desk like _that_ before!

Certain something was up, Sora chose to investigate. He rose from his seat and crept up to the desk. As he drew closer, he thought he heard Miss Go's voice coming from behind the desk.

"I know the Heartless are still running around. No, I did what you wanted. The distraction is a success. No — you are _**not**_ going to clone _anyone_! Remember the Kim clones?"

Sora peered behind the desk. He saw the green-skinned young woman sitting down on the floor with her back to the desk. The gadget in her hands resembled a cellular phone, only without any antennas or flip-open keyboards. She had it up to her right ear and was nodding as she listened to someone on the other end.

Whoever it was, Sora wasn't sure since he could not tell. He was too far away and the gadget was muffled. He was sure, whoever was on the end, might not be anyone good. After all, it sounded like they knew what the Heartless were. It was _**never**_ something good if anyone else knew what the Heartless were.

He silently decided to return to his seat until the bell rang would be over. As Sora started back, he heard a voice say, "Do you need something?"

Sora froze and spun around. Miss Go was staring at him in question. He instantly thought of a possible excuse, which was something he was good at. He nodded. "Yeah! Do you have _another_ pencil? Donald and Goofy broke mine."

Miss Go's stare changed at the smile she'd had faded. She opened a drawer in the desk and pulled out a cardboard box. She opened it and picked out a wooden No. 2 pencil. She held it out. Sora accepted it. "Thanks," he said.

Miss Go nodded. It was then the bell rang. Sora hurried back to his seat and hastily snatched his test. He took it to the front where everyone else was calmly, and sometimes casually, placing onto the teacher's desk.

Sora was the last one in line. When he placed his test onto the desk, he gave the teacher his famous smile. Miss Go crossed her arms. "Were you able to finish it?"

"No worries," Sora told her. He then headed for the door. "See ya!"

No sooner had Sora left the room did Miss Go look at the test he'd left behind. She flipped through it, only to discover a series of illustrations. Only one problem had been answered. The rest were blank. She looked out the door and frowned with un-amusement written on her face.

* * *

Sora knelt down to catch his breath. His Keyblade dangled in his right hand. He looked back to see Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all hurrying to catch up to him. He smiled at them.

The last two hours since the school had let out had flown by. The group had decided to continue their search for wherever Drakken, Pete, and Don Karnage were now hiding. Yet, it seemed their "new lair" was not somewhere in the city of Middleton.

The streets were filled with Heartless from one end of town to the other. Sora's team had gone from the school, through a number of neighborhoods, past the Middleton Spacecenter, around the Bueno Nacho restaurant, through a local skate park, past the city prison, around the city library, past the city hospital, and through the streets of Downtown Middleton.

After all that nonstop fighting, Sora was starting to feel very, very, very, very convinced. He finally caught his breath and saw the others were doing the same. "Man," he panted one last time. "This city is huge."

"I don't think there's any Heartless left here no more," Goofy indicated. "We took all of 'em out."

"Yeah," Donald agreed.

"I feel kinda dizzy," Launchpad remarked. "I feel like I've memorized these streets to the point it's all topsy-turvy."

Amemi strode up to her brother. "It's true, this place doesn't feel like a maze anymore," she stated. "Still, I don't think Pete, Drakken, or Don Karnage are anywhere in this city."

Sora gave a nod. "I think you're right, Amy. We've looked everywhere. There's no sign of them."

Goofy's stomach suddenly growled. He rubbed it and licked his lips. "Could we go to thuh restaurant now?"

Everyone stared at him. "Why?" Sora inquired.

"I want some of them tacos," Goofy answered. "Maybe some pancakes with maple syrup. A-Hyuck!"

Donald rolled his eyes. Launchpad chuckled. Amemi covered her eyes with right hand and shook her head. Sora could only smile. Goofy was just being Goofy, which was normal.

"Let's head back to Kim's house," Sora suggested. "I think tonight's the Christmas Prom."

The others nodded in approval. The group headed down the street for the long walk back to Kim's house.

* * *

The sun had just finished setting by the time Sora's team arrived at Kim's house. The whole building was well lit-up. It would have appeared every single light inside was turned on. To Sora, it seemed to be brighter than the sun back home.

As they strode up to the front door, Sora had everyone stop. Erik was standing there. He was all dressed neatly in a white tuxedo with blank pants. Instead of going in this way, Sora remembered there was a side-door leading into the kitchen. He led the group to it, quietly.

Sure enough, Sora's recollection was accurate. The group entered the house through the side-door. They walked into the front hall in time to see Kim's parents answer the door.

"Kimmie!" Kim's mom called up the stairs. "There's a very handsome young man here for you."

Kim's dad stepped in front of Erik. "Let's get a few things clear right up front," he stated in a strict voice.

"Oh, you read my mind, sir," Erik spoke up. "Now, Kim explained that her normal curfew is ten o'clock, but on special occasions and rescue missions, you extend that to eleven. I'd feel better if we stick with ten."

Kim's dad looked like he was completely taken by surprise. "Really? This young man has got it goin' on!"

Sora had to shake his head. He had the feeling Erik might've just been trying to make a good impression with Kim's family then and there. Of course, he _had_ joined them for dinner a few nights before, which had been just after he started going to the high school. Talk about things happening too fast!

Kim's mom turned to her husband. "Why don't you get the camera, hon?"

"Okie-doke," Kim's dad agreed. He hurried out of the room and came back a moment later with the camera.

"You sure look handy-some," Goofy told Erik.

Erik nodded. "Thank you."

It was then a figure appeared at the top of the stairs. Sora and the others looked up. Erik gasped in amazement. There was Kim, her red hair nicely tied into a large ponytail. She was wearing the same long, shiny, silver dress she had bought at the mall. As she strode down the steps, Sora could not help but notice how much the young woman seemed to resemble Kairi.

She looked just like a princess.

As Kim neared the bottom of the stairs, a pair of jetpacks came soaring from upstairs. Jim and Tim were strapped into them. "Comin' through!" the twins called out.

Kim ducked down as the two flew straight over her. "You tweebs!" she snapped with a glare.

Sora, Amemi, Donald, and Goofy all ducked. Launchpad jumped back and bumped his head into the wall. He felt a little dazed. The two boys continued to soar and headed straight for Erik. The young man easily dodged the two as Jim and Tim flew through the open front door and into the night sky beyond.

"Good reflexes," Kim's dad told Erik.

"Thank you, sir," Erik answered.

Kim turned to her mom. "Is it just me, or is he perfect?"

Her mom gave a quick nod. "He seems very nice."

Kim proudly marched up to Erik. At the same time, Sora took note of how Kim's mom was gazing at a photograph on the wall. He saw the picture was of much younger versions of Kim and Ron. He had already felt all this emotion before when he and Kim had paid Ron a visit in the tree house. He sighed deeply.

Kim's dad smiled at Erik and Kim. "Aren't your folks gonna stop by, you know, get a few shots?"

"It's just my dad," Erik replied. "And he's always at work, like right now, he's in the middle of some _really_ big-time project."

"Oh, I know that story. Hey, I know, I'll get double prints."

"Cool."

As Kim's dad started snapping pictures of Kim and Erik together, Sora had a thought. He turned to his teammates. "How about _we_ go to this prom?"

Everyone was taken by surprise. Amemi was the only one who looked pleased. To Sora, this was ironic considering his sister didn't really know how to dance. Jiminy hopped out of the spikey-haired youth's pocket and landed onto his shoulder. "Remember," the cricket warned. "We shouldn't be involving ourselves in stuff that's going on in other worlds."

"Yeah," Donald agreed. "Jiminy's right."

"It would be muddling," Goofy added.

"'_Meddling_'!" Donald rapidly corrected.

"Oh, yeah! A-Hyuck!"

"C'mon," Sora argued. "There'll be a lot of people there. No one's gonna notice us. We'll blend."

"We'll need a blender," Launchpad pinpointed. He looked around. "Maybe there's one in the kitchen."

Sora shook his head at the pilot's statement. "How about it?"

"We can't go there," Donald stated in a firm voice. "Only anyone who goes to the school can go."

"They already think we _do_ go to the school," Amemi countered. "Did you forget about how the principal dragged us in earlier today?"

Donald hesitated, trying to search for a possible counter-counter-argument. "Well… we _still_ need someone to go with."

"I'll be with Sora," Amemi informed the duck. "I _am_ the only girl among us."

Sora looked startled. "Huh?"

"No way!" Donald snapped. "That doesn't work! You two are brother and sister!"

"So?" Amemi asked. "What other choice do we have?"

"Why _can't_ brothers and sisters go on a date?" Launchpad blurted. "They do it all the time — looking at calendars."

Donald muttered a series of illegible garble. "…Aw phooey!" he finished in irritation.

Sora took a deep breath and thought for a minute. Maybe he should go with Amemi. Kairi was not around and there was not anyone else to really go with them. There was not really a choice in the matter. "Okay, I'll go with Amy."

Amemi gave her brother a hug. "Thank you, Sora."

Sora felt a little uncomfortable. The last he'd been hugged before was when Kairi had raced up to him and… well… you get the idea. It was an awkward feeling since he'd never really felt it much before then. Something about it… felt new and uneasy.

"Just a minute," Amemi spoke up a moment later. "I need to get my new dress."

She raced up the stairs. Sora noticed Kim and Erik had already left and Kim's parents were no longer around. He looked up the stairs. "Hurry!" he called up. "We're going to be late!"

He turned to Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. "What're you guys going to do?"

"Gawrsh," Goofy replied. "I was kinda thinkin' of goin' to that there restaurant."

"Me, too," Launchpad nodded.

"Aw phooey," Donald sighed again. "You big palookas are always eating food."

"Well," Goofy tried to explain. "Them tacos are awful ticklish. A-Hyuck!"

Donald nearly fainted.

"I'm ready now," Amemi called from the second floor.

Sora glanced back up the stairs. He stared in surprise. There was his little sister. She was wearing the golden dress. It was sparkling in the room's light. The sunflower petals seemed to dance as she strode down the steps. She was wearing her usual blue tennis shoes underneath. Her yellow hairband was gently positioned upright in her sandy hair, and her star-shaped necklace appeared to glow in the room's lighting.

"Whoa," an astounded Sora awed. "Amy… you do look beautiful — and cool."

Amemi had to smile. "Thank you, Sora. I do prefer 'lovely', but 'beautiful' will do just fine."

Sora had to shake his head and smile. His sister did look lovely. She also resembled a princess straight from a fairytale. Just like Kairi. They were certainly two of a kind… correct?

"Let's get going," Sora told Amemi. The latter nodded. They both headed out the door together. Unlike Kim and Erik, they were not holding hands. To Donald, this was a good thing.

Once the two sibling had left, Goofy headed for the door. "Last one to thuh restaurant's a marsh-y-mellow!" he called.

"Wait up!" Launchpad shouted as he raced out the door after the knight. "I'm not a marsh-y-mellow! I'm an idiot — I mean, I'm a pilot! Mister McDee says so — just as long as there are Angels in Heaven!"

Donald watched the two disappear into the distance. He started to grumble a long list of illegible words, complaints, and just plain insults. He stormed out the door and slammed it behind himself. The result was a shockwave that rippled throughout the house and caused a nearby window to give a small crack or two.

"'Angels in Heaven'," he murmured to himself. "Phooey!"

* * *

Sora and Amemi soon reached Middleton High School. Upon arrival, they saw lights coming from a special building near the back of the school. Loud music and flashing lights could be seen. Certain this was the site of the Christmas Prom itself, the two hurried over.

They entered through the doorway. Sure enough, they found the correct place. A disco ball was spinning on the ceiling. Lots of balloons decorated the room. A DJ was playing on the far side. A towering Christmas tree stood on either side of the DJ. There were several tables set up.

In the middle of the dance floor were Kim and Erik. The two were dancing away with huge smiles. Sora and Amemi both smiled as they strode into the room. They quickly seized the attention of the red-haired teenager and the dark-haired young man.

"You came?" Kim asked.

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "Why not?"

"We can have fun, too," Amemi added.

Erik grinned. "Then let's party the night away!"

Within seconds, Erik and Kim were back on the floor. At the same time, Sora and Amemi were dancing round and round. They laughed as they started to twirl about. To Sora, this seemed to remind him of how much fun he'd had being in the Undersea Musical back in _**Atlantica**_.

Through the corner of his eye, Sora noticed Bonnie sitting at one of the tables. She was scowling and seemed to be just plain bored and annoyed. A large, blonde-haired young man was seated at the table with her. He was smiling and seemed to be enjoying himself. "Those two got the funk," he said, pointing out the seventeen-year-old Keyblader and his sandy-haired sister.

"Oh, shut up!" Bonnie barked.

"Okay," the young man said. The tone of his voice sounded like someone who would go along with anything.

Sora noticed Monique was seated by herself at a nearby table. When she waved at him, he waved back, only with an anxious grin. Amemi saw this and took a look. When she saw Monique, she smiled and gave a wave of her own.

The song the DJ had been playing ended. Mr. Barkin approached the microphone and looked out over everyone in the room. "Attention, people. _Listen up_!" he said in a loud voice. Everyone stopped dancing and turned their focus to him. "In order to fully appreciate the next song, everyone must choose a dance partner he or she did not come with."

Sora and Amemi exchanged surprised looks. Kim stepped over to them. "Sora? Would you like to dance?" she asked.

Sora nodded and walked away with the red-haired young woman. Amemi watched them leave. She gave a sigh before looking around for someone else to dance with. She noticed several girls — especially Bonnie — crowding around Erik.

Erik's eyes wandered over to Amemi. The sandy-headed young woman smiled, a little. Erik walked over to her and extended his arm, much to the shock of the other girls. "May I have this dance?" he questioned in a very polite manner.

Amemi gave a nod. "Yes. Yes, you can," she said.

The two started to dance. The song began playing in the background. "_You're in my arms and all the world is gone. The music playing on for only two… So close together, and when I'm with you, so close to feeling alive…. _"

Sora glanced at his little sister. Seeing her dancing happily with Erik, he had to smile. Even though the song playing in the background wasn't very interesting to him, he was enjoying this night. After all, it was nice to take a break from constantly fighting Heartless and just have a little fun like this.

"_A life goes by. Romantic dreams must die. So I bid mine goodbye and never knew… So close was waiting, waiting here with you. And now forever I know, all that I want is to hold you… So close. So close to reaching that famous happy end. Almost believing this one's not pretend. Now you're beside me and look how far we've come. So far we are so close…._ "

Kim looked around. "Where's the others?" she asked.

"Goofy was getting hungry," Sora informed her. "Launchpad and Donald went with him."

Kim nodded. "They're probably at Bueno Nacho."

Sora gave a nod of his own. "Yeah…. "

* * *

The restaurant was pretty much empty. No one was really there, other than Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. Of course, Ned was there. He was standing at the cash register awaiting them. As they walked over, the three saw Ron dragging on in. They stopped and walked as the depressed young man strode up to the counter at a sloth's pace.

"Welcome to Bueno Nacho," Ned said to Ron with a smile. "May I take your order?"

Goofy hurried behind Ron to wait. Launchpad and Donald were directly behind him. They all noticed Ned holding up a tray and whispering something to Ron. "Ron, something's very wrong!" he said in a hushed voice.

"Got that right," Ron sighed. He gazed up at the menu above. "Let's see. Two chimiritos, grandé-sized. Three orders of nachos and a grandé-sized soda to go."

From Ron's pocket, Goofy and Launchpad saw Rufus whimpering like he was half-starved. In turn, the blonde-haired teenager added, "Make it for here. Rufus can't wait."

"Si," Ned confirmed before he punched in the order. He the leaned in closer to Ron. "Ron, snap out of it," he whispered, keeping an eye out for the large man, Lars. "Something weird's going on here."

"Ned, you worthless slug," a deep voice boomed. Ned jerked his head back to see Lars towering over him. Lars grinned at Ron. "Did you ask our favorite customer if he would like _Diablo Sauce_ with that?"

"'_Diablo Sauce_'?" Donald quacked.

"Sounds really spicy," Goofy muttered.

Ned gulped when he saw Lars scowling at him, again. "I did not, sir." He hastily held out a packet of sauce for Ron. "Diablo?"

Ron snapped to attention long enough to say, "Huh? Yeah, sure. Whatever."

"And here it is," Lars said as he placed a tray of food on the counter. "Nice and hit. Gracias."

Ned grinned, although it was a nervous one. "And have a muy bueno day."

Lars strode to the back of the kitchen. In the meantime, Ned opened a packet of sauce and scooted everything from Ron's tray to one side. He then used the sauce to write something on the tray. Sensing Lars watching him like a falcon, Ned hastily put all of the food back on the tray and handed it to Ron.

Ron and Rufus took the tray to a nearby table. Once they had left, Goofy stepped forward. "Two dozen tacos," he declared. "Please."

Ned looked unamused. "We don't serve tacos here. Only nachos."

"A-Hyuck! Yeah!" Goofy chuckled. "I remember."

Ned rang it all up. "That'll be $42.97."

"That's a lot of money," Donald stated.

"The prices have gone up," Ned informed them. He glanced around and whispered into their ears. "Something weird's going on."

Goofy handed the cashier the money and waited while Lars and Ned got the food together. Once it was ready, Goofy scooped up the tray and headed across the room. He suddenly slipped on a puddle of spilled soda and went sliding across the room. He carefully balanced the tray in his hands as he slid straight to Ron's table. Before a startled Launchpad and Donald, the knight came to a stop and set the tray down gently.

Goofy grinned. "Bet ya thought I was gonna drop it."

In the meantime, Donald and Launchpad stepped over to the table where Goofy was now seated across from Ron and Rufus. At once, Ron glared at the straw in his hands. "No," the young man said in an outraged voice. "It can't be! _No_!"

He leapt onto his feet. "This is the last straw!"

Ron rushed at the counter in a heated frenzy. Donald was shocked to see someone acting as furious as he often tended to be. Lars was caught by surprise. "I beg your pardon?" he asked.

"This is the _last __**straw**_!" Ron snarled.

"No," Lars rapidly replied. "We have more in the back."

Ron tried to bend the straw, but it remained straight. "You took away the _**bendy**_ _straws_!"

Donald collapsed backwards onto the floor in complete shock. Ned slapped his face; so did Rufus. Goofy could only remark, "A-Hyuck!"

Lars started to roar with laughter. "You, sir, have lost it."

Ron was far from amused. "Just because I care?"

"About bendy straws. Ha, ha, ha… "

Ron pointed an accusing finger at the larger man. "I'm telling on you."

"Telling who?"

Ron gave a determined grin. "Your boss."

Before Goofy could devour his tenth nacho, Ron had raced out the door and was standing by a pay phone outside. Curious to know just what exactly the young man was up to, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad followed him. Goofy quickly got his leftover nachos in a to-go bag.

Outside, they approached a frustrated and self-determined Ron. The young man was dialing a number. The voice on the other end was so distinct, Donald recognized it as the boy from Kim's device — Wade. The three were so close to the phone, the voice on the other end was loud and clear.

"_Hello?_"

"Wade, it's me," Ron said into the phone. "I'm at Bueno Nacho and I've got comments and concerns."

"_Okay. Want me to patch you through to their 800 number?_"

Ron hastily shook his head. "No way! I want to go right to the top. Gonna have words with the head honcho."

"_I don't know, Ron. Getting through to a CEO is not easy. This guy's private line is probably super top secret._"

A few seconds passed. To Donald, it felt like a few days. Then Wade came in on the other end. "_Got it. You're in._"

There was a ringing sound. A deep voice picked up from the other end. "_Hola, Bueno Nacho. El Presidente speaking._"

Ron froze the instant he heard the voice. "Dr. Drakken?!"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad's eyes lit up with complete shock. They swung their eyes to the restaurant's windows. In one of them, they could see Ned and Rufus holding up Ron's empty tray. The letters "_**E-V-I-L**_" were clearly written on it.

Donald gulped. From the looks of things, it appeared Drakken himself _**was**_ the owner of the restaurant chain Ron really liked. He knew what this meant — he _**needed**_ to tell Sora, at once!

The phone slipped from Ron's shocked hands. Someone else hung it back up. To everyone's total astonishment, there was Lars. He was frowning specifically at Ron. "Mister Drakken is a very busy man," he said. "You shouldn't have disturbed him."

Lars gazed at the restaurant. Ron, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all did the same. Before their eyes, Ned and Rufus ran from the building as fast as they could. The doors barged open behind them. A small army of reddish-black toys were marching out like miniature robots.

"Huh?" a startled and nearly speechless Ron exclaimed.

Goofy's eyes were filled with alarm and marvel. "It's them Lil' Diablos!"

"Talk about toys coming to life!" Launchpad commented in a loud voice.

Behind the Diablo toys were a number of creatures wearing silver armor with claws, glowing yellow eyes, and wobbled around aimlessly. A number of similar shadowy creatures appeared from the ground. On top of all that, several flying soldier-like creatures appeared, too.

"The _**Heartless**_!" Goofy and Donald exclaimed.

A figure marched out of the doorway. Everyone stopped and stared at him. It was an anthropomorphic red wolf wielding a cutlass. He was dressed just like a pirate. "Don Karnage!" Donald cried out.

"The one and only," Karnage grinned. "So, what do I have here? The girl's sidekick and the key-boy's friends. Get them!"

The villain pointed his sword at the four near the pay phone. Lars stepped to one side with a sinister grin. "Diablos, attack!" he commanded in turn.

The toys and Heartless rushed at Ron, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. The four were quickly being surrounded. "Hey, cut it out!" Ron shouted.

It was then Launchpad spotted Ron's motorized scooter close by. "Hey!" the pilot declared. "I know what to do!"

He raced for the vehicle. In the meantime, Donald, Goofy, and Ron followed him. The toys and Heartless continued to pursue. When they reached the vehicle, the group found Rufus waiting for them. Ron climbed on, strapped on his helmet, and started the scooter up. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all piled onto the back.

The engine started, but it was coughing. "Come on, come on!" an impatient Ron shouted.

"Hurry!" Donald panicked as the Heartless closed in. Goofy threw his shield and sent it spinning into some of the flying enemies. A few Heartless were struck and vanquished in an instant. The shield returned to Goofy's hands in time for the scooter to start rolling along.

Ron stomped onto the pedals as hard as he could. The scooter only chugged along slowly. He looked down in total surprise. "This thing is _junk_!" he declared. "Am I the only one to notice this?"

"Go!" Goofy yelled. "The Heartless are after us!"

"So is the big guy," Launchpad pinpointed.

Sure enough, Lars was charging at the scooter. Karnage was quickly approaching from the side, too. Rufus hid into Ron's pocket. The two villains jumped at the slow-moving scooter. At the last possible second, Ron was able to swerve and avoid them. Lars went head-first into the Drive-Thru's sign. Karnage landed face-first upon the pavement. His cutlass went skidding away.

"You come back, and you'll be _**mine**_!" Karnage hollered in anger. He shook his fist at the group.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all gave sighs of relief. Ron's scooter had managed to outrun the Heartless and the Diablo toys… for now.

Or so it would have seemed. Actually, the toys and a few Heartless were directly behind the scooter. Ron groaned in dismay and continued down the street for the school.

* * *

Sora found himself smiling as he continued to dance with Kim. He could still hear the song playing in the background.

"_How could I face the faceless days if I should lose you now? We're so close to reaching that famous happy end. And almost believing this one's not pretend. Let's go on dreaming though we know we are… So close…._ "

Sora started to imagine himself dancing with someone else. The auburn-haired girl he'd been friends with for years and years came to mind. The seventh _Princess of Heart_. The seventh maiden with a pure heart of Light. The girl whose good luck charm he still had.

Kairi….

He hastily shook the day-dream apart. He was too late. The memory of when Kairi had given him a kiss on his seventeenth birthday was coming back to his mind. So was the time he had shared a caring hug with her. The worst memory also came back. It was the time when he had gotten onto his hands and knees to beg Saïx to allow him to see Kairi, again. When the blue-haired man in the black-hooded coat had refused, Sora had felt quite outraged.

Nearby, he thought he saw Kim's device beeping. The young woman wasn't paying it any attention. The song in the background was starting to fade out.

"_So close… And still so far…._ "

The entrance doors to the room burst open. "The Diablo toys are evil!" a familiar voice yelled in alarm.

Everyone stopped dancing and veered their attention to the open doorway. The music stopped and the lights came on. There stood Ron, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. All three of them looked frantic and worried.

Sora, Kim, Erik, and Amemi approached the doorway. Ron pointed outside. "See?" he said. "They're… Where? What?!"

There was nothing outside. The whole area was so quiet, Sora was able to hear a cricket chirping in the distance. There was no sign of any toys in sight. The music inside resumed and the lights dimmed.

"Where are they?" Donald questioned. He scanned the area with his hand positioned directly over his eyes like the bill on a baseball cap.

Erik looked a little worried. "Are you okay, dude?"

"Okay, I know that tone," Ron started to say. "That's the 'Ron's making up the whole thing' tone. Hey, you know what? It doesn't matter what you think or anybody else thinks because my best friend, Kim, will believe me."

He switched his eyes onto Kim. "Right, Kim?"

Kim was completely caught off-guard. "Oh, I, uh… Totally believe you."

"Those 'toys' were here," Amemi said, trying to make sense of what Ron was talking about.

"They were _**bad**__ guys_!" Donald declared.

"What?" Sora inquired. He was starting to sense something amiss with this statements. Was Ron even telling the truth? The whole thing seemed like a desperate attempt to get Kim's attention, again. He knew what this was like. He'd done something similar years ago to draw Kairi away from Riku. That plan had failed.

"What do you mean?" he finally added.

"Buckle up," Ron went on. "Cause it gets weirder."

Kim sighed. "I'll bet."

"Drakken is behind the whole thing," Ron stated in a serious voice. To Sora, this did not sound exactly fictional.

Erik grinned. "The take-over-the-world mad scientist guy?"

"Yeah!" Goofy affirmed. "And Don Karnage and Pete are helpin' him!"

"That Karnage guy was at the restaurant," Launchpad explained. "He tried to make sliced salami outta us."

Amemi crossed her arms. "That doesn't make any sense."

"It's _true_!" Donald stated.

"Yes!" Ron declared. "It's all so _obvious_. Look, they use the more than thirty-thousand Bueno Nacho locations worldwide to give out their evil prizes."

Sora was shocked. The next moment, he was in deep contemplation. If everything Ron, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were claiming was true, it appeared Kim's arch-nemesis, Pete, and Don Karnage were in control of the Bueno Nacho restaurant franchise. If this was the case, the three villains could very likely be preparing to launch a massive Heartless invasion onto this world, and the Diablo toys could most-likely be their way of keeping the whole scheme covered from the eyes of Sora's team and Kim Possible.

His eyes lit up. If Ron's story checked out, the world of _**Middleton**_ was now in grave danger. Chances were, later that night, there would be one less star shining in the night sky over the _**Destiny Islands**_, the _**Radiant Garden**_, _**Disney Castle**_, and the countless other worlds out there.

Kim looked like she was doing some serious pondering of her own. She finally spoke. "I'm going to check this out."

Erik was startled. "What?"

"Ron might be onto something."

"His whole story is ridiculous," Erik gestured to Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. "_Their_ whole story is ridiculous."

"It's _**not**_ ridiculous, ya big palooka!" Donald snorted.

"Yeah," Goofy agreed. "We saw it all with our own eyes."

Kim strode to the table where she'd placed her purse. Her bluish device was already waiting for her. She sat down and turned it on. She was in contact with Wade within seconds. Ron, Sora, Amemi, and Erik all sat around the table in turn. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gathered around them.

"So it was definitely Drakken?" Kim asked.

"Voice print match confirms it," Wade answered.

"Got anything on Ron's evil toy theory?"

"Yeah, looks bad."

"How bad could it be?" Sora asked.

"All bad," Wade replied. "I scanned the one I got in my Lil' Niños meal. The circuitry is way beyond anything I've ever seen. It's like a real robot — only tiny."

Wade brought up a 3D model image of the toy's structure. Sora was perplexed. He was totally lost, other than the fact the toy's design was the same as an actual robot, only it was a miniaturized one.

Goofy looked closely at the image. "Gawrsh…. "

"Better show it to an expert," Kim said.

"Who?" Donald and Launchpad asked at the same time.

"My dad," Kim clarified. She switched off her device. She turned to Erik. "Be back as fast as I can."

"But," Erik started to say.

Kim cut him off. "It's a save-the-world thing."

Erik frowned. It was clear to Sora he was not impressed. This only grew worse when Ron grinned as he left with Kim. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were next to go out the door.

Erik continued to watch them as they left. Bonnie saw the group leave. A sly grin formed on her face. She strode up to Erik and said, "Hey, Erik. Want to dance?"

Erik only shifted his gaze to her.

* * *

Later at Kim's house, Sora's team, Kim, and Ron were gathered in the basement. Kim's dad was looking at a Diablo toy through his microscope. Sora and Amemi were standing between Kim and Ron. Sora was leaning over Kim's dad's shoulder to see what the latter was doing.

Even though he didn't look back, Sora already knew Donald was pacing across the floor, Goofy was slouched against the wall, and Launchpad was leaning on the wall.

"I do not believe it!" Kim's dad declared all of a sudden.

"What?" Kim asked.

"What is it?" Sora added.

"They're totally evil, right?" Ron inquired.

Kim's dad looked up from the microscope. He was frowning with intensity. "The cybertronic technology," he explained. "It's the _Hephaestus Project_. He used _my_ invention to build these things!"

"Man," an astounded Sora commented. "And they're very popular." Of course he would say _that_! Sora was not exactly sure how to react to this situation. Whenever he learned about something major happening in another world, he was always unsure how to respond… at first, that is.

"To think," Amemi spoke up. "This must be why Drakken kidnapped your dad, Kim."

Kim nodded. "You know," Ron stated. "For an evil genius, Drakken is pretty stupid."

Everyone whirled their eyes to him. Kim's dad raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" was all Sora could say.

"Oh, come on!" Ron exclaimed. "He steals a three-billion-dollar super-secret technology and just gives it away with a burrito, and yet he _ditches_ the bendy straws?!"

Amemi looked puzzled. "What's your point?"

Ron slapped his right hand into his open left palm. "This man does _**not**_ know how to run a fast-food business!"

Sora and Amemi exchanged confused looks.

* * *

The Bueno Nacho Chief Executive Official's office was a nice, large room in the shape of an actual taco shell. The desk was shaped just like a burrito. Seated at the desk in a nice, sky-blue suit was none other than Dr. Drakken. He was continuously fidgeting and whistling. From all accounts, it appeared he was getting really, really, really, really anxious.

He finally pushed a button on a black intercom device on the desk. "Shego!" he yelled into it. "Status report."

"_It's a mixed bag_," came a female voice on the other end.

"_**What**_?!" Drakken hollered in anger. He only wanted to hear _good_ news, not _bad_ news, too.

"_On the positive side, global saturation has reached optimum level. We can strike at midnight._"

"_Oh yeah_," echoed a deep voice from the intercom device. "_We's got everything taken care of. Maleficent will be proud._"

Drakken grinned. It sounded like everything _was_ going according to plan. Within hours, this entire world would be under his control. After that, it would only be a matter of time before Maleficent arrived and started her search for that mysterious book in this place.

He suddenly remembered Shego had claimed there was some bad news, too. He said, "But…. "

"_Well, there's a snag_," the female voice returned.

Drakken groaned. There was only one possible thing it could be. "Kim Possible!"

"_How'd you guess?_"

Drakken slammed his fist onto the desk. "No, not this time," he declared. "We strike at the rest of the world at midnight as planned, but I want Middleton online — _**now**_!"

He saw he had accidentally knocked a framed photograph over. When Drakken picked it up, he realized it was a picture of Kim and Erik smiling together. He grinned. "Oh, and Shego," he went on. "I need you to run out and pick up something for me."

* * *

Kim's mom was busy reading a book in the living room when Kim, her dad, Ron, Sora, Amemi, Goofy, Launchpad, and Donald all came marching up the stairs. At the table in the middle of the room, Jim and Tim were playing with their Diablo toys.

"How'd it go down there?" Kim's mom asked.

Kim's dad looked furious. "That Drakken fellow stole my technology to make those little Diablos."

Jim and Tim grinned at their toys. "We're playing with stolen technology," Jim said.

"Cool!" Tim agreed.

"Those things are super-popular!" Sora said.

"Popular?" Kim said. "The craze is off the chain."

"Every kid on the planet must have one," Ron added.

"Aw shucks," Goofy sighed. "I was gonna give one to muh son, Maxie for Christmas."

Kim turned to her dad. "Dad, you said the _Hephaestus Project_, it was some kind of living metal?"

"That's how we sold it to the board of directors," her dad explained.

"Really?" Sora asked, though it was clear he was not really sure what Kim or her dad meant by "living metal".

Kim's dad nodded. "The cybertronic circuitry can repair itself, modify itself,… it can actually grow."

Sora and the others stared in alarm. "Grow?" Donald inquired.

"Ya mean, like a beanstalk?" Goofy questioned.

Kim's dad chuckled. "Don't worry," he reassured them. "It can't do anything without a command signal."

Sora gave a deep sigh of relief. He noticed Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Ron all doing the same. He shook his head and smiled. He gently placed his hands behind his head, relaxed, and started to lean slightly from side to side.

Chances were, without any form of a command signal, there was no way Pete, Drakken, or Don Karnage would be able to take over the world easily. Unless, of course, the robots were going to be controlled by Heartless.

Out of nowhere, a low-pitched pinging sound filled the air. Everyone froze. The noise sounded very strange. It reminded Sora of something from a science-fiction movie he'd once seen where a race of aliens attempted to take over an entire world. Based on what he could remember, the aliens had used a certain signal to attack. In the end, that very same signal had led to their defeat.

"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked. "It sounds an awful lot like a radar-signal."

Donald nodded. "Yeah."

"It's so… mysterious," Amemi added.

Sora was deep in thought. A radar-signal… true, it _did_ have the same noise from that of a radar. It almost sounded like it was supposed to do something. Like it was giving commands.

His mind halted there. Could this be it? The command signal Kim's dad had been talking about?

His eyes immediately flooded with alarm and concern. He rushed over to Tim and Jim. "Look out!" he shouted.

At the same time, Kim's parents grabbed the twins and pulled them away from their Diablo toys. The pair of toys suddenly started to grow in size. The table they'd been on was smashed to splinters. The toys grew so large, they started to break through the roof. Their smiling faces changed into snarls. Their capital letter "D"s became what appeared to be robotic antlers. Their clawed hands became sharp grabbing tools.

Sora was appalled. The innocent toys had transformed into gigantic, cybertronic robots armed with what were probably state of the art weapons. To make matters worse, the robots were giving off thin clouds of Darkness. A number of Shadow, Large Body, and Defender Heartless appeared in the room. The creatures smashed, struck, and shoved all the furniture aside as they charged around.

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Get everyone to safety!" he instructed Kim. "_We'll_ handle things here!"

Kim nodded. She turned to her dad. "Get Mom and the boys out. We'll distract the Diablos."

"Head for the garage!" Kim's dad shouted. He ran out of the house with Kim's mom, Jim, and Tim. In the meantime, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all took out their weapons. Together, the group swung, slashed, and slammed their weapons at the Heartless. One by one, the Heartless were eliminated.

At one point, one of the Diablo robots launched a column of fire at Kim. She jumped, but ended up getting the bottom part of her dress burnt. She glared at the robot. "You know how much baby-sitting I had to do to pay for this dress?!" she snarled.

Amemi was relieved she'd already changed back into her normal clothes. It would have been difficult to run, leap, even sidestep in her new golden-yellow dress. Not to mention the petals would have gotten all over the place.

Ron was cornered against the wall. "That would be so cool if it wasn't the last thing we were ever gonna see," he remarked.

When one of the robots slashed a sharp, spinning blade at the young man, Sora jumped in front of him and held up his Keyblade. The robot's spinning blade was no match against the power of the Keyblade and quickly became dislodged from its place. The blade rolled across the room and nearly cut Donald's tail feathers off. It smashed through a window and bounced down the hill beyond.

When one of the robots tried to set Donald ablaze with a flaming hose, the duck yelled, "_**Blizzara**_!"

A thick chunk of ice formed on the robot's hose. The system became overloaded. Donald then sent a bolt of lightning magic onto the robot. The circuitry was completely overloaded. In a matter of seconds, the robot sizzled and exploded into metal pieces. Sora, Donald, Launchpad, and Amemi all ducked behind Goofy's shield when the debris flew all over the room.

Kim and Ron rushed outside to get out of the way. The remaining robot gave chase and smashed through the front hall, knocking aside the door as it moved on. Certain there was more trouble going on outside, Sora and his friends hurried out.

As expected, the giant robot was closing in on Kim and Ron. The two teenagers leapt behind a bush. The robot didn't see them hide. Sora told Amemi to keep the robot busy while he checked on Ron and Kim. Sora hurried to the bush and ducked down behind it. "You guys okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kim answered.

"Not me," Ron complained. "I was almost sliced in half!"

Kim flipped on her bluish device. "Wade, we've got a big problem."

The screen flickered for a moment. To Sora's surprise, Wade was hiding under his desk. Computer equipment had been knocked all around. The legs of another enormous Diablo robot could be seen in the background. "Anything to do with a giant robot?" Wade asked. "I think I can relate."

Kim nodded. "Dad says they need a command signal."

"I think I still hear it," Sora informed the group. Sure enough, he could still make out the low pinging noise echoing through the air.

"Makes sense," Wade told Kim. "You take out the signal, you shut down the robots. But I'm not really in a position to track the signal for you."

Ron looked up in complete focus. "It must be coming from the source of all things evil."

Sora and Kim stared at the blonde-haired young man. "Huh?" the brown-haired Keyblader said.

Ron's eyes narrowed. "Bueno Nacho."

"Sora!" Amemi's voice shouted. "Watch out!"

A flurry of flame struck the bush. The plant was incarnated out of existence. Sora, Ron, and Kim stared at the robot towering over them. Sora turned to Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. "Guys!" he called. "We know where the signal's coming from!"

"Where?" Donald questioned.

"The _restaurant_!" Sora yelled.

"How will we get there?" Launchpad inquired.

At that moment, the garage door opened. "Kimmie!" Kim's dad called from inside. "Think fast!"

He tossed a pair of helmets out. Kim caught one and Ron got the other. The two rapidly strapped them on.

"Blast off!" Tim and Jim's voice called from the garage.

Ron's motorized scooter came speeding out. To everyone's surprise, it now had a pair of bluish rockets attached to it. Kim and Ron hopped onto the scooter. Sora was next to get on. Amemi leapt in directly behind her brother. Launchpad, Donald, and Goofy clambered onto the scooter as it took off out of the driveway and down the street.

They had not gone far when the gigantic Diablo robot appeared from around the corner. The robot started to catch up with extreme haste.

"We're _**doomed**_!" Donald yelled in a panic.

"How do we get the rockets to go faster?" Ron shouted.

Goofy kicked at the rockets with the heels of his enormous shoes. The rockets suddenly became a greenish-blue color. Within seconds, the scooter had gained speed and was easily avoiding all the attacks caused by the giant robot pursuing it.

* * *

Sora was in the ride of his life. The motorized scooter was literally flying down the street. Well… not exactly "flying". Still, it _was_ moving especially fast for something of its design, typical use, and nature.

He gazed back. The gigantic robot was still chasing the group. A few Air Soldier Heartless had started to accompany it. He gasped, knowing they had their hands filled to capacity. "_**Hurry**_!" Sora yelled as they raced down the street.

Up ahead, the distinct shape of the Bueno Nacho restaurant came into view. The lofty sign was still out front, only it had changed shape. It seemed to resemble a taco-turned-satellite dish.

Ron pointed it out. "Look," he announced. "He even changed the giant Nacho sign."

"Ron," Kim said. "That's where the command signal's coming from."

Sora realized Kim was correct. As the group grew closer to the restaurant, the pinging sound became louder and louder.

Ron was puzzled. "How are we gonna take that out?"

Sora paused in thought. Something suddenly clicked into place within his mind. "I have an idea," he declared.

"What's your idea?" Amemi asked.

Sora only beamed with what seemed to be a brightly-lit lightbulb above his head. The group closed in on the restaurant. They saw Lars stepping outside with a large grin on his face. When the large man saw them, he frowned. "Hey!"

The scooter flew past the man. Sora summoned his Keyblade. He extended his arm and got his weapon's blade caught onto the sign's post. The post bent lower and caused the sign to bend in the direction of the approaching Diablo robot and Heartless. The brown-haired youth swung himself round and round the signpost and bent it into a forty-five degree angle. He hopped off just as the Diablo robot reached him.

Lars kept his eye on the others. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi had all leapt from Ron's scooter as the vehicle had come to a stop in front of the restaurant's entrance. Ron pointed at the rapidly-coming robot. "Lookin' the wrong way, dude!"

Lars spun around. He screamed in alarm when the robot came in close before running away in a frantic style. The robot slammed into the bent sign and knocked the taco-shaped part off. The sign's upper half fell to the pavement and shattered into lots of static-charged pieces.

The Diablo robot was about to slash its buzz-saw against Kim and Ron. The pinning noise suddenly vanished. The robot stopped moving and quickly transformed back into a small toy — the same toy it had once been.

Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all gave sighs of relief. The robotic giants were gone. Now the entire restaurant's parking lot was covered in dozens of fallen Diablo toys. Sora was shocked to realize they had actually been surrounded by at least thirty or more giant robots. He wondered why they hadn't seen the other ones. He shrugged the pondering to the side. It didn't matter now.

The restaurant's doors banged open. Out stormed none other than Don Karnage. He swept his eyes all around. "What's all this noise?"

When he saw the damaged sign, Karnage shouted, "What happened to my _**beautiful**_ sign?!"

He saw the many Diablo toys strewn about the parking lot. "What are all these toys doing here?"

He then saw Sora and his friends standing close to the building's entrance. Their weapons were out and they seemed to be ready for any sort of fight. Karnage glared at them. "What are _**you**_ doing here?!"

Sora maintained his glare at the villain. "What're you guys up to?!" he demanded. He pointed his Keyblade straight at Karnage's face.

Karnage pointed his cutlass at the seventeen-year-old. "So, you wish to cross blades with the famous Don Karnage?" he inquired. "I accept your challenge. No quarter for you, key-boy."

Before Sora and Amemi's eyes, Karnage unleashed a thick cloud of Darkness that shrouded his body. A handful of Air Pirate Heartless appeared from it. "Get them!" Karnage shouted.

The Heartless swooped at Sora's team. The Keyblade-wielding young man swung his weapon and sliced the blade clear through two of the Heartless. Amemi shot another one out of the air. Donald burned one up with magic. Goofy rushed forwards and smashed his shield into another Heartless. Launchpad shot a few more out of existence using his gas-gun.

Karnage jumped over to the group. He swung his sword and clanged it against Sora's Keyblade. The two were immediately locked into a series of blocks and counters. Each time one of them attacked, the other jumped back and blocked it. This continued for a few minutes.

Donald waved his wand and sent a ball of fire magic at the villain. Karnage yelped when he was struck. Goofy tossed his shield and sent it spinning at Karnage's head. The villain easily avoided the weapon. Launchpad shot his gas-gun at Karnage, only to discover the weapon was now empty.

Amemi shot her slingshot at Karnage, but her attacks did very little work against the villainous red wolf.

It was not until Kim hopped over and kicked her way into Karnage's stomach that the fighting finally ended. The villain was knocked backwards and landed onto the sidewalk. His cutlass went sliding away. He was about to get back up when Sora pointed the Keyblade at him. Karnage was shocked, especially when he saw Amemi pointing her slingshot, Donald pointing his wand, Goofy readying his shield, and Launchpad standing behind the with Kim and Ron. Everyone was scowling.

"Okay, okay," Karnage stated. "You win this round. I don't want any more trouble."

"_**Spill**_ it!" Sora snapped. "What are Pete, Drakken, and you up to?!"

"You're going to tell us," Amemi added, aiming her weapon at the anthropomorphic red wolf. The slingshot was now directed specifically at Don Karnage's forehead. "If you know what's good for you."

Karnage clenched his fists. "_Fine_!" He pointed at Kim. "We've figured out that stupid girl's weakness. We're gonna use it to take over this world with the Heartless. We've taken over a restaurant chain. That's all I can tell you!"

Before Sora could demand more information, Karnage used the Darkness to draw his cutlass back to him. He then swiftly vanished into a dark portal.

Sora was stumped. What did Karnage mean by "Kim's weakness"? As far as he was concerned, Kim did not have any weaknesses. She seemed undefeated and unmatched in every way, shape, and form. Sora now suspected a trick.

"That was weird," he finally said. "How will they use 'Kim's weakness' to take over the world? She doesn't have any."

"I bet he was just tryin' to confuse ya," Goofy said.

Sora nodded. "Yeah, you're right, Goofy."

At once, the bluish device in Kim's purse started to beep. She pulled it out. "Wade, you're okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Wade replied from the other end. "The Diablo has shut down and shrunk down. Thanks to you, I'm guessing."

Sora and his companions gathered around to see the screen. "Yeah," Sora confirmed. "We took out the command signal."

"Which sounds a lot like a good thing," Ron specified. "Right?"

Wade gave a nod. Kim and Sora smiled, knowing they'd stopped whatever plans Drakken, Pete, and Don Karnage had to take over this world with the Heartless.

"That's weird," Wade suddenly said. His smile faded. He started typing on one of the many computers in his room. "Just got a hit on the site."

The screen transferred to a video recording of a grinning Drakken. "_Congratulations, Miss Possible,_" the villain declared. "_You've already discovered how to foil my evil scheme — in record time, I might add._"

Sora had to admit they had solved the mystery behind Drakken, Pete, and Karnage's main plans from world conquest within a few days. Of course, for the brown, spikey-haired Keyblade wielder, it was a longer time compared to normal. Usually he was able to determine specifically what his enemy was up to and stop them within hours — not days.

"_It is most unfortunate, however,_" Drakken went on. "_That this time you will not stop me. You __**will**__ surrender._"

Kim rolled her eyes. "As if," she scoffed.

"As if — _if_!" Ron agreed.

"_Shego and Pete popped by your school dance and met the nicest boy,_" Drakken revealed. "_Well, I don't have to tell you how nice he is! And cute._"

The screen moved a little. In the background, three figures could be seen. One of them was a large cat-man Sora instantly recognized as Pete. Another was the long, dark-haired, green woman he'd learned was Drakken's sidekick, Shego. The third one was a dark-haired young man in a nice tuxedo.

"_Kim,_" the young man whimpered. "_What's going on?_"

Kim's eyes lit up with alarm and worry. "_**Erik**_!"

The view swung back to Drakken. "_The choice is yours, Kimberley Ann,_" he stated. "_If you care about your dear Erik's safety, surrender is your only option._"

Sora was appalled. Now Pete and the others from _Maleficent's Council_ were taking hostages? How low could they go? He was _**not**_ about to stand for such terrible actions.

He noticed Kim was scowling with determination. "What're you going to do?" he asked.

Kim did not answer with words. Rather, she jumped onto Ron's scooter. She told him something, something Sora was unable to make out. The two raced down the street in the direction of Kim's house. Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all hurried after them.

* * *

**A/N: YIKES! KIM POSSIBLE - _SURRENDER_?! WHAT A TRAGIC TURN-OF-EVENTS!**  
**Well, you'll just have to Stay Tuned for the climax and conclusion of this world's story! It shall all be within Chapter 24!**

**Since this was a rather LONG Chapter, I decided this would be a golden opportunity to go over some of the finer points, including the various things referenced in This Chapter. I shall most-likely be doing this from now on (as I pretty much already am), so keep an eye out for stuff hidden in This and other stories I choose to post!**

**(1.) Yes, I did include a reference to the Classic Television Show, "_GET SMART_". That show starred Don Adams as _Secret Agent #86, Maxwell Smart_. I thought it would add a nice touch to the story there. Besides, "_Get Smart_" just celebrated its 50TH Birthday This Year.**

**_HAPPY BIRTHDAY_, "_GET SMART_"!**

**(2.) Yup! I added a reference to the Classic Television Show, "_MATLOCK_". That particular show starred Andy Griffith as Ben Matlock, an attorney who often cleared his client's charges by getting the real culprit to confess what they'd done. There was typically a lot of circumstantial evidence involved.**

**(3.) I'm sure you noticed the questions on the Math test. The first one WAS from Chapter 2 of This Story. The second was just randomly made up. The third was intended to be a spin on a tongue twister. The fourth was a Brain Teaser. As for the fifth and last one, it was meant to be an extremely challenging one.**

**(4.) Yes, I included some Flashbacks from "_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_". The first one was from Chapter 8, and the other was from Chapter 37.**

**(5.) The song playing in the background during the dance was "_So Long_" from Disney's "_Enchanted (2007)_".**

**(6.) I have to admit, Drakken's scheme in the movie itself was just as clever as Hacker's plan in the "_Cyberchase_" episode, "_The Snelfu Snafu_". They both seem somewhat similar, at least in my own humble opinion.**

**Since I have all THAT taken care of, it appears I will not be back until next year... which now happens to be only hours away.  
****In that case, I will sign off - HERE!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!" In Addition, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"**

**I SHALL SEE YOU ALL AGAIN - IN 2016!**


	24. Ch24 - Saving The World — Again

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE, AND WELCOME BACK - FOR THE /REAL/ CHAPTER 24!**

**Yet, the thing is,... this is the Last Chapter for the world of MIDDLETON and Kim Possible. Of course, that does not mean it isn't full of EXCITEMENT!**

**So, I do apologize for taking SO LONG to write This Chapter. I have been held up by school, major projects, and some other things. I also temporarily lost interest in writing This Story. I am still not quite sure how THAT happened. I ended up writing nearly eighty pages for a "_ONCE UPON A TIME_" Storyline Summary instead. I also found myself starting a Storyline Summary for another _Kingdom Hearts_ Story I have in mind to start sometime in the near future; it might be closer to this Fall or the Spring of 2017.**

**To hopefully encourage you to look forward to what lies up ahead in this KH Series, I decided to add the Tentative Titles for this story's sequel and the "spin-off" I started planning out. You can view them on my Profile Page.**  
**Let me know if you would like to see these stories yourself! I shall be pleased to start them - once I get more of THIS Story done!**

**That aside, keep in mind this is the FIRST CHAPTER FOR 2016! YIPPEE! HALLELUJAH! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! YES!**  
**Okay... That was a little TOO Much excitement for one day. We have not yet reached the halfway point of This Story as it is.**

**In addition, I also included another "_SUMMON_" somewhere in This Chapter. SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT IT!**

**That all aside, IT IS TIME TO READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! PLEASE DO /NOT/ FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO! PLEASE!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 24**  
**Saving The World — Again**

The road was rather unsteady. Every few feet, another bump caused Ron's scooter to bounce a little. Sora continued to hold on; he could feel Amemi's hands wrapped tightly around his neck. He knew Goofy, Launchpad, and Donald were situated behind her. Sora himself had his arms wrapped around Kim's torso, just in case he lost his usually steady balance.

It was dark out and the long street seemed to go on for miles and miles. In fact, the only light source outside of Ron's scooter's headlight was the moon and a few stars. The sound of rushing wind flooded his ears as Sora felt his teeth start to shatter, a little. The rocket-powered scooter was well on its way to Bueno Nacho Headquarters.

Sora's mind went back to what had happened shortly after he and his team had returned to Kim's house. One look, and it became clear the Possible house was severely damaged. As Sora and Amemi had followed Kim inside, it had become clear how much devastation the giant Diablo robots had caused. The entire living room was in shambles. The front door was gone and a gaping hole was in its place. Kim had raced to her room and into her closet.

What had caught Sora by surprise was a fake wall in the back of the room; it was controlled by a handprint-detecting device. Kim used her hand to activate it. The wall slid to one side, revealing a white body suit with bluish gadgets on it. As Kim slipped it on over her dress, Wade came in on her bluish device. "Kim," he had declared. "The battle suit is still just experimental."

"It's about to get a road test," Kim had stated. When she'd asked how far Bueno Nacho's headquarters were, Wade informed her they'd have to travel nearly one hundred miles to get there.

One hundred miles… it seemed like such a long way. Fortunately, thanks to Ron's now-rocket-powered scooter, the trip was taking much less time than expected. As a matter of fact, that was one of the things that had surprised Sora. He glanced at his cellular phone. Despite the cracked screen, he could still make out the time on it. The downside was, it had shifted to the twenty-four hour clock. The time now read "_**22:40**_". He wasn't exactly sure what time _that_ was.

"Hey!" Goofy suddenly shouted. He pointed straight ahead.

Less than a mile away was a large, tan building with some red, zigzag lines on part of it. There was a section shaped exactly like a taco shell on the far left, including the tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese. On the far right, the building looked just like any ordinary office building. In the middle was tower with a sombrero-shaped roof; it reminded Sora of the Bueno Nacho restaurant back in Middleton.

"Must be the place," Launchpad pinpointed. "It has a giant taco outside… with lights on in it. Are the tomatoes the power?"

"Then _that's_ where Drakken, Pete, and that other guy are," Sora declared. "C'mon! We've _gotta_ stop them!"

"Pick it up, Ron!" Kim told her friend.

"Way ahead of you," Ron announced.

With a revving on the scooter's engine, the group shot across into the building's parking lot. The vehicle came to a halt moments later. Using a red hair-dryer-like gadget, Kim shot a grappling hook onto a railing on the building's upper floors. She started to climb the rope dangling from the hook. Ron was next, followed by Sora, Amemi, Donald, Launchpad, and Goofy. At one point, Donald looked down and started to quiver with fear when he saw how high up they were. Launchpad grabbed him and had to carry the duck up the rest of the way. "Put me down!" Donald kept shouting as the group continued to climb.

When they finally reached the rooftop, Sora had Goofy clamp his hands over Donald's bill. Donald fought the knight, but he was powerless against Goofy's strong grip.

Kim flipped on her device. "Okay, Wade. We're going in."

"Yeah," Sora agreed with a nod. He noticed Amemi taking a few moments to catch her breath. Launchpad was doing the same. All the seventeen-year-old young man could do was shake his head and smile before he turned his eyes back to Kim.

"Check your backpack," Wade recommended.

Ron reached into Kim's backpack. He pulled out a hand-sized container. "Knock gas that looks like lip gloss, or lip gloss that looks like lip gloss?" he asked.

"Wait, Ron," Amemi said. She reached out her hand towards him as if trying to warn him. Sora was starting wonder why when Ron opened the container. A foul stench came drifting out. Within seconds, the blonde-haired young man was in a daze and seemed to have lost consciousness.

Sora had to shake his head. This reminded him of the time Donald, Goofy, and him were in a place full of Darkness. When Donald had noticed a stranger in a black-hooded coat, he had rushed over and found a box. When Donald had started to open the lid, Goofy had muttered, "Are ya sure you wanna open… that?"

Fortunately for Goofy, the box hadn't held anything dangerous; just an ice cream bar and a photograph. Sora was still reminiscing about this event while Amemi held her breath and closed the lid on the container in Ron's hands.

Ron immediately came to. "Knockout gas," he concluded.

"Thanks for checking on that," Kim told him.

Next, Goofy reached into Kim's backpack and pulled out a sheet of paper covered in neat handwriting. "Gawrsh, what's this?" he asked. "Looks like some sorta secret code."

Kim snatched the paper back from Goofy and stuffed it into her pocket. "History homework."

Goofy stared in surprise. "A-Hyuck!"

Donald reached into Kim's backpack. He pulled out a bluish gadget resembling a plastic, toy pistol. It contained a single bullet with a reddish tip. "What is it?" he inquired.

Launchpad bent down to take a closer look. "Is it a gas-gun?" he asked. "Sure looks like something DW carries."

"KP," Ron spoke up. "Since when are _you_ packing?"

Kim took a moment to examine the gadget herself. "It looks like a, uh… toy?"

"Whoa," Sora awed at the sight of the gadget in Donald's hands. Goofy was also admiring it. The spikey-headed youth paused for a moment. "What is it?"

"Oh, this is no toy," Wade explained on Kim's bluish device. "Well, not since I modified it. It's an Electromagnetic scrambler."

"What's it do?" Goofy wondered aloud.

"It'll shut down Drakken's whole system," Kim stated. She took the gadget from Donald and placed it into a light-blue holster strapped on around her waist.

Sora gave a nod. He gazed at the nearby doorway leading into the building. He was certain that, somewhere inside the maze of hallways and meeting rooms within this place, were Pete, Drakken, the anthropomorphic red wolf-man, Shego, and probably several dozen Heartless. He was also sure they would be expecting the group, so they needed to prepare in case of an ambush.

"Let's go in," Sora stated. He headed for the doorway. Donald, Goofy, Amemi, and Launchpad followed quickly. Kim and Ron were not too far behind.

As he was about to step through the doorway, Sora spotted a small item lying on the floor. He scooped it up in his hand. It was a round object, similar to a coin with a brownish color. One side showed a sketched thunderbolt. The other bore a name written in a foreign language (as far as Sora could tell). He shrugged and simply placed the item into his pocket.

Deep down, he wondered if he'd just picked up another summon….

* * *

The inside of the Bueno Nacho Headquarters was dark. So dark, Kim and Amemi were using flashlights to lead the group along. Sora had his Keyblade in hand — just in case Pete, Shego, or some Heartless happened to jump into view. He knew anything could happen at any moment. He felt a little like a hero venturing into the villain's lair for the final showdown….

…Which was exactly what he _was_ doing! The last time Sora had gone into a _real_ villain's hideout was when he, Donald, and Goofy had brought down Xemnas and the rest of Organization XIII in _**The World That Never Was**_. At the time, Sora had been so worried about Kairi's safety, the moment he had stepped into the castle, he had shouted, "_**Kairi**_! Where are you?!"

King Mickey had ordered him to remain quiet since they _had_ been inside the Organization's stronghold. The result had been lots of Nobodies swarming over to them. Sora now wished he had never yelled inside the enemy's lair. It would have prevented so much trouble….

Unlike the blank space and walls of _**The Castle That Never Was**_, the Bueno Nacho Headquarters was nice and cozy. Of course, it still had the style expected for a corporate building. Waiting chairs… plants placed alongside certain doors… signs for each office and/or meeting room… walls painted like the company's logo and theme… photographs showing the company's history… tinted windows all along the far wall… and light-fixtures tucked neatly into the ceiling. Since the lights were all off, the shadows were immense in the flashlights' beams.

At one spot, Sora thought the wall beside him was moving like a rotating backdrop at a movie studio. Then again, the wall was curved, which made it a little difficult to see normal shadows alongside it… or was his mind starting to mix things up?

All of a sudden, Ron stopped before a large, framed, black-and-white photograph. "The original Bueno Nacho," he declared. "Where it all started."

Sora, Amemi, and Kim all turned their eyes to the image. The photograph was of a small building roughly the size of a one-story house. It had a gigantic arch on either end, and a tall sign that read the name, "_**BUENO NACHO**_".

"Looks nice," Goofy remarked.

"I thought it was McDonalds," Launchpad added. "Until I saw the sign."

Donald rolled his eyes at the pilot's comment. Amemi shook her head. Sora had to give a sigh. Ron, Goofy, and Launchpad were all getting distracted by one thing or another.

"Ron," Kim spoke up. "Keep your head in the game."

"Worry not," Ron replied. "I'm ready for anything."

"I'm sure you are," Amemi teased. She turned to her brother. "Why haven't we seen any Heartless?"

Sora gave a shrug in return. "No idea," he admitted. "But I'm sure there's some around here… somewhere."

No sooner had the words left his mouth did the room start to shake. Everyone swung their attention down the hall. Just up ahead was a rather large area. There was a set of escalators, a number of restaurant banners, and a few signs here and there. Standing near the base of the escalators were a group of silhouetted figures. One of them strongly resembled an oversized cat.

"Pete!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy exclaimed all at once.

A sinister laugh Sora knew could only belong to Pete was heard. "What'cha gonna do now?" a voice said.

The cat-man stepped out from the shadows. There was Pete, giving his unique form of an evil grin. "Here youse all are, hanging around with them losers. It's beautiful! The key-brat turns to helpin' girls instead of fightin' them Heartless."

Sora was furious. No one — especially not Pete — mocked him for helping someone. With a dark glare evident in his eyes, Sora charged at Pete and slapped his Keyblade against the villain's rear end. Pete yelped in total astonishment. Sora turned to face the other silhouettes; it was a horde of Large Bodies, Air Soldiers, Shadows, and a new type of Heartless. The new ones were shaped like tiny rabbits with enormous teeth; they were a dark-blue color with yellow eyes and claws. The Heartless emblem was evident on their chests.

Sora rushed into the horde and started slicing, slashing, and simply smashing his way through. As if on cue, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad, all hurried over to help. Kim and Ron continued to scowl at Pete when Amemi pointed to another figure hidden up high in the room. "Look!" she called out.

With the Heartless taken care of, Sora and the others all looked straight up. Standing up on a ledge high above was a young, green-skinned woman sporting long, black hair. It didn't take Sora two seconds to realize it was Drakken's sidekick, Shego.

"You know what I really hate?" Shego said as she looked down at the group. To Sora and Amemi, she seemed surprisingly calm. It appeared she wasn't looking for a fight. This didn't make any sense to Sora. Every enemy he'd met before had always been looking for a fight of some sort.

Kim gazed straight at Shego. "When somebody kidnaps your boyfriend?" she asked.

Shego's hands lit up with her green, glowing powers. "When somebody doesn't know when to give up," she stated.

Before Sora and the others had a chance to react, Shego sent what appeared to be a ball of green fire at them. Sora leapt out of the way while Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad scattered. The green ball struck the floor, inches from Donald. The duck mage was sent flying through the air. He landed onto Goofy; the knight was lying flat on the floor, covering his head with his hands.

Kim jumped to an upper beam and raced towards Shego. As she did so, Shego sent a few more glowing balls of flames flying. One of them nearly struck Amemi. Sora was appalled at this sight. He glared at the villains. "That _**does**_ it!" Sora yelled.

He positioned his Keyblade into his battle stance and raced to the wall. Without another thought, he started running vertically up the wall. His Keyblade dragged a little behind. The blade started to slice along the window, sending a shower of sparks raining down. By the time Sora reached Shego's ledge, Kim was already there. The two started to fight Drakken's sidekick.

As Sora sliced his weapon at the enemy, Shego blocked him using her green powers. The villainess threw a ball of green fire at Kim. Reacting swiftly, the cheerleader cupped her hand, caught the flame, and sent it flying back. There was a huge explosion when the flames collided with the wall behind Sora and Shego.

"Ooh!" Shego muttered. "Kimmie got an upgrade."

"Not bad, huh?" Kim questioned.

"Yeah," Shego admitted. "But still not in my league."

"_**Shut up**_, Miss Go!" Sora shouted. "You're going _**down**_! School's boring anyway."

Shego swung her attention to Sora. The young man successfully dodged a sudden attack from the young woman before he slammed his Keyblade onto her right arm. Shego flipped back before she rushed at him. Kim jumped into the middle and got her arm sliced into by Shego's green powers.

Sora was startled. Kim's sleeve had been torn and something red was visible inside. He wondered if her new battle suit was failing. "_**Kim**_!" he shouted.

"Like I said," an amused Shego stated. Out of the blue, Kim's sleeve fixed itself. "_What_?!"

Kim returned to her feet and beckoned Shego over. "You were saying?"

An outraged Shego charged at Kim all over again. Sora hopped over and struck a blow against the villainess from behind. Shego flipped around and sent a ball of green flame at Sora. The brown-haired young man leapt to one side and timed his swing. His Keyblade slammed into the green ball and sent it flying straight back at Shego. Shego tried to evade it, but she was struck. The villainess was thrown back and rapidly landed back onto her feet. "Ha!" she called. "You're not bad — maybe you two really stand a chance. Too bad I won't let you find out!"

Sora and Kim both retained their glares and continued to battle the dangerous woman.

* * *

Down below, Amemi watched the battle as it seemed to go on and on. Flying balls of green energy flew through the air. The bluish tint of Kim's battle suit against Shego's attacks was clearly visible. So were the flashes of Light that appeared each time Sora scored a hit.

Secretly, Amemi wanted this to end. While it reminded her of her favorite show, _**WordGirl**_, the display made her feel very uncomfortable. True, she _did_ like this stuff being on an animated show. Yet, what was happening before her eyes was real — not made up. She wished it would be over soon — especially since her older brother was in the middle of it. She just wanted it to end… and as speedily as was possible.

She was so busy worrying, Amemi did not see someone approaching her from behind. Before she could turn around, she was grabbed by some giant hands. "Got ya!" a familiar voice declared.

Amemi struggled to break free, but it was in vain. To her horror, she was now in the hands of Pete. The villain gave a sinister laugh. "You remind me of Queen Minnie," he said. "She always loved ta struggle every lil' time I captured her."

"Let me go!" Amemi shouted.

Pete just laughed all the more. "How's 'bout this?"

He started squeezing his hands tightly. Amemi struggled all the more, but she was completely trapped.

"Hey!"

Amemi and Pete spun their focus over to Ron. The young man was scowling at Pete. He looked ready to fight. "_**No**__ one_ squeezes girls around the Ron-star!"

Pete dropped Amemi onto the floor before marching up to Ron. "Why, yer just a lil' pip-squeak," Pete said.

Ron spun his fist around before slamming it straight into Pete's stomach. "_**Yeow**_!" the villain screamed in agony. He fell over backwards. The impact created such a shaking, a piece of tile from the high ceiling fell down and crashed onto his head. Stars, planets, hot dogs, and comets hovered around Pete's head.

"Boo-ya!" Ron declared in triumph.

Amemi ran up to him and gave him a hug. "Thank you."

Ron was a little uncomfortable for a moment. "Awk-weird," he mumbled under his breath.

"Yeah," he declared once Amemi had let him go. "The Ron-dog came to play!"

Ron struck a pose. Amemi suddenly gasped and covered her mouth. It appeared she was secretly smiling and maybe… giggling? Ron looked down. "Aw man…. "

* * *

It was taking all Sora had to keep Shego at bay. Kim helped out quite a bit. Every time Sora missed his target, Kim was there to strike in. Each time, Shego seemed to get more and more frustrated with them both. Her attacks were becoming more frequent and she often sent fiery green balls soaring every-which-way.

At once, Kim and Shego clashed straight on. Sora stood on the outskirts, ready on a second's notice. "Hey, Erik's cute," Shego smirked at Kim. "Once you're out of the picture, maybe _I'll_ date him."

Kim was beyond angered. She snarled and broke away from the clash. As Shego started straight for her again, Sora ran over and delivered a swipe at the villainess's feet. Shego tripped over the Keyblade and was subsequently punched in the face by Kim. The impact sent Shego flying back. She slammed into the far wall between the glass windows. Before Sora and Kim's eyes, Shego fell from the wall and landed onto the floor — hard. She bounced around a little before coming to a stop on the floor.

Sora allowed his Keyblade-arm to relax. He wiped some sweat off his forehead. His stern look remained on his face. "That's that," he finally said.

Kim nodded.

"Wow," a familiar voice called from behind. "Didn't know you cared that much."

Sora and Kim spun around. Coming down an escalator was none other than Erik. The handsome young man was giving a huge smile. Kim was beyond pleased. "Erik! You're okay!"

As she ran up to Erik, Sora had to grin. He let his Keyblade disappear. His hands flew behind his head and he relaxed a little bit more.

"Kim," Erik said as he and Kim embraced.

"Erik," an overjoyed Kim said.

"Actually, here, I'm known as '_Synthro-Drone 901_'."

Before Kim could react, a surge of electricity shocked her. She fell unconscious in Erik's arms. Sora's mouth fell open. Had Erik just injured Kim? His feelings of dread were confirmed when Erik's outfit transformed into a one-piece red-and-black body suit. The young man's smile changed into a sinister grin.

"_**Kim**_!" Sora declared in alarm.

Erik dropped the unconscious Kim onto the floor. He then turned to face Sora. Without a word, Erik raised his right arm. A number of Soldier Heartless and rabbit-shaped Heartless appeared. Sora glared at him and re-summoned his Keyblade. He rushed over and started to eliminate the Heartless. At the same time, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi hurried to the scene.

When she saw Kim out cold, Amemi scowled at Erik. "What did you do to her?!" she demanded to know.

When Erik refused to answer, Amemi pointed her slingshot at him. Each time she fired, Erik easily dodged. Amemi then ran at him and tried to shove him to one side. Erik reached out and grabbed her. He threw the sandy-haired teenage girl over his shoulder. Amemi landed onto the floor beside the escalator. She was not moving.

"**Amy**!" an alarmed Sora shouted. He rushed over to her.

Erik leapt away to where Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were quickly being overpowered by the Heartless. One of the rabbit-shaped creatures snatched Donald's wand from him. "_**Give that back**_!" the duck snarled.

Erik kicked Donald in the tail, sending the duck flying onto the floor near where Pete was rising to his feet. The villain was still rubbing his head like he was in a slight daze. Goofy rushed at Erik, only to have Erik evade him. Goofy lost his footing and fell onto the floor. His shield went flying and bounced onto his head, knocking him out. Launchpad tried to shoot Erik using a gas-gun, but he was knocked into a nearby wall when Shego suddenly rushed at him from behind. The pilot hit the wall so hard, he left a small crater. The now-dazed Launchpad fell to the floor beside Donald and Goofy.

"_**Donald**_! _**Goofy**_! _**Launchpad**_!" Sora yelled. He watched as Ron came charging at Erik. The young man was tripped by Shego and landed hard onto the floor. Ron did not try to get up; he was too far in a daze.

"_**Oh **__**no**_!" Sora realized. It was now up to him. Unless he did something, Shego, Pete, and Erik would win. Clutching his Keyblade as tightly as he could, Sora charged at Erik. The young man simply stepped to the side as Sora jumped and swung his Keyblade. The weapon ended up slapping Pete's side before Sora lost his balance. He tumbled onto the floor. Sora's head slammed into something hard. A ceiling tile fell to the floor and landed onto his head.

As everything started to go dark, Sora took note of a laughing Shego standing with Erik. Pete was rubbing his side and snorting with a stern look. Sora found himself drifting off into a daze….

* * *

When his eyes reopened, Sora's vision was quite blurry. He could make out a number of tan objects alongside red, green, and grey objects. He started to nod off. Shaking himself awake, Sora looked around. He was now in a small storage room with various Mexican-designed props. Among them were curvy, green cactuses, a few tacos with lettuce and tomatoes, and a few rolled tortillas. A banner was dangling in the room,

"**EVERY NITE TACO NITE!****"**

He heard groaning to his right. Sora gazed in said direction and found Ron regaining consciousness. The blonde-haired young man was tired to a green cactus prop. "Is this heaven?" Ron asked.

Sora looked down and realized he was also tied to a prop, only his was a giant taco. He looked around the room. Kim, Launchpad, and Goofy were tied up on the other side against some green cactus props. Donald was tied to a small, short tortilla prop lying on the floor. On the far wall to his left, Sora noticed a large television monitor hanging from the ceiling.

"Donald!" Sora declared as his teammates each regained consciousness. "Goofy! Launchpad!"

"Where are we?" Goofy asked as he looked around the room.

"Let me go!" Donald snapped at the tortilla behind him.

"KP!" Ron suddenly yelled across the room as Kim came to. "I thought you were down for the count."

"Why couldn't I see that he was a fake?" Kim sighed.

"Yeah," Launchpad agreed. "He seemed so sincere."

"He said he was a 'Syntho-Drone'," Sora indicated. "What's that?"

"It's complicated," Kim replied.

"Yeah," Ron nodded. "Just know, you don't get much faker than a Syntho-Drone."

Sora gave a nod. It was then Ron's eyes suddenly went wide and filled with disgust. "Oh, you _kissed_ a Syntho-Drone!"

"I never kissed him," Kim stated. She gave a deep sigh. "But wanted to."

This made Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Ron all feel a tad uncomfortable. Sora did not need to know such things about Kim's "love life". He had his _own_ life to worry about. "Okay," Ron finally said. "Too much info."

"Yeah," Donald nodded in agreement.

"Too bad. It was just starting to get juicy."

Sora and his companions all swung their eyes in the direction of the voice. There stood the anthropomorphic red wolf Sora had suddenly recalled was named "Don Karnage". "Glad to see you've awakened in time," Karnage said as he removed a knife from his mouth.

Sora took another look around the room and realized someone was missing. His sister! He glared at the villain. "Where is Amy?!"

"So, you _do_ know that annoying little girl?" Karnage said. "Such a sad story this reminds me of. Good thing I only care about treasure and plundering more and more of it."

Without another word (other than a sinister laugh), Karnage turned and strolled through a nearby doorway. He shut the door behind, but did not bother to lock it. "They will never be able to escape that room," he told himself. "Those ropes were made on the _Iron Vulture_. No one can break them without a pirate's sword."

Still in the room, Sora and the others watched as the television monitor flipped on. It showed a newsflash from somewhere distant. Sora could tell it was far away since it showed a completely different city than Middleton. The text at the bottom of the screen read, "**DIABLO TOY RAMPAGE**".

"_This just in_," an anchorwoman declared. To Sora's surprise, it was the same reporter that had been in the Bueno Nacho broadcast. Her blonde hair was a little messy and there was concern showing through her teal eyes. "_The _Little Diablo_ toys are out of control. They have transformed into giant robots and are creating havoc all over the world._"

A recording of a pair of giant Diablo robots appeared on the screen. Some thick clouds of Darkness were gathered around the robots' feet. Before Sora's eyes, a handful of Shadow and Neoshadow Heartless appeared from the Darkness and started to chase the people already running and attack those who were in hiding. "_Somebody _**please**_ help us!_" a teenage girl no older than Amemi screamed.

Sora was appalled. The rampaging was so immense, he could clearly tell the world was in serious trouble. The danger, he was sure, was that this world was on the verge of being lost to Darkness. It didn't matter if _**Middleton**_ had been lost before. There was _no way_ Sora would allow any world to be lost to Darkness. _**Not**_ on his watch!

"_Everyone is asking_," the anchorwoman added. "'_Where is the famous teen-hero, Kim Possible, and her unknown sidekick?_'"

"Why is it no one can remember _my_ name?!" Ron yelled in irritation. "It's _not_ that hard of a name to remember!"

"Gawrsh!" Goofy muttered aloud. "I thought it was 'Ron Stoppable'."

"Thank you!" Ron yelled in a sarcastic tone of voice.

"Let me go!" Donald complained the wooden tortilla he was tied onto. "Let me go!"

Launchpad struggled to break free. He wobbled around and tried to get his arms loose. The wooden cactus where he was attached wobbled back and forth before the whole prop fell over. Launchpad chuckled after he saw his beak and slammed straight into the floor. "I meant to do that," he commented.

Sora struggled to get his right arm free so he could summon his Keyblade to help. It was no use. The ropes were bound too tight. Jiminy Cricket hopped out of his pocket and tried to chew through the ropes. The cricket spat out what he'd chewed.

"You can forget _this_ rope," Jiminy said. "It tastes like seawater."

Realizing they were tightly bound to the props, Sora turned his eyes to Kim. "Got any ideas?" he asked her.

Kim's eyes were downcast. "Sora," she said. "I… I got nothing."

"That's _my_ line," an unimpressed Ron stated. "And what's worse, that's quitter talk!"

Kim gave a deep sigh. "Drakken finally won. I should have stuck to baby-sitting…. "

"Why?" Goofy inquired. His query went unheard.

Sora could not believe his ears. Kim was ready to throw in the towel. He shook his head at the thought of any of his friends just giving up. He recalled how Milo Thatch had been ready to accept failure after Rourke and Helga had left Atlantis with the Crystal. He remembered how upset Pocahontas had been after John Smith had been captured and it became apparent war was seemingly inevitable. Quasimodo had nearly given up hope of saving Esmeralda — twice; first time before heading to the _Court of Miracles_, the second being just before he and Launchpad had stopped the executions in the square… at least, that's what Donald and Goofy had reported to Jiminy. Sora himself knew he had encouraged all of them to not give up without a fight. He was certain he could still convince Kim Possible it was not over.

"C'mon," Sora told the red-headed teenager. "It's not all over. No one has won, no one has lost. So you were tricked — we all were. I've been tricked too many times to count."

"What a surprise," Donald murmured in a soft voice.

Sora ignored the duck's remark and continued. "But that doesn't mean I gave up. I kept trying. It wasn't long before I won. You shouldn't just give up just because Drakken tricked you with Erik."

"He's right," Ron added. "Drakken played you, Kim. Now it's payback time."

"Yeah," Goofy and Launchpad declared together.

"You said it!" Donald cheered.

Ron seemed to blush a little. "And, you know… There are guys out there that are better for you than Erik," he told Kim.

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "_Real_ friends — not some clone… or whatever you called Erik."

Kim looked up a little. She seemed to smile. "You think there's a guy out there for me?"

"Out there," Ron said. "In _here_."

"Maybe," Sora added. "You'll never know."

"Oh," Kim said in surprise. She smiled. To everyone's astonishment, she seemed to be looking straight at Sora. "Really?"

Sora rapidly shook his head. "Not me," he proclaimed. "I already _have_ someone."

Goofy stared at the brown, spikey-haired Keyblade wielder. "Ya mean 'Kairi'?"

"I _**knew**_ it!" Donald shouted. He seemed to be hiding a snicker using his hands.

"I thought _she_ liked _you_," Launchpad pinpointed. "She kissed a-ya, remember?"

"_**Cut it out**_!" Sora snapped. When Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all started laughing, he slammed his eyes shut and winced in embarrassment. Why did they have to keep on reminding him of that small incident? All Kairi had done was give him a tiny peck on the cheek. It wasn't that big a deal. It did not mean anything… did it? He _**hoped**_ not!

Ron gave Kim a nod. "Sure. You know, guys like…. "

"Hi," Rufus announced as he climbed out of Ron's pocket.

"Rufus?" Ron asked in surprise. It seemed the young man had completely forgotten about his pet.

"Rufus?" Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all repeated.

"Rufus!" Kim gasped in realization. She beamed with delight. "You can save us! My backpack!"

"Use the lipstick, Rufus!" Ron instructed.

Rufus jumped to the floor where Kim's backpack now lay. He reached inside and pulled out a container of red lipstick; some of it was now smeared on his face. Sora shook his head, recalling how his sister sometimes wore this exact shade of lipstick.

Kim was not amused. "The _other_ lipstick."

Rufus put the original lipstick away and reached into the backpack again. He pulled out a case of lipstick and switched it on. A reddish laser flew from the case and cut clear through the ropes holding up Kim and Ron. Next, Rufus used the laser to set Sora free. Sora then used his Keyblade to free Launchpad and Goofy. Rufus set Donald free.

"Badical!" Ron declared.

"Yeah," Sora nodded.

"Finally," Donald remarked.

Kim grabbed her backpack and pulled out the electronic scrambler gadget. She placed into the holster on her battle suit. "Let's go," she stated.

"Right behind you, KP," Ron said.

"Let's stop Drakken, Pete, and Karnage," Sora declared.

Within seconds, Sora ran to the door. Finding it unlocked, he led Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad into the hallway beyond. Kim and Ron were running alongside the whole way. They hurried down the hallway and soon found a doorway guarded by several Heartless. Using his Keyblade, Sora helped Kim clear the way. Once the monsters were eliminated, the group opened the doorway and headed upstairs. It would not be long before they would finish foiling Drakken, Pete, and Karnage's plans to conquer the world.

* * *

The central control room was located in a former employee's lounge. Following their hostile takeover using the Heartless, Pete, Drakken, and Don Karnage had decided to re-design the entire room. The windows had been boarded up on the inside and the far wall was now lined with digital screens. Computer stations were located on the tables lining the room. The layout resembled the technician stations at a space center. The main difference was the screens showed major cities across the world rather than outer space.

The clock had just blinked to midnight — five minutes ago. At that time, a sinister chuckling Pete had pressed a button on a control panel. The result had been a soaring transmission tower on the roof coming to life. This had resulted in a command signal echoing all across the landscape. On the screens, Pete, Karnage, and Drakken watched as Diablo toys all over transformed into enormous robots and started terrorizing people. To top it off, the robots unleashed thick clouds of Darkness, causing Heartless to spring up all over the place.

Drakken showed a sinister grin. Everything was going perfectly according to plan. It was only possible without Kim Possible to get in his way. "Nakasumi's toy design," he said in an excited, proud voice. "And dear Daddy Possible's cybertronic breakthrough."

He glanced back where Shego and Erik stood near the doorway. "And to really stick a pin in it, one made-to-order syntho-hottie."

"And he does not need a heart," Karnage beamed. He quivered a little with he saw Erik frown in his direction.

Pete gave a nod in return. He glanced at a nearby wall. There was Sora's little sister. The sandy-haired fourteen-year-old was stuck in a corner with her hands and feet tied. She was blindfolded and had duct-tape over her mouth.

"Wait," Shego suddenly blurted. "So you three _weren't_ just making it up as you went along?"

Drakken, Pete, and Karnage all whirled their attention to the green-skinned woman. "And _you_ questioned our research," the former stated. "We discovered Kim Possible's weakness."

Pete laughed. "And now we've got that runt with the Keyblade outta the way!"

Karnage pointed his sword at Shego's neck. "No thanks to you, teacher's pet!"

Shego glared at the anthropomorphic red world. "_**What **_did you say?!"

With a slash of her green plasma powers, Shego knocked Karnage backwards onto the floor. The villain was a little stunned, but he quickly came to and scowled back. "Obviously, you are a very tough lady."

Shego frowned at Drakken next. "Your research made no sense. The slumber parties? Come on!"

"Ah!" Drakken retorted. He waved an index finger at his sidekick. "But I discovered Kim Possible's weakness — boys, boys, boys! 'Who should I go to the dance with?' 'Who's the perfect boy?'"

At that precise second, the doorway to the control room slid open (it was an automatic door). In stepped Sora, Kim, and the rest of their group. Drakken, Pete, Karnage, Erik, and Shego all stared in complete shock and question.

"How'd youse get out?!" Pete exclaimed.

"You're right, Drakken," Kim said with a firm grin. "Boys, dating, it's hard. But _this_ is easy!"

With a simple thrust of her leg, Kim kicked Drakken back into a control station. The blue-skinned man slammed into a curved chair and knocked the whole seat onto the floor beside him. He was dazed for a brief second, only to find the whole room had flipped upside-down. In truth, _he_ was the one who was topsy-turvy. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad burst out laughing at the sight. "Shego!" he shouted.

"Get them!" Pete yelled as he pointed at Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. A swarm of Heartless appeared at charged at the group. To Sora's surprise, among the creature were several Defenders, Air Soldiers, and dozens of Shadows.

"Let's do this!" the spikey, brown-headed youth declared. He rushed at the enemies. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad held up their weapons and dashed into the swarm.

As he slashed and sliced his way through the creatures, Sora spotted Amemi tied, gagged, and blindfolded in the far corner. "Amy!" he shouted.

Sora hurried across the room to his sister. As he drew close, a sharp, curved blade cut him off. "I don't think so," Karnage said. "We have a score to settle, key-boy."

"You're going _**down**_!" Sora yelled. He positioned his Keyblade to fight.

Karnage gave a dark grin. He swiped his sword at Sora. The young man hopped back a few inches before leaping into the air and swinging his Keyblade at the villain. Karnage was unable to defend himself and was knocked backwards into the floor. Sora then turned his attention back to Amemi.

When he reached her, Sora swiftly removed the duct tape over his sister's mouth. He then removed her blindfold. Amemi started to kick towards him when she realized it was her brother. "Sora!" he declared in an astounded voice. Her eyes grew wide and she gasped. "_Look_ _**out**_!"

Sora whirled around in time to see Karnage about to deliver a chopping attack from above. Sora leaped to his feet and used his Keyblade to slice the ropes binding his sister's hands. Amemi then tore off the ropes around her legs with haste. She was on her feet in time to see Sora and Karnage facing down.

With a deep breath, Amemi scowled and raced up to the villainous anthropomorphic red wolf. She jumped and slammed her right foot straight into Karnage's face. The evildoer was shoved back and slammed straight into a computer station seven feet away. He fell to the floor, totally dazed.

Sora was startled. "Whoa! Amy! Where'd you learn to do _that_?!"

Amemi flexed her left arm. "You didn't inherit _everything_, Sora!" she responded. "Only half of it."

Sora gave his sister a nod. He recalled his Biology class last semester. The instructor had gone on and on about heredity. He knew his mother was a strong, possibly victorious, woman who could easily win against any opponent she came across. Clearly, Amemi and him had both inherited their mother's courage, self-determination, and even her strong sense of justice.

The two glanced around the room. Everywhere they looked was full of chaos. Kim and Shego was battling each out near the doorway. Launchpad was using his gas-gun on the Heartless. A stray bullet from the pilot's weapon hit Pete and knocked the villain out cold. Donald and Goofy were taking out Heartless side-by-side.

On the opposite side of the room, Ron was trying to duel Erik. The problem was Ron was missing every time. At one point, Ron managed to punch Erik in the face, knocking the latter's head backward. Erik reached up and spun his head back into its proper place. "Eew," Rufus winced from Ron's pocket.

"That is so sick and wrong!" Ron declared as he winced at the sight.

Sora and Amemi exchanged looks of shock and disgust. Amemi pointed to the doorway. "Look, Sora!"

Sora spun around in time to see Kim racing out the door. Shego was directly behind her. The latter's hand were glowing green and she had a snarl written upon her face. Sure this meant only trouble was up ahead, Sora readied his Keyblade and made a dash for the door. Amemi was seconds behind.

"Sora? Where ya goin'?" Goofy asked when he took note of the Keyblader and Amemi hurrying out of the room.

"They need help!" Donald announced. He sped out of the room. His feet were a complete blur of movement.

"What for me, Donald," Goofy called as he gave chase.

Launchpad watched the two leave. "Heh, heh. Don't leave me out of the fun!" he shouted after them.

As the pilot raced out the door, Ron did the same. Erik glared towards the blonde-haired young man and hurried out the door. Drakken, Pete, and Don Karnage all nodded at each other. They marched through the door in a right hurry.

* * *

Sora and Amemi found themselves sprinting up a flight of stairs after Kim and Shego. Heartless dotted the way, so they had to clear them out. When they pushed open a metal door and stepped through, the two sibling were taken by surprise. They were now on the rooftop of the Bueno Nacho Headquarters. The sky was filled with dark clouds and the occasional flash of lightning. As Sora took a step outside, drops of rain hit him in the face. He could not believe his luck.

It was raining. To make matters worse, the sky was also filled with lots of Diablo robots soaring overhead.

Towards the middle of the roof was an extremely tall communication tower with red rings placed at regular intervals. A low-pitch pinging sound filled the air. Sora's eyes lit up. It was the same command signal he'd heard earlier. He knew there had to be a way to knock out the tower and the signal with it.

All of a sudden, a bolt of lightning struck the communication tower. Sora and Amemi froze in alarm. The tower glowed for a moment, but the signal still continued. "There _has_ to be another way," Amemi said. "If lightning can't take that signal out, what can take it out?"

It was then Sora remembered the electronic — whatever the modified toy gadget Wade had provided Kim with for this mission. It was designed to shut down Drakken's entire system. He knew he needed to find Kim and help her knock out the tower using the whatever-the-name-is gadget.

At that precise second, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Ron all rushed out onto the rooftop. "KP!" Ron declared.

"Sora!" Donald shouted.

"Amemi!" Launchpad yelled in turn. He yelled so loud, Donald had to cover his ears.

"What's this?" a voice said from nearby.

Sora and the others spun their focus to a spot across the roof. There was Kim facing down Shego. The two were looking at each other with hatred inscribed in their eyes. Shego was holding Kim's gadget. Kim kicked the device out of the villainess's hand. It went flying through the air and ultimately landed on the roof a few feet away from Ron.

"I got it!" Ron declared as he raced and slid up to the gadget.

Just as Ron was about to grab the gadget, a figure burst through the roof and snatched it. "Nice try, loser," the figure said. To Sora and the others' horror, it was Erik. "And by the way, a naked mole rat is not cool. It's gross."

Ron and Rufus (who was perched on Ron's shoulder) both glared at the [fake] young man. "Don't be dissin' the Rufus."

Rufus growled in anger.

It was then Drakken, Don Karnage, and Pete all showed up on the rooftop. "_There_ they are!" Karnage declared. He pointed his sword in the direction of Sora's team.

"You mugs won't be gettin' away again!" Pete yelled.

With a whistle, Pete summoned a swarm of Heartless that resembled smooth-faced dragons. Sora recognized this type of Heartless. It was called a "_**Wyvern**_"; he had not seen one since his first quest. It might have had something to do with the fact those Heartless had only appeared in _**Hollow Bastion**_.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all went after the Heartless and Drakken, Karnage, and Pete. When he saw the three coming at them, Drakken turned and ran down the roof. Karnage was moments behind. Pete held his ground and continued to summon Heartless to fight as Donald zapped several Wyvern Heartless out of the air. Goofy tossed his shield and smacked Pete in the side of the latter's face. Launchpad kicked a few Heartless aside before using his gas-gun.

Close by, Ron and Rufus were chasing a swift-moving Erik around. Seeing all this happening at once, Sora and Amemi knew they needed to help Kim. The two hurried over to where the red-headed teenager and Shego were only starting to duel.

"We'll help!" Sora announced as he ran over and positioned his Keyblade for his typical battle stance.

"Everything will turn out right in the end," Amemi added as she pointed her slingshot at the villainous Shego.

Shego shook her head. "You don't know when to quit."

"Neither do you," Kim countered.

Shego gave a dark smile. "Got that right, _princess_," she taunted. She signaled with her hand for the group to approach. "Think you three can handle losing?"

Kim gave a determined smile of her own. "Try me."

Sora and Amemi both nodded.

Shego charged at the group. Sora blocked her by raising his Keyblade. Amemi jumped back and fired her slingshot at the enemy. Shego tried to slash through Sora's defense, only to have Kim punch her back. Shego then went after Kim and jumped into the air. As she was about to land on the young woman, Kim jumped to one side and Sora rushed forwards.

"Fire!" Sora yelled. A ball of flame struck Shego in the face and knocked her back onto the roof. The woman leapt back to her feet and continued to glare. She went after Sora, only to have Amemi pelt her with a side attack. Shego stopped where she was.

"You're gonna pay," Shego shouted as her arms glowed brighter. Before Sora, Kim, and Amemi's eyes, Shego sent a series of green plasma bolts flying around.

"Look out!" Sora yelled in alarm. He barely evaded a plasma bolt flying straight at him.

Kim raced up at Shego and delivered both a punch and a kick or two. Shego blocked the punch, but she was knocked back by the kick… or two. That was when Sora ran up and sliced his Keyblade through the villainous. Shego winced at the pain for a brief second before she sliced her green plasma powers through Sora. "Hee-yaw!" she shouted.

Sora was thrown back into the air. He flipped quickly and delivered a counterattack. He swung his Keyblade straight at Shego and sliced straight through her left shoulder. Shego spun around in a circle and smashed her left hand into him. Sora was struck by the green plasma and knocked onto the roof.

"_**Sora**_!" Amemi sped over to her brother. She pulled a potion out of her purse and threw it to him. Sora caught the item and drank it like it was the first drop of liquid he'd had in months. In the blink of an eye, Sora was back on his feet.

By this point, Kim was directly battling Shego. Every time Kim made an advance, Shego blocked it. Each time Shego made a move, Kim was ready to defend. To Sora and Amemi, the whole display was a complete standoff.

Determined to end things once and for all, Sora pulled out the orange and brown charm he'd found earlier. "_**Power**_!" he declared.

At once, Sora felt a presence directly behind him. "Sora!"

Sora looked back. To his surprise, there was an extremely muscular young man standing there. He had medium skin, light-red hair and eyebrows, and blue eyes. He was dressed like a warrior from Greek Mythology.

"**Herc**!" Sora realized in a split second. He could not believe his own eyes. Here was his friend, Hercules, ready to help out.

"Sora!" Hercules said with a smile. "You need some help from a True Hero?"

"Yeah!" Sora gave a nod. He pointed into the direction of Shego. Drakken's sidekick seemed to be winning against Kim.

Hercules gave a pleased grin. He charged at Shego. The villainess did not see him until the last possible moment. With a shout, Hercules sent Shego flying backward into the air. She flipped several times before crash-landing close to the edge of the rooftop. "Don't mess with a _True_ Hero!" Hercules declared.

Sora beamed and gave his friend a thumbs-up. "Thanks a lot!"

"I'll be ready when you need me," Hercules said before he glowed an orange color. Within seconds, he had vanished — just as rapidly as he had first appeared.

Sora was a little stumped. Had the whole encounter with Hercules simply been a figment of his imagination? A dream? Had he started to lose his mind? No! That was impossible! It _had_ to have been real. He looked down at the charm in his hand. He wondered… had Hercules showed up the _same_ way the little girl, Joy, had?

He decided such pondering could wait for another time. He calmly placed the item in his hand back into his pocket.

"Kim!" Ron shouted from across the rooftop. He threw her gadget. It flew through the air and ended up in Donald's arms. The duck tossed it over to Goofy. Goofy, in turn, handed it to Launchpad. The duck-pilot shrugged before casually throwing it into the air.

The object would have ended up in the Heartless's claws had Amemi not jumped and caught it. She then threw it to Kim. As if acting on cue, Kim pointed the gadget straight at the communication tower. She pulled the trigger, sending the reddish bullet straight at the tower.

"_**NO**_!" Drakken shouted in alarm when he saw the bullet approaching the tower.

Moments before the bullet could make impact, Erik jumped to the top of the tower and caught the bullet. "So sorry, _Kim_," he smirked.

Drakken let out a sigh of relief. Karnage wiped his forehead. Pete fainted from "_near_-shock".

"I _really_ hate you," Amemi snapped at Erik. All Sora did was glare at the villain on the tower. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad had just finished destroying all the Heartless. The three of them stared at the tower in complete bafflement.

Kim seemed relatively calm considering the situation. "You know," she said. "Rufus did not appreciate that crack."

"The little dude holds a grudge," Ron nodded in agreement.

"Huh?" A puzzled Erik looked down. There was an outraged Rufus on his foot. The little critter chomped down onto the evildoer's ankle, causing a cascade of oozy slime to come pouring out. "_**Oh**_, _**no**_!" Erik exclaimed in alarm. "_**NOOOOOOO**_!"

Before Sora's sickened eyes, Erik seemed to dehydrate before a cloud of Darkness formed around him. It cleared up a second later, revealing a Neoshadow Heartless. Sora threw his Keyblade straight at the Heartless. At the same time, Rufus jumped from the tower and landed in Ron's hands.

The Keyblade struck the Heartless, wiping it out of existence. The creature's claws were gone, allowing the reddish bullet to fall onto the tower. A surge of electrical power could be seen as the tower zapped out of commission. The pinging sound vaporized in an instant. The entire building started to rock violently beneath everyone's feet. A serious of powerful explosions could be heard from inside.

Sora barely kept his balance. His eyes were wide with concern. Was the whole building about to collapse?!

The building settled. Sora gave a deep sigh of relief. He was about to calmly put his Keyblade away when he saw Kim approaching Shego. The woman was rising to her feet from the other end of the rooftop. Sora nodded and decided to follow Kim.

* * *

Drakken could not believe his eyes. The transmission tower had been shorted out. To top it off, Shego was nowhere in sight. Erik was no more. The control room downstairs had probably been blown to pieces.

To make matters worse, little Diablo toys were now raining from the sky along with the natural raindrops.

Drakken looked around. He noticed Pete was shaking with fear in his eyes. Don Karnage was staring in total alarm. Drakken himself felt no different. Anxiety was flooding his mind. After all, his teenage arch-nemesis had stopped him, again. Even with the Heartless on his side. Even after several hours of pleading to join _Maleficent's Council_. Even after working alongside Pete and Karnage. Even after discovering Kim Possible's weakness and capturing her, not to mention apprehending Sora and his friends.

He gave a deep sigh. He could only reach one conclusion. "Okay," he muttered to himself. "Maybe she is all that."

He started to walk away. A webbed, brown foot stuck out into his path. Drakken found himself tripping over the foot. He landed face-first onto the drenched roof. "Huh?"

He glanced back. There was Kim's sidekick, along with two of Sora's friends — the tall dog and the duck-pilot. The latter two were scowling with their arms crossed. Kim's sidekick was glaring. "Taking over the world is one thing," the blonde-headed young man stated. "But _you_ ruined Bueno Nacho. You're gonna pay."

Drakken scowled at him. "You can't be serious."

"I've never been more serious in muh life," the tall dog said.

"Should I trip him again?" the duck-pilot inquired.

Kim's sidekick pointed at his face. "Note serious face."

Drakken gulped. There was no way he was going to let these three beat him up. Clearly he had ruined their favorite restaurant. He wasn't sure how he had ruined it. The business had held together rather well while he was in charge. Perhaps, after all this was cleared up, he could start a business of his own? Maybe one involving… cupcakes?

At the moment, he _still _could not allow the group to hurt him. "Please," Drakken pleaded. "The name escapes me. Oh, I beg of you!"

Kim's sidekick grabbed Drakken by the latter's collar. "Say my name," he demanded. "_**Say it**_!"

Drakken gulped. What was Kim's sidekick's name? "Uh… It's… oh… uh… Stoppable."

A flash of lightning filled the sky, making the display resemble a scene from a horror movie. It was accompanied by a sharp crack of thunder.

The blonde-haired young man grinned and released his grip on Drakken. "Boo-yah."

"A-Hyuck!" the tall dog agreed.

"You sure _**said**_ it!" the duck-pilot added. "Even if I'm not sure why we're sayin' 'it'."

* * *

Sora and Kim ran up to where Shego was. The dark-haired woman seemed to be walking around quite casually considering what had taken place. When she saw the two before her, Shego gasped in surprise. Her expression swiftly transitioned into a serious, though calm, look.

Sora had his Keyblade in hand, ready for any sudden attacks. "I don't think you'll be working at the school anymore," he said.

Shego's hands flew to her hips. "So you knew it was me?"

Sora had to shake his head. "It was too obvious. You have green skin, black hair, and glow. Besides, I saw you talking on your phone behind the desk. You once said, 'no phones in class'. That's the same rule back home on the islands."

Shego crossed her arms. She rolled her eyes. "Smart kid," she murmured in a soft voice.

Kim gave a grin. "You know what I really hate?" she asked.

Shego held up her hands in case this was the signal for another fight. "That your date melted?"

"Nah," Kim shook her head in reply. "You."

With a thrust of her leg, Kim sent Shego flying straight into a nearby communication tower. The moment she landed, the green-skinned woman was zapped by what might have been two hundred volts of electricity. Her collision was plenty to cause the tower to topple over and crumble. Kim gave a smile full of determination.

Sora was startled. He had not anticipated his friend kicking her opponent like that. He wondered if Shego was still alive. After all, she _had_ been hit with enough electricity to short-circuit Riku's _PlayStation_ game system. All he could say was, "Whoa!"

Donald ran up him. "Hey! What happened?" he asked.

Sora could not respond. He was still a little shaken up, and he was not quite sure why. Even when Amemi came hurrying up to him and asked what had caused Kim to knock Shego into the tower, all Sora could do was shrug.

"I have no idea," he finally admitted.

Through the corner of his eye, Sora noticed a dark portal opening. Pete and Don Karnage rushed inside before it sealed up. All he could do was shake his head a little.

* * *

Less than an hour had passed since Drakken had been stopped. A large squad of police officers equipped with state-of-the-art crime-stopping equipment had arrived and apprehended Drakken in no time. They'd also retrieved Shego from the tower wreckage. The green-skinned woman's hair was tangled up badly and she had a bad cut on her cheek.

"This is not over!" Drakken shouted as the officers placed him into a police van with Shego. "Oh, this can't be over!"

Ron slammed the door shut. "Deal with it, dude," he stated. "It's over."

The police drove away. As they left, Sora gave a sigh of relief and wiped some sweat off his forehead. He relaxed and placed his hands behind his head. He smiled. At long last, the Heartless situation had been cleared up. Drakken and Shego were going to prison. Pete and Don Karnage had left the world, hopefully to never return and cause more trouble.

Either way, Sora knew the world he was in was now safe and at peace. He looked up into the sky. The stars were back and the moon seemed a little on the blue side. The storm was over.

Kim turned to Ron. "You know, Ron, we'd better hurry."

Ron looked perplexed. "Hurry where?"

Kim smiled. "You'll see."

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were equally puzzled. What did Kim mean? Where were they headed? They all nodded at one another. The group climbed back onto Ron's scooter with Kim and Ron. In no time, the group was speeding down the road back to the city of Middleton.

* * *

The night sky felt so nice to see. To Sora and his sister, it felt the same as an old friend coming back. This was the same sky they'd both seen for years on the islands. The only difference was the color shade on the moon. There was also the notable absence of the sound of the ocean waves.

Ron's scooter finally came to a halt. To everyone's surprise (except for Kim), they had stopped outside the special room near the back of Middleton High School. Before anyone could ask why they were there, Kim helped Ron off the vehicle. The two headed for the entrance. To Sora's team's surprise, they were holding hands.

"Oh brother," Donald muttered.

"Gawrsh," Goofy added.

"So?" Amemi asked. "What's the big surprise?"

"Let's go find out," Sora decided. He led his friends and sister to the entrance. They all hurried inside after Kim and Ron.

Just inside, Sora and his team found Kim and Ron being cheered on by everyone inside the room. To Sora's relief, it was the same room where the _Christmas Prom_ was being held.

"Possible shoots, she scores!" a large, blonde-haired young man declared. Sora realized it was the same young man who'd been seated at the table with Bonnie about a few hours ago.

"Straight up!" Monique cheered.

Bonnie crossed her arms. "Excuse me," she said, elbowing the young man.

The young man gazed at her. "Oh, you're excused," he said. "While you're gone, I'll hang with Monique."

Monique smiled. "Me like."

Bonnie now looked stunned. It would have appeared she was going to be speechless until she stared at Kim and Ron. Sora followed her eyes and realized what she'd been staring at; Kim and Ron were still holding hands.

"It finally happened," Bonnie said with a grin the moment all the applause had stopped. "She's dating that loser."

She glanced back across the room. "Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable are **_dating_**?!"

She gave a laugh full of mockery. To Sora and his teammates' amazement, no one else was laughing. Bonnie stopped laughing when this dawned on her. Instead, everyone burst out in applause and cheers all over again.

Sora had to smile. After all, he'd just saved another world from the forces of Darkness. He felt proud… but not _too_ proud (mind you)!

"Attention people," Mr. Barkin said from beside the DJ. "The next song is ready to roll. Please keep it down to a dull roar."

The cheers and applause came to an end in time for the next song to start. Close to the ceiling, a disco ball starting to spin. Although he wanted to join everyone for another dance, Sora decided not to. He'd done plenty for one night.

Instead, he watched Kim and Ron as he listened to the music. "_I know we've been friends forever__, but __now I think I'm feeling something totally new__, and __after all this time__, __I've opened up my eyes__. __Now I see__…__ you were always with me__._"

Sora relaxed and placed his hands behind his head. His famous grin showed on his face. He thought back to how he'd been dreading being in this world from the moment he'd seen the high school for the first time. He'd found the Bueno Nacho restaurant a nice place to hang out; it was a perfect contrast.

"_Could it be you and I__ never__ imagined__. __Could it be, suddenly, __I__'__m falling for you__…._ "

Kim and Ron stopped their dancing. The two of them gazed into each other's eyes. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all shielded their eyes.

"_Could it be you were right here beside me__… __And I never knew__… __Could it be that it's true that it's you__…. _"

Kim and Ron leaned in close and shared a kiss. Amemi giggled a little at the sight. All Sora could think of doing was rubbing his nose with an oversized smile on his face.

"_Could it be… __And it's you__._"

At that precise second, Sora spotted the disco ball glowing with Light. A beam of Light shot out from the object and created a Keyhole-like shape in the air. Sora pointed his Keyblade at the Keyhole. A beam of Light shot from the Keyblade and struck the Keyhole. The Keyhole unlocked, creating a dazzling display of Light to appear for a few moments.

When the Light cleared, Kim and Ron had just finished kissing. Sora had to shake his head. When the memory of the time Kairi had given him a small peck on the cheek tried to enter his mind, he immediately shoved it aside.

A familiar beeping sound came from Kim's purse. She raced over to the side of the room where Sora and his friends were. Ron was left puzzled, so he followed her. She reached in and pulled out her bluish device. "What's the sitch, Wade?" she asked.

"It's a robbery-in-progress," Wade told her. "The Federal Reserve."

Kim sighed and told Wade she was on her way. "'The Federal Reserve'?" Ron asked. "I'm in!"

After she put her device away, she turned to Sora. "The missions never end."

"Yeah," Sora acknowledged. "But as long as you have friends with you, you'll _never_ be doing it alone."

Kim gave a nod. "You coming?"

Sora shook his head. "Sorry, but we've gotta get going. Other… _places_ need our help."

Kim smiled. "See you soon," she said.

"Until next time," Ron said. He and Rufus high-fived everyone's hands.

With that all said and done, Kim and Ron headed out the door and over to Ron's rocket-powered scooter. At the same time, Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all headed outside to the front of the school.

It was there Sora noticed a glowing Keyhole on the school's sign. Using his Keyblade, he sent a beam of Light into the Keyhole. There was an audible click before the Keyhole sealed up. Sora smiled, knowing the Heartless would no longer be a threat in this world.

An image of a smiling, little brown monkey appeared on the sign. Sora stared at it in complete surprise. Why did this seem so… familiar? He did not have time to think about it. At once, the sign's display shifted to some words,

"**SEE YOU SOON, SORA!****"**

Sora took a double-take. Was the world telling him farewell? He was not sure, and he would probably never know for certain. Using a small, grey box with a number of buttons on it, Goofy pushed a blue button and caused the group to teleport away back into _Herbie_.

Their mission in **Middleton** was now complete.

* * *

"_**You**_ _**imbeciles**_!" Maleficent hollered in anger. She sent a barrage of Thunder magic raining down on the two before her. Pete and Don Karnage both quivered in fright.

Even though he was a skilled and (often) fearsome air pirate, Karnage was not one hundred percent fearless. Besides, he had not witnessed Maleficent's wrath before now. Pete had experienced it many times.

"But Maleficent," Pete gulped. "W-we was _this close_ to success!" He showed her using his hands.

"That Drakken was being so stupid," Karnage added. "His sidekick was being too careless. It's not _our_ fault things didn't turn out well in the end."

"**Silence**!" Maleficent snarled. Pete and Karnage froze in place. "I have heard _**enough**_ of your pathetic excuses! _**Leave**_ me — _**now**_! Or I will…. "

Pete and Don Karnage were out of the circular chamber in less than a nanosecond. Into the room strode Mortimer Mouse, Cruella De Vil, and Percival C. McLeach. Maleficent paused for a several seconds to regain her composure. She then turned her attention to the three; so did her raven, Diablo.

"Mortimer, Cruella, McLeach, I have been expecting you."

"Well, you _have_ us," Mortimer grumbled as he crossed his arms. "What's this all about?"

"I have determined where Sora and his friends are heading next," Maleficent revealed. "If you hurry, we might be able to take over another world while they're kept busy. This will be our 'Plan B'. Leave at once, and remember… do not fail me."

"You got it, toots," Mortimer grinned.

"Yes," Cruella agreed.

"As you wish," McLeach chuckled.

The three left the room rather quickly and with some enthusiasm showing in their footsteps. No sooner had they left did Cinnamon Teal step into the room. The duck-woman looked a little bewildered. She approached Maleficent. "Pete is upset," she said in a calm voice. She crossed her arms. "So is Don Karnage. What happened in here? Did you threaten them?"

Maleficent turned around. Her back was now to Cinnamon Teal. She paused for a moment, thinking of a way to force the duck-woman away. "Leave me at once, or you shall suffer the same wrath they did."

Cinnamon Teal's eyes grew slightly wider than normal. If Pete and Karnage had faced Maleficent's wrath… she didn't want to know what that meant. She about-faced and rapidly left the room.

Now alone, Maleficent stepped out onto the balcony on the other side of the chamber. In the distance, she could see the town of the City of Light, still under re-construction. The mighty castle she'd once called her base-of-operations was under heavy construction. All the towers she'd added had been removed and the fortress was starting to resemble its former appearance. The shiny castle she'd first seen about eleven years ago….

She had _**hated**_ that place! With the Heartless under her control, it hadn't been too difficult to conquer this world back then. Now, with its Light restored and even more people prepared for any advance of hers, Maleficent knew there was no way she'd be able to take control of the city, again.

She started to pet Diablo. With a deep breath, she felt her anxiety level diminish. For some reason, petting her raven always helped her calm down. It was like a coping skill, even though she wasn't sure what that meant. "Give it time," she told Diablo. "Everything shall fall into place. Soon, I will find the '_Tome of Prophecies_' and create a Heartless army so vast, it will cover several new worlds. Then, _all_ the worlds will be mine."

She felt her sinister smile returning. "If only Xehanort had known…. "

* * *

The night sky had never looked so gloomy. Even at the mystical landscape of the _**Mysterious Tower**_, Niccole felt lonely. This was something no magic could fix.

Here she was, sitting beside some colorful flowers she'd found growing outside the building. Their layout reminded her of a rainbow. One of the flowers caught her eye. It seemed to resemble herself, minus two years. She started to wonder what had become of Mother Flower… and all her flower friends. What about the Caterpillar? Was he still a butterfly? She wondered about the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Dormouse, even the Dodo Bird she'd met. What had happened to them over the last few years? She would probably never know.

That was usually the way things worked… in _**Wonderland**_.

Her eyes landed upon another flower. This one was silver and had long petals. To Niccole, it seemed to resemble Riku. She bent down for a closer look. The plant did look like Riku.

Niccole gave a deep sigh as she laid down in the grass and rolled onto her stomach. Her mind started to whirl backwards in time. She gave a very, very deep sigh as one very hurtful memory returned to her.

"_**Let me out! Let me out! I **_**didn't**_** do anything wrong!"**_

_There was no answer. With a deep sigh, the teenage girl slinked to the back of the dungeon cell and sat down in the shadows. Her right side still throbbed with agonizing pain. Her left arm was also badly burned and she had a shallow cut on her forehead — just above her right eye. She hoped the blood wasn't about to touch her hair. That would _**really**_ hurt!_

_The days turned into weeks… then into months. Being deep inside a castle like this… it made it impossible to know the time of day. It felt like three months had gone by… if that. She slowly became weaker and weaker. Tears fell from her eyes, forming a small pond in the cell. Now she _really _wished she'd never left _**Wonderland**_._

"_Hello?" a high-pitched voice called through the dungeon. "Is someone in here?"_

_She gasped in surprise. She tried to speak, but her throat was too dry. She tried to stand up, but her legs were too weak. The only strength she still had was in her arms. She slid herself up to the door and grabbed a fallen piece of stone from the floor. She banged it hard against the door's window's metal poles. The noise echoed about the area._

_The sound of footsteps running over filled the air in turn. She felt a calm, happy presence. A flash of Light outside the door could be seen. Then the door itself opened. To her astonishment, there was a short anthropomorphic mouse standing in the doorway. He was carrying what appeared to be a Keyblade… just like the one she'd seen Riku's friend, Sora, wielding._

_With a smile, she hugged the mouse. "Thank you," she said in an atypically soft voice. Her mouth had been dryer than she'd thought._

_The mouse grinned. Once she'd let him go, he raised his Keyblade into the air. "Heal!" he called._

_Before she could count to two, a surge of green magic covered her. To her relief, she could feel her legs again. Her throat was no longer dry as a desert. Her arms and legs had healed and the scrape on her forehead was gone. She rose to her feet. __**"Thank you so much!"**__ she said as she curtseyed._

_The mouse smiled all the more. "I _knew_ there was someone in here," he said. "I heard Pete upstairs mention someone was locked in the dungeon. I just didn't know it was a girl."_

_The mouse extended his hand. "I'm Mickey. I came from the world of Disney."_

_She smiled all the more herself and shook Mickey's hand. __**"My name's Niccole. Is it okay if I call you 'Michael'?"**_

_Mickey then looked around. "Have you seen someone named 'Riku'?"_

_She shook her head at the very thought of the silver-haired young man. She wanted nothing to do with him. She dashed away from the cell as quickly as she could._

"_Wait!" Mickey called after her. "It's not safe that way!"_

_She stopped when she saw a group of Shadowy creatures appear from the floor. She screamed and tried to run back, but more creatures blocked her path. When one of them tried to reach for her heart, Mickey leapt over and — using a spinning attack — eliminated all the monsters in no time._

_Mickey turned to her. "You okay?"_

_She nodded. __**"Yes, I am. Thank you, again."**_

_Mickey smiled with relief. It was then the two were approached by a tall, muscular duck wearing a pilot's uniform. "Gee, Your Majesty," the duck muttered. "This place is creepier than I'd pictured. Are there any ghosts down here?"_

_Mickey shook his head. "Niccole," he said. "This is Launchpad, my bravest and most-trustworthy pilot."_

_She waved at the pilot. __**"Hi."**_

_Launchpad beamed. "Nice to meet ya! The name's Launchpad McQuack. If it's got wings, I can _crash_ it!"_

_She felt a little unsteady now. It didn't help when Mickey said, "Launchpad, please take Niccole somewhere safe. Take her back to the castle. I might not be back for a long time."_

_Launchpad saluted. "Yes sir, Your Majesty!"_

_Launchpad urged her to follow. With a nod of acknowledgment, she followed. Yet, she did not follow without giving Mickey one last salute. Mickey saluted back._

Even now, Niccole still wondered what had become of Mickey during that time period. Where had he gone? Had he found Riku? What had happened? There had been a full year missing in that time table. She'd become so determined to learn what had taken place, she had grabbed a few Gummi block, built a crudely-constructed Gummi Ship, and taken off into space before Chip and Dale could stop her.

Once the worlds and walls had returned, Niccole had found herself stranded at _**Hollow Bastion**_… make that the _**Radiant Garden**_. She'd ended up living inside the foundation of the castle — again. This time, it was because there was nowhere else for her to go. After several months, she'd finally decided to take a look around the town. It was then she had located the underground corridors. Inside those passageways, she had been spotted by Lea and taken into the study. From there, the story continued on.

She'd gotten a Keyblade. She had been reunited with Riku, Michael Mouse, and had met Sora personally. She had also seen Professor Hojo. For some reason, she still did not like him. All she knew was he had done something to her mother long ago. She just did not know what he had done.

Tears started to fall from her eyes. She looked up into the sky. The stars were twinkling little by little. She still wondered what she was going to do. She'd just had a serious fight with Riku and had seemingly ended her friendship with him. It was something she now wished had never happened.

"How can I ever _**forgive**_ him?!" she wept. "After _**everything**_ that's happened… would he ever understand? How will I ever know?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes and gazed straight at particularly bright star. "I _really_ wish you were here… Mother."

* * *

**A/N: So,... thus endeth another world in the story of "_KINGDOM HEARTS - SEASON OF LIGHT_".**

**Yet, that only means MORE WORLDS ARE STILL CALLING FOR ASSISTANCE FROM SORA'S TEAM! STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**As it is, I wanted to tell you how I sometimes found it a little tricky to write this last world into This Story. The last time I had a little trouble was when I wrote Chapter(s) 13 to 16. Most of the world for "_Disney's Pocahontas_" was tricky to set up. I ended up putting everything together as I wrote along.**

**With all that said and done, I wanted to point out how I included a reference to the animated franchise, "_Curious George_". Did you notice it?**

**By the way, I wonder if you liked seeing Hercules as a _Summon_. Why did I do that? Well, let's just say, I have a list of characters I would like Sora to be able to summon for help in This Story. That's why I ended up including one in This Chapter.**  
**I think I am required to say this: Hercules is from Disney's "_Hercules (1997)_".**

**Here are a few things to think about in regards to this KH Story Series.**  
**(1.) Sora and Amemi seem to work like a little team. Don't they?**  
**(2.) Will Maleficent succeed in finding the "_Tome of Prophecies_"?**  
**(3.) How about Niccole and her flashback? What did she mean about "'_Professor Hojo_'"? Who is this "'_Mother_'" she is referring to?**  
**The answer(s) to these questions (among others) MIGHT be revealed sometime later in This Story or its Sequel!**

**So, at long last, here is a "'RIDDLE HINT'" for the next world featured in THIS STORY!**  
**HINT: "SORA AND HIS TEAM ARRIVE AT THE DOORSTEPS OF A DARK, SEEMINGLY-UNINVITING CASTLE IN THE FOREST! NEW AND OLD FRIENDS AWAIT INSIDE, AS WELL AS HORDES OF HEARTLESS... MAYBE EVEN A FEW NOBODIES! WITH THE HOLIDAY SEASON HAPPENING EVERYWHERE ELSE, THIS LAND SEEMS TO HAVE FORGOTTEN THE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS! CAN SORA'S TEAM HELP THEM REMEMBER IN TIME?"**  
**IF you believe you know which World/Disney Movie I am referring to in there, please post your answers in the Reviews section for THIS CHAPTER!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - 240 REVIEWS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF THIS HAPPENS, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Furthermore, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	25. Ch25 - The Cursed Castle

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: I AM BACK - AND I AM EXCITED!**

**Why? Simple! I brought Chapter 25 WITH ME! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! YES!**

**So, I wanted to tell you I am sorry for not posting as frequently this year as I was last year... and the last few years before, too. I have had a LOT going on lately. It does not help having major homework projects at least once a week. To make things worse, I just could not seem to sit down and write This Story. Imagine how long it took just to get this done!**

**That aside, I want to state how I have seen "_Zootopia (2016)_", and I REALLY enjoyed it! I actually have been considering including it into this KH Story Series! How about THAT?! Would any of you like to see "_ZOOTOPIA_ _(2016)_" appear in my "_Kingdom Hearts_" stories? Please let me know!**

**In addition, I have added a new poll. It is in regards to this KH Story Series. Please check it out!**

**Plus, some of you seem to really like my KH Stories, yet your lack of reviews does not really show this. Another possible reason why I was not writing very much might be due to the dramatic decrease in the number of views on this story. "_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_" still seems to be getting views all the time, even though it is finished!**

**That all aside, I shall allow you to go ahead and read This Chapter! PLEASE READ/REVIEW TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! THE MORE READERS/REVIEWERS, THE BETTER!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 25  
****The Cursed Castle**

The corridor was gigantic and full of extensive shadows. A statue or two was located alongside the hall at regular intervals. Many of the works of art were lying in shambles and the entire area was covered in dust. Despite the sun shining in through the glass windows amidst the tattered curtains, the trio of Beagle Boys were casually strolling down the hallway. They were so discouraged, they failed to really notice how dark and eerie the castle they had ventured off to was on the inside.

They silently sighed. Having failed to assist the now-late Judge Claude Frollo in taking over _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_, the Beagle Boys were afraid to return to Maleficent and face her wrath. For all they knew, the sorceress wouldn't be the least bit kind to them.

If only they could've beaten Sora, Donald, Goofy, and that _idiotic_ pilot — Launchpad McQuack. If only they could have….

"What're we gonna do now?" one of the tall Beagle Boys asked. "We can't go back and see Maleficent."

"No kidding!" the other tall one agreed. "She'll strike us with _**everythings'**_ she's got!"

"If only we had a golden opportunity to redeem ourselves," the short one sighed. "Maybe she wouldn't take it so hard."

"But what could _we_ do?" the first one questioned.

The other two shrugged in response. Out of the blue, a loud piece of instrumental music flooded the corridor. Spinning around, the Beagle Boys were astounded. Taking into consideration the music was being played a short distance down the hallway, they marched off to investigate. As the villains drew closer, the music steadily grew louder. Before long, they found themselves stepping through a set of double-doors and into an enormous room.

The three were amazed. The room had such a high ceiling, they couldn't see anything but shadows on it. With the notable large windows with glass panes to their left and a few candle-stands set up close to the far end of the room, the Beagle Boys were able to spot a giant pipe organ bolted onto the opposite wall. The sounds of a gloomy-type song could be heard echoing from the numerous pipes.

"_**Wow**_!" the first tall Beagle Boy exclaimed. "That is the _biggest_ piano I've ever seen!"

"Wonder what song it's playin'," the second tall one added.

"Look!" The short one pointed to the keyboard on the organ. The keys were moving up and down like someone was touching them. The only difference was there was nobody at the keyboard. "The keys are movin' by themselves!"

"It could be one of them 'play-itself' pianos," the first Beagle Boy suggested with a nervous gulp.

"Or it's a _ghost_ playin' it," the second stated.

The short one gulped with fear. "Let's get outta here!"

When the three turned to leave, a deep voice boomed from across the room, causing them to freeze in their tracks. "Oh? What have we here? Three hooded individuals. Hmm… I don't recall the master welcoming any 'guests' lately."

The Beagle Boys whirled around. Their eyes darted this way and that. Still, there wasn't a single figure standing in the room. Their eyes started to fill with discomfort. For all they knew, there _was_ a ghost lurking about and possibly playing the organ, too.

"Who… who's there?" the second tall Beagle Boy called out anxiously.

The other tall one glanced around the room. "There's nobody here."

The music started to pick up speed when the voice spoke again. "Ah! But I _am_ here! All you have to do is look up!"

Although fearing they were about to face a ghost, the Beagle Boys gazed up towards the ceiling. In the middle of the pipes at the peak of the organ was the shape of someone's face, which the three villains thought resembled a mask. When the upper part of the pipes with the mask peered down from above, the Beagle Boys began shivering with terror present on their faces. The mask gave a smile and spoke in the same deep voice as before. "I am Maestro Forte — Court Composer."

The Beagle Boys remained quivering. "Do not fear," Forte soothed. "I mean you no harm."

"You," one of the tall Beagle Boys sputtered nervously. "You can _**talk**_?!"

"But you're a _**piano**_!" the second tall one shouted.

"Yeah!" the short one approved. "_Everyone_ knows pianos can't talk!"

Forte's smile faded and he slammed his keys down hard. The whole room started to shake like a violent tremor was hitting it with a loud blast of music. The Beagle Boys nearly bounced around with the quake while two panes of glass in the windows gave some tiny cracks.

"Relax," Forte calmly said once the musical blast had ended. "It's merely an opéra — to bring the house down."

"How can you talk?" the first Beagle Boy inquired.

Forte gave a dark grin in return. "I used to be human, you know. Until the master met the Enchantress and the castle was put under the spell."

"'Spell'?" the first Beagle Boy asked.

"'Enchantress'?" the second one wondered aloud.

"Sounds pretty gloomy," the short one remarked.

"I won't bore you with the details," Forte rapidly added. He looked back down to the three Beagle Boys far below. "Now then, I thought I heard something about a 'golden opportunity' in the midst of my crescendo?"

The Beagle Boys exchanged glances with each other. Even though they had just met the pipe organ and weren't sure if what he was saying about once being a human and placed under a spell was truthful, the villains knew they probably could trust him with resolving their problem. For all they knew, this could be the chance to redeem their place on _Maleficent's Council_.

"It's like this," the first tall Beagle Boy started. "We's in a lot of trouble right now."

"We've had too many slip-ups lately," the second added. "But we can't go back and face Maleficent."

"She'll strike us like she did Pete!" the short one stated firmly.

Forte seemed pleased. "Well now," he said, giving a sinister-looking smile. "I may not know of this 'Maleficent', but I would just _hate_ to see the three of you get 'struck' for making mistakes. Although I've never made any…. "

"You'll _**help**_ us?!" the three Beagle Boys exclaimed in surprise.

"Why, certainly," Forte acknowledged. "You see… I have some 'plans' of my own, and I need someone to carry them out for me. You three would do just nicely…. "

The Beagle Boys gave evil smiles in response. If Forte could assist them, they would do _**anything**_ to help him out. It didn't matter how challenging or simple the task was — they would do it.

* * *

The view from _Herbie_'s windows was full of clear space and spectacular shining stars. An occasional clump of dust or gas or something else entirely would slide past the Gummi Ship and soon disappear into the colorful emptiness beyond.

Sora did not notice. Rather, his mind was keeping him for noticing. Here he was, currently caught up in a card game with Donald, Goofy, and Amemi. Not long after leaving the last world, everyone had tried to relax, only it was no use. That was when Amemi had reached into purse and pulled out the card game's deck. "How about a game of '_**UNO**_'?" she had asked.

Within mere minutes, Sora had found himself in the game with three blue cards, two green ones, and a wild card… plus a reversal. He saw Donald had two cards left, Goofy had three cards, and Amemi was holding five cards. Sora found himself grinning secretly. He had the feeling he could guess what was about to happen on the next turn, which happened to be Donald's.

Donald put down a reddish five on top of a greenish five. When he saw Goofy pluck a card from his own hand, Sora gave a sneaky grin, especially when he saw Donald had only one card in his hand. "Uno!" Sora called.

Everyone stopped and stared at him. Sora pointed to Donald with his free hand. Donald's eyes filled with puzzlement. "A-Hyuck!" Goofy nodded when he understood. "Ya gotta draw two more cards, Donald!"

Donald stared in shock. "_**What**_?! That's _**not**_ fair! I didn't get a chance to say 'Uno'!"

"Goofy's right," Amemi said. She reached into one of the pockets in her jacket and pulled out a cellular phone. After a few long seconds, she held up the device to Donald's face. "See? It's in the _official_ rules. You must draw two cards or you'll be kicked out of the game."

The duck magician clenched his teeth together. He clutched his cards so tightly, it seemed he was about to bend or tear them apart. He muttered a soft list of illegible garble, and he scooped up two more cards from the deck as he did so.

Sora had to shake his head. He glanced towards the front of the vehicle. There was Launchpad, slouched in his seat, eating a handful of Peanut Skittles while watching a show on the monitor beside him. It was a program Sora didn't recognize, other than the fact it was being broadcast over "_**METFLEX**_"; he knew _that_ name, mainly since it was an online site for watching movies and shows alike. Whatever show Launchpad was watching, Sora could tell it had something to do with three girls, mermaids, and an island. He shook his head, knowing this meant _Herbie_ was doing all the flying and the pilot had nothing better to do.

Now it was Goofy's turn. The knight placed a greenish five card on top. Amemi shook her head and simply threw a greenish four card down. Sora responded by putting a greenish "_**SKIP**_" card down. "Hey!" Donald stated. "What's the big idea?!"

Sora shrugged. Donald glowered at him, especially after Goofy and Amemi each put down a card (Goofy called out an "UNO" of his own) and Sora put down his wild card; it turned out to also be a Draw 4. Donald's face started to turn red as he stubbornly picked up four more cards. Sora had to smile, knowing the duck mage's behavior was something he'd grown used to seeing quite frequently. He was not sure why, only that he had missed seeing stuff like this over the past few months — if not for much, much, much, much longer.

"I change the color to… Blue," the spikey-headed youth announced.

Goofy gazed at the card in his hand. Before he could do anything — draw a card or put down the card he held — the interior of the ship suddenly jerked around violently. The cards flew all over the place. Donald's cards flew into the air, alongside Sora's and Amemi's. Goofy clung to his last card like it was the pot of gold from the end of a Lucky Charm's rainbow.

Wondering what was going on, Sora whirled his eyes to the front. To his astonishment, thick, dark clouds could be seen. Launchpad was trying to grab the controls, even though he had just tossed his last handful of candy into the air and it had fallen all over the dashboard. "What's happening?" Amemi shouted in a state of shock and worry.

One look at the view as the clouds grew thinner, and Sora's mind flew back to when he had seen a similar view. Back when Launchpad had sent _Herbie_ into a downward diagonal at the top of a waterfall. From there, the Gummi Ship had fallen over the edge and splashed into the river below. Gummi blocks and bent wings… Sora instantly knew what was happening.

_Herbie_ was nose-diving.

"I've lost control!" Launchpad declared. He hastily put the goggles on his flight cap over his eyes. This was a sight Sora had _**never**_ seen below, let alone expected. "Let's prepare for another McQuack crash-landing!"

The clouds dispersed. Sora watched as a white landscape in the middle of a vast forest during the day speedily came into view. For a moment, he thought the trees below seemed a little familiar. In fact, he caught a glimpse of something else… something tall, dark, and gloomy-like. What was it?

Two arms wrapped around his shoulders. Sora glanced back. His sister was grabbing onto him for dear life. He knew why. If there was one thing Amemi _**hated**_ more than missing out on a fun adventure, it was roller coasters. He recalled how she'd panicked when their Mom had taken them both to "_Seashore Land_" on a nearby large island; Amemi had been trapped inside a roller coaster car for three straight rides after her seatbelt got stuck and the handlebar refused to rise.

Of course, there were other things the sandy-haired girl did not approve of, yet Sora was too busy holding onto the seat in front of him to think of any more. He saw Donald holding onto his hat as he strapped himself into the window seat on the opposite side. Goofy was kneeling down on the floor, clutching what appeared to be a small fishing pole. Sora was not sure how the tall knight had ended up with _that_! Then again, he recalled how Goofy had shown him a certain fishing move. How did it go, again?

_Herbie_ was righted at the last moment. The Gummi Ship came down in a large patch of white stuff. As it blew alongside the vehicle during the impact, Sora realized it was snow. After a second or five, _Herbie_ landed gently in the snowbank; he gave a pleased beeping, indicating he was in one piece.

With a sigh of relief, Sora released his grip on the seat in front of him. Amemi let go and slid to the side to get out from behind him. Goofy returned to his seat, while Donald undid his buckles and straps. When the duck mage saw Goofy's card facing his way, he scowled. "_Phooey_!" he snarled. "I was _**cheated**_!"

It did not take Sora more than two minutes to know what this meant. Goofy's card had been a blue one. Simple as that. He had to shake his head. Donald was nothing more than a sore loser. He started to wonder if this happened often whenever the anthropomorphic duck magician played games with anyone. This made him wonder how Daisy reacted to his bad temper.

Goofy started to pick up the fallen cards. Donald quickly joined him. Amemi gave a deep, deep, deep sigh of relief. Her right hand was placed over the left side of her chest as she caught her breath. "At least… we're down in a single piece," she remarked. "That landing was… a little _too_ bumpy for me."

Sora took a moment to notice his sister was showing a small smile. He could only shake his head. Before he could think about what this sight reminded him of, a blast of cold air filled the inside of the spaceship. Sora shivered for a moment. Amemi curled up in her seat; she was quivering as she rubbed her arms. Donald and Goofy peered out the window at the snow around them.

Sora looked around. "Huh? Where's Launchpad?"

"Hey, _guys_!" Launchpad's voice called from outside. "This place's _**creepier**_ than on Halloween!"

Sora and Amemi exchanged looks of question. Sora could tell his little sister was just as perplexed as he was. He led the way out of the vehicle. Amemi was seconds behind. Seeing they were the only ones inside _Herbie_, Donald and Goofy put down the cards they had picked up and followed the two siblings out of the Gummi Ship.

Upon stepping out into the snow, Sora found himself shivering a little. To his surprise, the sky was filled with dark clouds that were so thick, the sunlight couldn't get through. He glanced at his cellular phone; he could tell (despite the cracked screen) it was almost mid-morning. The scenery around him reminded the brown-haired young man of his first encounter with the dazzling, sparkling lights from Christmas Town.

Spotting Launchpad less than five feet away, Sora walked up to him. "What is it?" he asked.

Launchpad pointed into the distance directly before the site of the crashed _Herbie_. "It looks like one of those castles from the fairy tales!" he commented. "And this is really happening… right? Or is this all in my head?"

Sora whirled his focus to where the pilot was pointing. He saw Amemi, Donald, and Goofy were out in the snow, doing the same. To the spikey, brown-haired Keyblade wielder's surprise, a tall, enormous castle was located directly before their eyes. It was a dark shade of blue with darkish brown roofs. A number of the rooftops were peaked. There were lots of windows, chimneys, and even a few gargoyle statues grouped together on some of the roofs. A thin layer of mist shrouded the building. Most of the roofs were covered by drifts of fallen snow, and there was snow covering the ground all around the outside. In the distance, more forests and some faraway mountains could be seen.

Sora stared at it. "I… know… this… place…. "

He knew they had ended up at **The Beast's Castle**.

* * *

One look at the building and Amemi was a little shaky. The architecture of the structure reminded her of a certain horror movie she'd once seen many years ago. Based on what she could recall, the movie had been about a mad scientist who created a monster inside a haunted castle. Ironically, this building seemed to resemble that _same_ castle from the movie. This made her gulp with lots of anxiety. "A castle," she muttered. "It feels a little… spooky. What world are we in, Sora?"

When she heard no response, the sandy-headed teenager turned around. She saw Launchpad looking at the castle in confusion. However, Goofy, Donald, and Sora were gazing at the building like they recognized it. Sora was staring at it with a look Amemi knew meant he _did_ know what it was. "This is _the_ castle!" he called out.

Donald and Goofy nodded. Amemi looked a little more puzzled. "Huh?" she said. "What are you talking about? Have you been here before?"

Donald and Goofy nodded again. With his famous, giant grin inscribed on his face, Sora raced through the snow to the castle's entrance. When he hurried on by, Amemi was caught in a blast of wind and spun around. She then realized they had crash-landed in an open space surrounded by a stone wall. A courtyard, she comprehended.

Wondering what her brother had taken into account, Amemi hurried after him. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were just mere seconds behind them. It didn't take too long to reach the castle's entrance doors, which were located at the top of a short, snow-covered flight of stairs. Goofy slipped on a bit of ice and landed onto the top step. Launchpad helped the knight to his feet.

Amemi stepped up to her brother. She could see a look of excitement in his eyes when he turned to look at her. Her eyes started to flood with concern. She knew this look anywhere. It meant Sora's naïve side was starting to take charge.

"Sora," she started to say. "Shouldn't we be careful?"

Sora turned to the large, wooden doors and casually pushed them open with a loud banging noise; the doors had slammed against the inside walls. Amemi sighed, knowing what she'd just said had gone unnoticed. She knew even WordGirl would never rush into a place like this so hurriedly. If only her brother would be a little more cautious — especially after all the trouble his speedy reactions had caused in the last few worlds.

Sora stepped into the castle. Amemi was directly behind him, followed by Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. In a loud, proud voice, Sora called out, "Hey, _**everyone**_! We're _**back**_!"

To Amemi's amazement, the entrance led straight into a massive hall with columns located on either side on a main path. The middle was marked by a long, dull-colored carpet. It led up a short flight of steps to a large, wooden doorway. From there, a tall, wooden doorway could be seen. The staircase split off to the sides, one leading up to the right and the other off to the left. In the sides of the main hall, a pair of doorways could be seen on either side.

"This place is enormous," Amemi remarked. "Have you _really_ been here before?"

She noticed Sora was looking around as though awaiting an answer to his previous query. No reply was given. Now Amemi was wondering if this was just an empty castle.

"This place _is_ spooky!" Launchpad indicated. He pointed up at the high ceiling. "I see a hole in the wall up there! Did a burglar rob this room of its colors?"

Amemi ignored the pilot's statement and question and crossed her arms. She was now wondering why her older brother would be so thrilled to be exploring a dark, uninviting castle in the middle of a dense forest. Then again, such adventurous notions tended to have Sora's name written all over them. After all, he _was_ the leader of this fine group!

Out of nowhere, a swarm of monsters that were as black as night itself appeared from the shadows of the room. Among them were several odd-looking bats, and a handful of large body-like beings. One look at them and Amemi's eyes lit up. "_**Heartless**_!" she heard Donald and Goofy yelp.

Before Amemi could count to one, Sora's Keyblade was in hand. He rushed into the horde of enemies and was slashing, bashing, and slicing his way through the Heartless. Donald was sending magical spells every which way before the sandy-haired girl could reach two. Goofy was spinning around like a top and smashing several of the hostile creatures aside by the time Amemi counted to three. When she (silently) reached four, Launchpad had already taken out his gas-gun and was busy shooting Heartless out of the way.

Within a matter of five to ten seconds, all of the Heartless had been annihilated. Amemi found her head spinning. The whole battle had happened so rapidly, she hadn't had the chance to react and join along. She touched her jacket pocket and felt her slingshot. How come she hadn't reacted as speedily as her brother, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad had? She was now wondering if it had something to do with the others having more experience with dealing with the Heartless. For that matter, it almost seemed like Sora had anticipated the Heartless showing up inside the castle.

As she watched Sora and the others put their weapons away, Amemi thought she heard something. Either it was her sudden dizziness, her vivid imagination, or something else entirely… yet, she was _still_ convinced she had heard _something_. Whatever it was, that was the new question she had going through her mind.

She stepped over to the others. "Did you hear something?" she asked them all.

Sora shrugged. "You got me, Amy. Goofy? Did you hear anything?"

Goofy stuck his left finger into his left ear. After a few moments of twisting his hand, he pulled it out and held his hand close to his ear. "Nope," he replied. "I don't hear nothin' 'cept them little bells."

When Sora and Amemi both inquired Donald, the duck shrugged in turn. Launchpad held up his hands to both of his ears. He strained to listen around. "I can't hear anything. This place is dead silent… but not literally. This isn't a cemetery."

This made Amemi fold her arms and roll her eyes. Last she checked, Launchpad wasn't the smartest pilot around. Then again, he was the _only_ pilot she'd ever met personally. True, she'd seen those skywriting planes back home — mostly around sunset. Then, there were the seaplanes for rent at the nearby theme park, "_**PAUPU LAND**_", located on one of the other smaller islands. Still, Amemi had never flown in any of those planes. In fact, the first time she'd flown was a few years ago, back when she had….

"Shh!" Sora put a finger to his lips. Everyone went completely silent. This caused Amemi to lose her train of thought.

That was when they heard it. Soft voices. Looking around, Amemi wondered where they'd come from. "Hey, guys!" she heard Sora say.

Amemi swung her eyes toward her brother. The spikey-headed youth was looking down at the floor. Donald and Goofy were doing the same. Launchpad was trying to look down, only from behind Donald and Goofy. Curious to know what had grabbed the others' attention, the sandy-haired teenager stepped to Sora's side and kept her eyes on the floor. She paused suddenly, spotting a few items on the floor.

One of them was a reddish-brown clock with a few pieces that were a golden color; the clock hands seemed to form a mustache. Another was a golden candelabra sporting a long nose, wrinkled forehead, brown eyebrows, heavy-lidded brown eyes. There was also a china-like teapot with blue eyes, magenta lips, long eyelashes, lavender eye-shadow, pink cheeks, and a prominent round chin. There was a matching teacup beside the teapot, although there was a small chip in it.

"It's nice to you again," the clock said to Sora and the others.

Sora smiled. The candelabra glanced over the group. "Well, well," it declared. "Who are your new friends?"

Sora gestured to Launchpad. "This is Launchpad," he introduced. He then gestured to Amemi. "This is my sister, Amemi."

Amemi stared in surprise. "You… you're all _alive_?" she was barely able to say the words. She knelt down to get a closer look. The very concept of seeing household items trying to move around like they were people was completely mind-boggling for the young woman. "H-how is this possible?"

Sora took notice of his sister's hesitation. "She's still getting used to seeing new places," he explained.

The clock hobbled over to Amemi. She continued to stare at the living object. "I am Cogsworth," the clock very politely introduced. "The head of the household."

As Cogsworth extended what seemed to be an arm to the young woman, the candelabra rushed over and landed in between the two. Cogsworth rolled his eyes. "This is Lumiére."

Lumiére took an astounded Amemi's right hand. "What an honor it is to meet a lady such as yourself," Lumiére said before he kissed her hand.

Amemi speedily pulled her hand away. For some reason, Lumiére's attitude towards her reminded her of a certain character from a show she'd seen on television years ago. The character was clearly supposed to be a "ladies' man"; she remembered his dark jacket, blue pants, and constant use of the term "Hey!" She had hated that character so much. Just seeing Lumiére imitate him made her feel very, very, very, very uncomfortable.

The nearly-fourteen-year-old girl rose to her feet. Her discomfort must have been showing on her face. While Cogsworth and Lumiére switched their focus to Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad, the teapot and chipped cup came hopping over to the young woman. "Don't worry, dear," the teapot said. "Lumiére is a kind fellow."

Amemi had to give a sigh of relief. It sounded like the teapot was a kind, gentle individual. "Thank you," she smiled.

"You can call me 'Mrs. Potts', dear," the teapot said. She nudged the teacup. "This is Chip."

Amemi bent lower to see the teacup. Chip leaped into the air, so the sandy-haired young woman had to catch him. Chip squinted to take a close look at her. "You and Sora sure are different-looking," he commented.

Amemi had to roll her eyes. Of course she looked different than her brother! Sora was a brown-haired seventeen-year-old boy. She was a sandy-headed girl close to age fourteen. In less than three months, she would be fifteen. She decided to shove all this unnecessary contemplation to one side. '_That _was_ an awkward question_', she thought to herself.

"It's good to see all of you," Sora's voice perked up. Amemi switched her focus to her brother. He was grinning at Cogsworth and Lumiére. "How's things?"

"Splendid," Cogsworth stated in reply.

"Have you come to see the Master and Belle?" Lumiére inquired.

Sora gave an instant nod. "Yeah," he answered.

Amemi looked confused. "Who's 'Belle'?"

Everyone turned their attention to the sandy-haired girl. Amemi shrugged. "What?" she asked. She did not like being the center of attention without knowing why.

Sora turned to the servants. "Would you excuse us for a minute?"

Cogsworth, Lumiére, Mrs. Potts, and Chip all nodded. Sora rose to his feet and gestured for Amemi to follow. The teenage girl did so. When they reached the wall on the left side of the hall, Sora stopped and turned back. Amemi did the same. They could see Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad talking with the servants about something or other.

"Amy," Sora began. "You shouldn't ask so many questions."

Amemi was startled. "Why not?"

"You might disrupt the 'World Order'."

"The _what_?"

Sora gave a deep sigh. Judging from her brother's facial expression, Amemi concluded he had completely forgotten to tell her something _very_ important.

"Here's the thing," Sora said at last. "We can't tell anyone there's other worlds out there. It could cause complete chaos and confusion."

"You mean, we can't meddle in other worlds' affairs?" Amemi questioned.

Sora placed his hands behind his head. "Something like that," he admitted. "But everyone _here_ already knows about other worlds. Donald, Goofy, and I helped Be—someone _else_ who lives here save Belle from Maleficent a long time ago."

"Why?"

"Belle is a '_Princess of Heart_', so Maleficent had kidnapped her."

"Just like Kairi," Amemi recalled how Kairi how explained what a "_Princess of Heart_" is during the time Sora had seemingly disappeared altogether. She had learned Kairi was actually the daughter of a world's leader and had no Darkness in her heart. Having a heart of pure Light sounded like a special trait. Amemi just wished _she_ was a princess, too.

Her mind started to wander from there. For some reason, only the two of them had a memory of a certain fourteen-year-old boy who had used to live on the island with them. Even her mom had had a slight recollection. They were the only ones who had held any memory of Sora's existence. She still was not sure why.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. We met the castle's master while saving Kairi from Maleficent."

Amemi nearly leapt back into the wall. "You _**know**_ this castle's master?! I never expected _that_! You weren't kidding, Sora. You've really been all over the place."

Sora grinned. "And there's a lot more places left to see," he added. "I do wonder what's going on in Tinker Bell's world…. "

Amemi was perplexed. What was her brother talking about now? She remembered how Goofy had asked Thistle about someone named "Tinker Bell", which had caused the villainous fairy to shout in anger. Now she was wondering… who was "Tinker Bell"? She wondered if she would ever find out.

"In that case," Amemi finally said. "Who is the castle's master?"

Sora unfolded his arms. "You'll know him when you see him."

At that moment, the sound of barking filled the air. Sora and Amemi swung their eyes towards the others. A red footstool with brown legs, and golden lace (on the bottom) was hopping over from Donald; the duck magician was lying flat on the floor before a shaking-head Goofy and startled Launchpad. When the footstool jumped onto Amemi, the creature knocked her onto the ground.

"Hey!" the sandy-haired girl cried out. The footstool wagged its golden feathery tail and tried to lick her with its matching golden feather. It did not take long for her to realize it was supposed to be a dog. Her eyes widened in a hurry. "_Sora_!"

Sora had to pull the footstool off of Amemi. She rose to her feet and dusted her skirt and jacket off. The footstool was trying to lick the young man's face. Sora had to shut his eyes to keep the dusty feathery end from getting dust in his eyes.

"He sure is a good-licker," Sora commented.

"Maybe it's a _she_?" Amemi pinpointed.

"Sultan!" a kind voice called from above. Sora and Amemi turned their attention to a young woman hurrying down the stairs. When Amemi saw the woman sported fair skin with rosy cheeks, pink lips, long brown hair, hazel eyes, and was wearing a blue bow and dress, a white shirt, a white apron, and black shoes, she assumed this must be the individual Sora and the others had been referring to earlier.

The young woman rushed over to Sora and helped the footstool off him. The footstool was still barking, though it was not as loud as before. "Sorry, Sora," she said with a smile.

"Hi, Belle!" Sora said. He waved.

Belle smiled at him. She noticed Amemi staring at her. "Who's this?" she asked.

"I'm his sister," Amemi speedily responded. "My name's Amemi."

Belle smiled. Amemi could sense a strong Light coming from within her. She had felt this before — with Kairi. She automatically knew what it meant. She smiled in return. "Nice to meet you, Belle," the sandy-haired teenager curtseyed.

It was then Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Cogsworth, Lumiére, Mrs. Potts, and Chip all came over. Donald and Goofy were pleased to see Belle, again. Launchpad conducted his usual greeting until Donald cut him off mid-sentence; the latter chuckled afterwards.

Belle turned to Sora. "What brings you all here?"

Sora hesitated (a little) in his reply. "It's kinda a long story, but it looks like the Heartless are up to good, again. I think Maleficent's involved."

Cogsworth gasped and hid behind Lumiére at the mention of the sorceress's name. Lumiére simply stared. Chip hid behind a frightened Mrs. Potts. Sultan (the footstool) leapt out of Belle's arms and raced behind the nearest column. He peeked out from behind it a moment later.

Belle crossed her arms. "What terrible timing."

"Yeah," Donald agreed.

"Especially with Christmas on the way," Goofy added.

"I might not get any shopping down in time," Launchpad spoke up. "Mister McDee and His Majesty always have me waiting until the last minute."

Donald whirled to face the pilot. "That's because of your Christmas shopping disaster five years ago."

"Yeah," Goofy added. "Ya really made a mess outta the shoppin' mall. A-Hyuck!"

"Aw gee," Launchpad grumbled to himself. "I wouldn't have slipped if someone hadn't knocked over a slippery floor sign."

The knight and pilot were focused on Donald. The duck gave a shy snicker. His cheeks started to turn a slight shade of red. This sight made both Sora and Amemi shake their heads.

Chip poked his head out from behind Mrs. Potts. "What's 'Christmas'?" he asked.

Donald's eyes widened in a hurry. "_You don't know what __**Christmas**__ is_?!"

Belle smiled at the teacup. "Oh Chip, you must know about Christmas."

"Yup," Goofy approved. "All them sockings over thuh fireplace."

"That's '_Stockings_'," Donald corrected.

Goofy gave a nod. "A-Hyuck!"

"Don't forget the tree," Sora added. He remembered how his mom had fallen over trying to set up the tree this year. The same thing had happened the year before, and the year before that, and the year before that, and so on and so forth for as long as he could remember.

"I like the tinsel," Amemi admitted. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag of shiny material that resembled thin strips of ice.

"What 'bout all those presents we left at Sora's house?" Launchpad blurted.

"'_**Presents**_'?" an excited Chip exclaimed. "Do _I_ get one?"

"Yes," Amemi stated. "_Everyone_ gets a present at Christmastime," she gazed at her older brother. "Except when someone no longer believes in Santa Clause…. "

"Hey!" Sora barked. "It wasn't _my_ fault! Riku's the one who said Santa isn't real!"

"And who was so gullible he'd believe _anything_ Riku told him?" Amemi indicated.

This led to a series of laughs from Donald and Goofy. Sora's hand flew to his head. He gave an extremely deep sigh.

Amemi looked around the room. "This place could use some brightening up," she remarked. "Why haven't you put up any Christmas decorations?"

Cogsworth, Lumiére, and Mrs. Potts all froze, unsure how to respond. "Well," Lumiére finally said. "There have been _lots_ of Heartless getting into the castle each day…. "

"…And we don't have enough manpower to remove them all," Cogsworth finished.

"With things so rowdy, it's a wonder anyone gets anything done," Mrs. Potts added.

Amemi was far from convinced. She had only seen a small horde of Heartless — that was just after arriving. What a bad excuse! This world was in a rather calm state compared to the last few worlds. The forests of _**Jamestowne**_ had been full of Heartless. The streets around the cathedral of Notré Dame had been swamped with them. The city of _**Middleton**_ had been flooded with some strange-looking Heartless at times.

She was now starting to wonder if anyone in this castle celebrated Christmas at all. The fact no one else had told Chip what Christmas is had startled her in an instant.

"You mean, even the Master gets a present?" Chip asked.

"Yes," Belle approved. "Even the Master."

"What are you going to get him?"

Belle sighed. "I don't really know him well enough to know what he would want."

"What would you want?"

"Well, what I love most in the world are my books. My stories."

"I like reading, too," Amemi admitted. She liked the fictional accounts of characters going about their daily lives. It was no wonder why she loved "_**WordGirl**_" so much. The two of them _both_ loved reading. That was when it dawned on her. "Why don't you give him a story?"

Belle stood up straight. "You're right, Amemi. A story."

As swiftly as she had come down the stairs, Belle went through a nearby doorway. With Chip in hand, Amemi followed her. Sora was next in line. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Cogsworth, Lumiére, and Mrs. Potts remained in the hall.

* * *

The corridor was rather bright and clear compared to the entrance hall. There were large windows lined along the wall on the right. Snow was gathered on the windowsills. An occasional painting or two were positioned neatly along the wall opposite the windows. The sunlight shining through gave large shadows of the window-frames against the wall.

"Where does this hallway lead?" she asked.

Sora shrugged. "I dunno. I've never been down this way."

He really had never seen _all_ of this place just yet. Outside of the castle's parlor, ballroom, entrance hall, Belle's room, the dungeon, the Beast's room, the West Wing, the East Wing, the West Hall, the Undercroft, the castle's grounds, and the entrance bridge, Sora had not seen the rest of the building. In fact, he had always wondered what was located beyond the three other doorways in the front hall. Now he was seeing what was in one of them.

At the end of the hallway, Belle stepped through a doorway. Sora pushed the door open a little further. When he saw what was on the other side, his eyes grew large and his mouth opened in marvel. "Whoa!"

"What is it?" Amemi inquired from behind. She pushed open the door beside her brother. When she saw what was inside the room, her eyes and mouth became the same as her brother. The only difference was she was smiling. "Wow!"

The room was about half the size of the entrance hall. The walls were lined with bookshelves containing various colors of books. Long windows with greenish curtains were situated on the walls at regular intervals. A golden fireplace was along one wall, and a series of writing tables were located on one side of the room.

Sora stepped inside and stared in awe at a large globe on the right side of the room. "This is cool! Don't you think so, Amy?"

There was only a happy laugh in return. Sora spun his head back. There was Amemi, spinning slowly about in the middle of the room. Her arms were open wide and she was smiling brightly. "This is _remarkable_!" she declared. "There are more books here than at the libraries back home added together!"

When he saw his sister so filled with joy, Sora had to smile himself. If there was one thing he enjoyed seeing more than happy endings, it was seeing his friends (and family) very pleased. He knew it meant their hearts were full of Light. That was a good thing — especially with Xehanort's Darkness still out there… somewhere.

Amemi started skipping along the shelves. "Here's '_Treasure Island_'," she announced. "And '_Alice In Wonderland_', '_The Legend of Sleepy Hollow_', '_The Ugly Duckling_'…. "

She stopped and cupped her hands together with glee. She pulled a reddish-brown book off the shelf and skipped over to a nearby lush, green chair. She plopped down in it and opened the book.

Wondering what she was reading, Sora marched over until he could see the book's title. The cover was a little faded and it had the drawing of a boy on it. "_Peter And Wendy_", it read. Sora had to shake his head. Even though he had never actually read that book, he had heard it was a good story.

Then again, he did not enjoy reading books in the first place. It just was not his thing.

With his sister preoccupied by the book she was reading, Sora marched over to a nearby writing table. He found Belle busy with what appeared to be a talking quill pen, a stack of paper, and a book. When he drew closer, Sora realized all three of them were living creatures. He assumed they were also among the castle's servants.

One of them was a blue, hard-cover dictionary with a red bookmark sticking out from the top, small, half-moon-shaped glasses, and orange pages. Another was a slender, beige quill with a long, black neck, and a pen-tip head. The third was a stack of papers with a red ribbon tying them together.

As Sora drew closer, he noticed the quill was writing down something on a piece of paper beside the stack of papers. The dictionary was speaking aloud as the quill wrote. He was not sure what the book was saying.

"Belle," Sora said as he approached.

Belle turned to look at the brown-haired Keyblade wielder. The quill, stack of papers, and dictionary all stared in surprise. "Don't be afraid," Belle reassured the three on the table. "He's a friend."

"I'm Sora," Sora introduced. He gestured to the green chair where his sister was reading. "That's my sister, Amy."

The quill grinned with a hint of anxiety. "I-It's n-nice to m-meet you," he said in a rather high-pitched voice. To Sora, he sounded like the turtle who had mocked Donald Duck in the dreams of _**The Country of The Musketeers**_. "I-I'm Le Plume."

"You can call me 'Crane'," the stack of papers said with a relieved smile.

"Webster's the name," the dictionary stated. "We are pleased, delighted, satisfied, and thrilled to make your acquaintance, young man."

Sora had to grin. Webster sounded a lot like Amemi's favorite superheroine. He also used large words, most of which the seventeen-year-old was completely unfamiliar with. Then again, it almost seemed as though all those words Webster had said meant the same thing… did they? He wasn't sure.

"What are you guys doing?" Sora inquired.

"We're helping Belle make a book," Crane explained.

"A storybook," Le Plume specified.

"It will be a pleasant, sensational, novel piece of literature," Webster concluded.

Sora crossed his arms. His face must have read "What does that mean?" since Webster added, "It will be a real page-turner."

Sora now gave a nod of comprehension. He turned to Belle. "What's it about?"

Belle smiled. "It's a surprise."

Sora sighed. He'd always had a difficult time waiting for surprises. His desire to know everything going on around him did not help in the least little bit.

Belle turned back to the book the three servants were helping write. "_When I get to know him, we'll find more things to say_," she said softly. "_One day I will reach him, there has to be a way_."

When the words entered his ears, Sora paused. Was this Belle's heart speaking? He wondered about that….

"_Everyone needs someone,_" Belle went on. "_He must need someone, too. When I get to know him better, here's what I will do. I'll read him stories from picture books all filled with wonder. Magic worlds where the impossible becomes the everyday. We'll find a mountain top and some moonbeams to sit under. I'll lead because I know the way_."

Sora felt the presence of a strong Light filling his senses. He wondered if his thoughts about the young woman's heart speaking were accurate.

"_So much to discover, I do it all the time_," Belle continued. "_I could live inside bright pages, where the words all rhyme. We will the slay dragons, that still follow him around. And he'll smile, yes, he'll smile, as his dreams leave the ground. Stories, and stories 'bout mermaids, kings, and sunken treasure. Magic worlds where the impossible becomes the everyday. I know a tiny place, just a dot, too small to measure. I'll take him there, I know the way._"

The Light filled Sora's mind. He watched as Belle wrapped up the finished book in some forest-green wrapping paper. "_Stories 'bout heroes who overcame their deepest sorrow. They'll put hope into his heart again. He'll cherish every day. He'll find a better world and the strength to face tomorrow. I'm sure that when he know the way, he'll want to stay_."

Belle finished by tying the wrapped book in a pinkish-red ribbon. Sora smiled, knowing her heart had been singing out. He knew what this meant. Belle was hoping for things to change for the best. It was a song of hope.

'_The Light within the Darkness…. _' Sora thought to himself.

Belle picked up the wrapped present and turned to Sora. "Would you please take this to him?"

Sora gave a nod. "Of course!"

He glanced over to Amemi. "Amy, I'm gonna go see the castle's master. Want to come along?"

Amemi closed her book and was on her feet in no time. "Yes!" she declared. "I still want to meet the rest of your friends in this world, Sora."

Sora stepped towards the exit. "Then, come on!"

The two raced each other out the door. Belle, Le Plume, Crane, and Webster all smiled and grinned at the sight.

* * *

It had not taken very long for Sora and Amemi to return to the entrance hall (and find it empty), head upstairs to the left, march down the West Hall, clobber a small group of Heartless on the way, and head up a short flight of stairs to a darkened corridor leading to the left.

Amemi kept her eyes peeled for trouble. The hallway looked completely inviting. In fact, the whole passage was filled with nothing but shadows and statues of gargoyles. _Fierce_-looking gargoyles, to be more specific. As the two headed down the corridor, she gulped with anxiety.

This was nothing like she had expected. True, the castle's entrance hall had felt gloomy upon arrival, the castle's servants were all tangible items, and there were a few Heartless here and there in the building's halls… yet, this single corridor seemed to give the place a whole new identity.

Amemi shivered and frequently rubbed her arms. It almost felt like she was stepping through a haunted house rather than a castle. She _hated_ haunted houses! Ghosts… vampires… goblins… zombies… they all made her feel scared.

For all she knew, this part of the castle could be haunted, too.

She stepped past a mirror, only to step back. The mirror was broken. Shards of glass laid strewn on the floor. The crunch she heard suddenly indicated she had stepped on one. With a nervous gulp Amemi looked around.

"Amy! Come on!"

That was when she spotted Sora waving her over from a faded-blue doorway at the end of the corridor. The handles on the door resembled a lion's snarling face. "I'm coming!" she called back in return.

Less than three seconds later, the two were standing side-by-side before the door. "What took so long?" Sora asked.

"This place is spooky," Amemi replied. She was still shivering with anxiety.

Sora shook his head and smiled. "This place is nothing like _**Halloween Town**_. You'd been screaming there."

"Hey!" Amemi frowned.

Sora shook his head a second time. He pulled open the doorway. "Come on! This is his room."

Sora strode into the room without any problems. Amemi shook her head. She still could not understand why her brother was so fearless. Nothing seemed to scare him — not anymore.

She walked through the doorway after him. One look at what was on the other side, and she froze. The entire room was filled with ruined furniture. Torn curtains… smashed dresses… banged up vases… even toppled cabinets lay strewn about.

As she wandered through, the sandy-headed girl's mind switched about as to what could have caused all this destruction. A Heartless? It seemed to be too large of a mess for one Heartless. Maybe… three Heartless? It looked more like two hundred had been in there. With their sharp claws….

Amemi grabbed the table she had just bumped into. She hastily righted it. With a sigh of relief, she looked around for Sora. She could not see much in the poorly-lit room. "Sora?" she called in a soft voice. It came out more like a squeak.

That was when it caught her eye. Amemi spun around. There was a damaged portrait of someone. She paused for a moment and took a closer look. The portrait appeared to be of a young man sporting long, brown hair, and bluish eyes. They were dressed in a light-blue uniform with golden lining. Amemi squinted her eyes to see it. Due to the tears in the canvas, it was difficult to make out the whole painting. Not to mention, the frame was bent badly on the right side and the whole thing was titled at an angle.

She raised her arm and grabbed a piece of the torn canvas. She was starting to raise it back into place when bright glow from nearby snatched her attention. She swung her body around and stared at a small, stone table near the far wall. A glass window-door was situated beyond it, leading out to a balcony with a stone railing (of course it would).

'_What is that?_' Amemi found herself being drawn towards the glow, which she now realized was a pinkish color. She stepped closer and closer.

When she reached the table, the sandy-haired girl found out that the glow was coming from a floating rose kept inside a glass lid. There was a bluish mirror beside it. She noticed the present also sitting on the table, indicating Sora had already delivered it.

Amemi's eyes were totally on the rose. Why was it floating? Curiosity filled her mind as quickly as it would for Curious George. She carefully placed her hands onto the lid and lifted it off. She placed it onto the floor beside the table. Her eyes remained glued to the rose….

She reached out her hand to touch the hovering plant. Just as she was about to do so, a swiftly-moving silhouette rushed by her eyesight. She stepped back a little when a giant creature appeared before her. To Amemi's shock and alarm, it was a gigantic, top-heavy animal-looking creature with thick, brown fur, dark-brown bull-like horns, sharp fangs and claws, huge, paws, and a long, bushy tail. The creature also possessed blue eyes. In addition, it also was wearing a torn, purple cape and dark-blue pants.

Amemi found herself jumping back a few feet with the creature grabbed the glass lid and slammed it back onto the rose. The creature glared at the sandy-headed teenager. Amemi screamed in panic. "Sora, _**help**_!" she yelled. "It's a **monster**!"

In one enormous leap, Sora landed between the two. His Keyblade was in hand and he was scowling. Amemi felt her fear rush through her body as she saw her brother facing the ferocious-looking creature.

One look at the creature, and Sora paused in surprise. This was not a monster — not to him, at least. He stood up all the way and smiled. With a wave, Sora declared, "Hey, Beast! Long time, no see!"

In that split second, Amemi felt her heart skip a beat. She could not believe her eyes, let alone her ears.

* * *

**A/N: SHEESH! WHAT A SUDDEN ENDING!**

**So, I suppose you want to know what happens next, am I correct? Well, that shall have to wait until after Chapter 26 is completed. Please Stay Tuned!**

**I am sure you can most-likely tell what Disney movie this world is based on. Disney's "_Beauty And The Beast (1991)_" was the original inspiration for _THE BEAST'S CASTLE_.**  
**Yet, for This Story, the story's source actually comes from Disney's "_Beauty And The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)_". Why not? This Story DOES take place during the Holiday Season!**

**Now then, I wanted to point out a few things.**  
**(1.) We finally saw what became of the Beagle Boys! How about THAT?**  
**(2.) Yes, yes, I had Sora and the others playing a game of _UNO_! I had that in the back of mind from the time I started laying out this entire story.**  
**(3.) Le Plume, Crane, and Webster are actually from "_Belle's Magical World_ _(1998)_".**  
**(4.) Yes, Amemi was shown reading "_Peter And Wendy_". I read that book not too long ago myself. It was good, yet I still prefer the Disney Version of "_Peter Pan_".**  
**(5.) I was going for a dark, dramatic scene with Amemi's initial reaction to the Beast's Room and the Beast himself. I ended up mirroring the scene where Belle first walked into that same room.**  
**(6.) Stay Tuned For Chapter 26!**  
**(7.) Please Check Out The POLL On My Profile Page!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - 240 REVIEWS ARE REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF THIS HAPPENS, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET! THIS STORY IS SCHEDULED TO HAVE AT LEAST 70 CHAPTERS!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	26. Ch26 - 'As Long As There's Christmas'

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: **

**SORALEGO278: HEY THERE! HI THERE! HO THERE! YOU'RE AS WELCOME AS CAN BE! D-I-S-N-E-Y W-O-R-L-D!**  
**So, you want to know the reason why I sang that to open This Chapter? I AM AT DISNEY WORLD THIS WEEK!**

**MICKEY MOUSE: Congratulations! You've just witnessed my favorite song!**

**SORALEGO278: Being down here, I was able to request Mickey Mouse make a VERY SPECIAL appearance for This Chapter. That is why he is here with me - today!**

**MICKEY MOUSE: Hiya, everybody! Welcome to Chapter 26 of "_Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_"!**

**SORALEGO278: Thank You So Very Much, Mickey Mouse! To start off, I wanted to give a few minutes of silence for the late Scottish actor, Alan Young. He was not only the one who played the character, Wilbur Post, on the Classic TV Series, "_Mister Ed_", he was also the voice of Hiram Flaversham in Disney's "_The Great Mouse Detective (1986)_".**  
**Yet, I personally will always remember him as the voice of Donald Duck's uncle, Scrooge McDuck. After all, Scrooge was also born in Scotland. His only appearance with a voice-over in the KH Series was in "_Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep_" back in 2010.**  
**The sudden appearance of the newsflash I saw about this shocked me. Back in 2009, I looked up the actor for Scrooge for the first time****. I was keeping track of Alan Young and his work with Disney ever since then. Now, he's gone. It... it's kind of a mixed feeling...**

**MICKEY MOUSE: Ya mean... Donald's uncle's actor is gone now?!**

**SORALEGO278: Yes, Mickey. I know I will miss him. I do not believe anyone could ever replicate Alan Young's outstanding performance as that beloved animated character - not even if Disney decides to go through with making a/the reboot of "DuckTales". _Please Rest. In. Peace, Alan Young. (Wednesday, November 19TH, 1919 TO Thursday, May 19TH, 2016)_ Your Legacy shall live on. -GIVES SEVERAL MINUTES OF SILENCE-**

**MICKEY MOUSE: It's so sad. I wonder how Donald is taking this?**

**SORALEGO278: ...I have no idea. Either way, I want to dedicate a later chapter of This Story to Alan Young. I might actually have 2 or even 3 Chapters where I can do that. I shall have to determine which one will serve best.**

**MICKEY MOUSE: Welp, that's all up to you! I'll let you handle that!**

**SORALEGO278: For those of you who have not noticed, I have posted a new story online; "_Once Upon A Time ~The Darkest Age~_". It currently has ZERO Reviews! Like I stated in that story's latest chapter (Chapter 3), the story will NOT continue unless at least 7 [(SEVEN)] Review(s) have been posted anywhere in those first few Chapters!**  
**For anyone who REALLY LIKES "_Once Upon A Time_", please check it out! And provide some review(s) if you can!**

**MICKEY MOUSE: Really? I haven't read that story. I'll be sure to tell Minnie and Daisy all about it! They seem to like "_Once Upon A Time_"!**

**SORALEGO278: Glad to hear it! Since this is the Second Chapter for the world of THE BEAST'S CASTLE, here is a piece of TRIVIA for you!**  
**DID YOU KNOW? The actor who voiced the character Forté in the movie this world's story is based on was Tim Curry. He is best known for playing the roles of various villains. In addition to "_Beauty And The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997)_", he also played the villain in Disney's "_The Three Musketeers (1993)_", Disney's "_Muppet Treasure Island (1996)_", and I have also seen him play the villain in the Non-Disney movie, "_Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992)_". I saw him play a positive character in the movie, "_Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey (2012)_".**

**MICKEY MOUSE: Well... I've never heard of him!**

**SORALEGO278: Maybe not, yet Mickey... I wanted to ask you (again), where's your Keyblade? ******

**MICKEY MOUSE (Stares in question): Huh? Gosh... that's a good question!**

**SORALEGO278: True enough. For everyone else out there, if you have not seen the POLL on my Profile Page, PLEASE CHECK IT OUT! There is a 97% Chance it will affect something(s) in regard(s) to the rest of "_Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_"! In fact, one of the choices might appear in the next Disney-based world in This Story!**

**MICKEY MOUSE: I'll be sure to check it out!**

**SORALEGO278: So, without further ado, IT IS TIME FOR CHAPTER 26 TO COMMENCE! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW \- ALIKE!**

**MICKEY MOUSE: Yup! I'll see ya all at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 26**  
**"****As Long As There's Christmas…**** "**

The castle did not seem as spooky now, but the shadow-filled hallways still made Amemi feel a tad anxious. As she followed her brother down the corridors, she had the feeling there was something especially peculiar about this fortified home.

Her mind was going over all the things she had seen after arriving. First, all the castle's servants were items. Secondly, the castle's master was a beast, which happened to be his name (as far as Sora had informed her, that is). Now, she was pondering over the portrait in the torn room. It had been an illustration of a young man of some sort. He had been human.

She wondered why the Beast had possessed such a portrait. The only human she had seen in _this_ place was Belle. Her thoughts turned into memories as she recalled how shocked she had been when Sora had introduced her to the Beast. The last thing she had foreseen was her brother being friends with someone as monster-looking as the castle's master. She had gulped and held her breath when Sora had urged her to shake hands with the Beast.

That was where things had seemed to change before her eyes. When she had stared directly into the Beast's eyes, she had seen someone who was hesitant and terrified as she had been. This had helped her stop trembling — a _little_. When the Beast had inquired why Sora was there, the latter had explained how the Heartless were up to no good once more. To Amemi's surprise, the Beast had seemed eager to help eradicate the enemies from the castle's premises. It had been Amemi who had suggested checking in with Donald and the others downstairs.

That was what the sandy-haired teenager and her older brother were now doing at this very second. The Beast had remained in his room. Amemi had glanced back and seen the castle's master looking over his glowing, red rose. She was _still_ curious about what made that particular rose so precious. After all, he _did_ keep underneath a glass cover.

Amemi and Sora were now rushing down the West Hall. As they passed through the enormous corridor, Amemi took notice of the many suits of shiny armor lined on either side of the hall. It almost felt like the helmets were turning to see them as the two proceeded along. Amemi shook it out of her mind.

Still… she had the strange sensation this castle was under some type of enchantment. She had seen several bizarre and unnatural things happen during her adventures with her brother. Could it be possible? She did not know, and she was sure her brother did know. All she had to do now was make him tell her.

The two reached the humungous, gloomy entrance hall. They swept their eyes around the room. The area was deserted. Aside from a few claw marks on the walls and columns below, there was not a trace of the Heartless. Then again, there was no trace of Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, or the servants. Not even Belle was in sight.

"Where'd everyone go?" Sora asked. His voice started to echo about the empty room.

Amemi shrugged. Before she could say anything in reply, a strange smell caught her attention. She swung her gaze to the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder. "Do you smell something… strange?"

Sora sniffed the air himself. "Yeah," he admitted. "Smells like the smoke from a bonfire on the beach."

The two froze in an instant. _**Smoke**_?! That could mean only _**one**__ thing_.

They raced down the stairs to the first floor. They traced the scent of smoke to a specific doorway. To Amemi, Sora looked both curious _and_ worried. Apparently, this was one of the rooms he had never been through before.

Sora pushed the doors open. The two stepped inside what happened to be a kitchen. A red tiled floor spread out before them. A handful of countertops were located a few feet apart and spread out across the room. Brooms were busy sweeping and mops were washing down the tiled floor.

At one countertop, the two siblings found Cogsworth pulling double-duty. He was helping Mrs. Potts and Lumiére inspect a line of china dishes that were washing themselves. At the same time, he was giving orders to a nearby Goofy and Launchpad. The knight and pilot were gathered beside a stove with a thin pillar of smoke coming out.

"What happened?" Sora questioned.

"We had a little ack-see-dent," Goofy replied.

Amemi tilted her head a tad. She looked to her brother for an explanation. "What did he say?" she inquired.

"He means they had an _accident_," Sora clarified.

Amemi gave a nod of acknowledgement. She turned to the two and folded her arms. "What did you do?"

That was when Donald came storming into the room. His webbed feet stomped loudly on the tiled floor. He pointed his right index finger at Launchpad and Goofy as though he was the lawyer, Benjamin Matlock, accusing the current witness of lying. "They almost caused a _fire_ in here!" he snapped.

"Gawrsh! We was only tryin' ta bake some of them yummy Christmas cookies," Goofy explained.

Launchpad held up a tray of scorched, circular ashes. "And they would've had lots of M&amp;Ms in them…. "

Amemi gave a sigh. She caught a glimpse of Sora shaking his head through her peripheral vision.

"And they burned a whole batch earlier," Cogsworth added. He sounded like someone presenting new evidence to the police at a crime scene. "They might've ruined the oven."

Sora placed his hands into the air as though trying to distance himself from the situation. "Guys, give it a break," he complained. "We have more important things to deal with."

"Yes," Amemi approved. She gestured all around the room. "I want to know why no one here is getting ready for Christmas."

That was when Belle and Chip came into the room; Chip was standing firmly in Belle's right hand. "Sora!" the tiny teacup declared. "Do you think the Master will like his gift?"

Sora shrugged. "I dunno."

"Do you know anything?" Amemi teased.

Sora frowned at his sister. "Hey!"

The two smiled and started to laugh. Even Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad burst out laughing. It ended up spreading to Lumiére. Then Mrs. Potts, Chip, and Belle. Once he realized everyone else was laughing, Cogsworth grinned and started to laugh in turn.

Chip stopped laughing long enough to ask, "So, does this mean we're gonna have a Christmas?"

"Absolutely _**not**_!" Cogsworth stated in a strong, firm voice. He scowled so much, everyone forced themselves to stop laughing.

"Why not?" Donald inquired.

"Out of the question," Cogsworth stated. He threw his hands to the sides as though pushing something on either side. "Not a chance. Dream on. Not any possibility. Forget it!"

"Come on," Sora urged. Cogsworth remained stubborn. He did not even acknowledge Sora. This made the young man sigh.

Lumiére shook his head. "Get with the spirit!" he said, trying to embrace the clock. "Unwind."

Cogsworth broke free from the candelabra. He lost his balance and tumbled onto the floor at Launchpad's feet. The duck-pilot was so startled, he dropped the tray of ruined cookies. The contents fell and smashed against the back of Cogsworth's head.

"Heh, heh… sorry about that," Launchpad anxiously chuckled.

Amemi folded her hands together. She made her eyes look as desperate as she could. "Please?"

"Come on, love, have a heart," Mrs. Potts encouraged.

"Yeah," Goofy approved.

Cogsworth looked like he was trapped in a boxing corner. Nonetheless, he sounded as stubborn as before. "No, no, and let me think… _**no**_! This is where I put my foot down."

"But… _why_?!" Sora asked.

Cogsworth did not face the brown, spikey-headed youth. "The Master has forbidden it!"

This brought out a series of shocked gasps from Sora and his teammates. Amemi was nearly speechless. Christmas was _**not**_ _**allowed**_?! What kind of a place _**was**_ this?! Forbidding such a major holiday was like forcing everyone to behave and act the same. It just was not done. Amemi just could not understand why anyone would want to like _**that**_!

Belle shook her head. "Forbid Christmas? No one can forbid Christmas."

"He doesn't wish to be reminded of his past, and Christmas is a most painful reminder of it," Cogsworth stated. "I, for one, do not wish to torture him."

A curious Goofy looked down at the clock. "Uh… what happened?"

There was no answer from the clock. This made Amemi feel as curious as a certain, little monkey she had heard about. What kind of terrible event could have taken place on Christmas to make the Beast mark it as a prohibited holiday?

Belle set Chip down onto the counter beside Mrs. Potts. She crossed her arms. "I, for one, think that a little Christmas cheer would do him some good."

"Yeah," Sora shouted in agreement. He looked over the others. Once he was sure he had their undivided attention, he continued. "How 'bout it? What happened back then was then."

"It would definitely brighten the mood," Amemi indicated. "This place is already spooky enough."

Lumiére smiled. "The girls are right. It is up to us to do something."

Cogsworth shook his head. He scowled at Lumiére. "It's not our place to get involved. No, no, no, no! We just _can't_ mind our own business, can we? We just have to stick our weight where it _doesn't_ belong."

Amemi rolled her eyes. Based on what she had just witnessed, it appeared Cogsworth and Lumiére were two individuals who could _**never**_ get along well, let alone agree on anything. They were complete opposites. Just like Sora and Riku.

"Pish paush," Mrs. Potts shook her head and frowned at Cogsworth. "I think it's a _wonderful_ idea."

"But the master doesn't want it," Cogsworth stated. "His castle… his rules."

Sora opened his mouth to speak. "That's a terrible excuse," Amemi stated before he could. "It's not fair to everyone."

"_She's right!"_ a group of crystal-clear wine glasses complained from the countertop. "It's not fair!"

Cogsworth snorted at the glasses. "Don't whine, glasses."

"_Sorry."_

Mrs. Potts gave a very deep, deep sigh. "Look at us, squabbling and bickering, breaks my heart to see it, it does. And we used to be at our very best at Christmas."

Now Donald had that same curious look the sandy-headed girl had had earlier. "Did you open lots of presents?"

"Sort of," Cogsworth muttered, his arms crossed.

"We used to prepare a feast for the whole castle," Lumiére recollected. "Ah, you could have some stuffed turkey…. "

"Cranberry sauce," Mrs. Potts added. "Short-bread cookies!"

"Mince pies…. "

"Pecan toast, gravy…. "

"And Christmas pudding!"

"Yummy!" Goofy declared. He rubbed his stomach as his long tongue licked his lips. Amemi could tell he was thinking about all the different kinds of foods the two servants had been talking about.

After the mention of the word "pudding", Cogsworth uncrossed his arms. He looked delighted. "Pu-pu-pudding? With custard?"

Lumiére frowned at the clock. "What do you think we are? Barbarians? Of _course_ with custard! And… and all those things you like!"

Now Launchpad was also licking his lips. Only Donald looked annoyed at the sight. He smacked his right hand against his forehead. Amemi had to shake her head. She saw Sora doing the same, only he was trying not to laugh.

Cogsworth sighed. It appeared his defensive wall had been knocked down by the mentioning of "pudding". "Oh… um… oh, all right."

This brought out cheers from the others. Amemi had to smile. The sight of seeing all the castle's servants filled with excitement made her feel good. Actually, just seeing others full of joy gave her joy. It was a win-win. Everyone would be happy.

"Keep it down," Cogsworth tried to hush everyone. "If the Master finds out about this, he will be furious."

Sora nodded. He put an index finger up to his already closed mouth. Amemi gave a nod. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all shushed each other; Donald did it the loudest. They all knew the Beast would only try to disrupt and, possibly, destroy everything they would have put together.

At least… that was how Amemi comprehended it.

Launchpad glanced at his digital watch. "Well, according to my twenty-four hour clock, it's… midnight."

Amemi checked her cellular phone. She shook her head. "No, it's almost noon."

Cogsworth leapt in alarm. "Good heavens! We don't have much time! It's Christmas Eve!"

"I'll see to the dinner," Mrs. Potts announced. She hopped over to the cupboards and started giving orders.

Lumiére hobbled away. "I'll get some mistletoe."

Amemi looked around the rather dark kitchen. "We need to brighten this castle. Where are the curtains?"

"We don't need curtains," Lumiére said as he reversed direction and hobbled over to the sandy-haired girl. "I know someone who will help."

"Who is that?" Sora asked as he picked up the candelabra.

Lumiére pointed to the door. "She's right this way!"

Sora shrugged and headed for the door leading back to the entrance hall. Amemi was seconds behind. Donald was next, followed by Goofy and Launchpad. Belle speedily joined them, Chip in hand.

Cogsworth nearly panicked when he saw them leave. "Now, now, wait for me. _I'm_ in charge here. _**I'm**_ in charge!"

He looked around the now-deserted kitchen. With a gasp, he hurried for the doorway. "Wait for me!"

* * *

"Got it!" the tallest Beagle Boy declared. He held the red ball in his hand with pride.

"No fair!" the shortest one snapped. He pointed out a small, silver jack that had been left on the floor. "You _cheated_!"

The two started to argue with each other. This made the third Beagle Boy lower his comic book and groan. Since they had been waiting for a little while, the three had finally decided to keep themselves busy. The other two had started playing a game of jacks while the third one was trying to read a colorful comic book.

He looked at the current page. The story was about a mouse wizard named "Mickey" entering a magical tournament with his allied wizards, "Donald" and "Goofy". Their team in the tournament was called "_**The Wizards of Mickey**_". A small, green dragon named "Fafnir" was constantly tagging along with "Donald". For some reason, the story seemed rather familiar….

"You three!" an unmistakable voice shouted from across the enormous room. The Beagle Boys all froze and looked up. There was the face of the large pipe-organ across the chamber. They gulped, remembering who this was.

Forté — this castle's court composer.

"I need you to do a little 'spying' for me," Forté told them. "It appears someone new is in the castle, and I need to know whatever it is they are up to."

The Beagle Boys gulped, unsure what to say. Just one look at the talking piano made them extremely anxious. Now he wanted them to do something that might be dangerous?

"Uh," the first Beagle Boy gulped. "I don't know…. "

"We need time to… think things through," the second Beagle Boy added.

"Yeah," the third Beagle Boy grinned. "Better safe than sorry… right?"

He glanced at the other two Beagle Boys. They nodded in agreement. This was not the reaction Forté wanted. He tried to lean to the right towards the window. "Oh… well, I suppose I will just pick myself up and…. "

He stopped midsentence. "Oh, what's this? Oh heavens!" He glowered at the Beagle Boys. "_I'm_ _**bolted**__ to the_ _**wall**_!"

The Beagle Boys huddled together, quivering in fright. When Forté saw this, he snorted his disapproval at them. "And you want a second chance to redeem yourselves…. How pathetic, really. It's no wonder why you failed."

Forté swept his eyes around the room. "Fife!"

At once, a small reddish-brown piccolo popped its head out. It gave a slightly-nervous salute. "Maestro Forté!"

"Fife," Forté grinned. "I believe you have what it takes. If you do as I ask, I have a little something for you."

A series of green musical notes came flowing across the room. The sight made the Beagle Boys think of a ghost, smoke, or maybe a combination of the two. The notes landed upon a locked chest. It unlocked, revealing a sheet of music specifically composed for a piccolo.

Fife wanted to cheer with glee. "Oh! I'd do _anything_ for a solo!"

"Yes, I know," an unamused Forté muttered. The chest locked shut. "Now then, in the midst of my masterpiece, I believe I sensed something 'different' about the castle."

His eyes landed on the small piccolo. "Perhaps, there is someone new in this world. Would mind having a little look-see?"

Fife agreed. "Yes, Maestro!" He paused. "Do you think it could be Belle?"

His eyes lit up. "Hey, maybe if she falls in love with the Master, the spell will be broken and we'll be human again."

The very mention of "human again" was plenty to make Forté slam on his keys. He silenced them after a few seconds. It had been enough to make the Beagle Boys and Fife jump.

"Trust me, Fife," Forté declared. "Humanity is entirely over-rated. Before the enchantment, there was no need for my particular brand of genius. But now, the Master needs my melodies to feed his tormented soul. I am his confident and his best friend… and I won't let some _peasant_ girl or her friends _**ruin**_ it for me!"

Fife gave a deep, audible gulp. He nodded and hopped away and out the door.

* * *

Sora was trying to keep himself steady. The stone steps in the tower were not in the best shape. Some of them were so old, they were wearing down. He believed it was called "erosion". Still, the steps were not easy to walk over.

The tower was dark and a little musty. An occasional cobweb came into view around the next turn. Fortunately, all of them were abandoned. Sora knew his sister would have hated to walk straight into a spider's web. A scream would have echoed about the tower. It might have drawn the Beast's attention, ruining all hope of trying to prepare for the Christmas party.

Thank goodness Amemi was _behind_ him. Next in line were Donald, Goofy, and last was Launchpad. Belle was directly ahead with Chip in her hand. Lumiére was still in his right hand. To illuminate the way, Sora held the candelabra up high.

"…_One thousand one_…_ one thousand two_…_ one thousand three_," Chip counted the steps. He sighed. "…Are we there yet?"

Belle sighed. "Not yet."

Amemi took a deep breath. "There sure are lots of stairs here. Are you sure they don't lead to nowhere?"

"Yep," Chip said from Belle's hand. "…_One thousand seven_… _one thousand eight_… _one thousand nine_…. "

The group reached a wooden door at the top of the stairs. Sora noticed Goofy was panting like a dog. His tongue was hanging out his mouth and he was hunched down low. This sight made the spikey-haired young man shake his head.

Belle pushed the door open and stepped inside. Sora led his teammates after her. To their surprise, the tower's attic was a darker room. Only a single window provided any light. A number of cardboard boxes were piled together on the floor, mainly along the curved walls of the circular room.

Amemi slid her right hand across the cardboard box closest to her. A thin layer of dust filled her palm when she looked at it. "It's very musty in here," she commented, giving a slight cough.

Donald took a sweep of the attic. "Yeah," he agreed, folding his arms.

"Kinda dusty," Goofy indicated.

Launchpad took a sniff and unleashed a sneeze. A small cloud of dust picked up for a few seconds before it faded. "I may not be allergic to pepper, but dust makes me sneeze."

This comment made Sora shake his head, again. The duck-pilot had seemed to be someone who would give little, unneeded information at times. This apparently was one such time.

"Hello?" Belle called as she walked around the space. "Hello?"

Sora turned his eyes to Lumiére. "Who're we looking for?"

Lumiére did not answer the seventeen-year-old Keyblader. Instead, he held his right candle to his mouth and said, "Do not be afraid mis ami. It is I, Lumiére, who has come to pay you a little visit."

"Lumiére?" a voice said. Before Sora and the others could react, a Christmas angel poked its head out from a nearby trunk hidden amongst the boxes. She had rosy cheeks and short, blue eyes, and short, golden hair. She had a sparkling, blue dress with a matching halo. Her wings were small, yet they gave some light. She climbed out of the trunk alongside several colorful ornaments.

Lumiére grinned from where he was being held by Sora. "Angelique…. "

The candelabra hopped out of Sora's grip and hobbled over to the waiting angel. The latter opened her arms wide with a large smile. "Ah, Lumiére, _finally_!" she said. "I thought we were to be locked away in this dusty attic forever."

Lumiére took her into his arms. "Ah, Angelique, mon amour. Your eyes are still so lovely after all these years…. "

Angelique broke free. "Lumiére, please, you'll tarnish the halo."

Sora shook his head. He had seen this scene played a little too many times on television. One of the show where it happened the most was the one about a car mechanic who loved dating girls. He knew his sister _hated_ that show. He never cared for anything in it. Having seen enough, Sora cleared his throat. "Lumiére?"

Lumiére sighed and gestured his flaming arms at Belle, Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. "Oh yes, this is Belle, and Sora, Donald, Goofy, and two others I can't remember the names of."

"The name's 'Launchpad McQuack'!" Launchpad proclaimed. "If it's got wings, I can _crash_ it!"

"My name's Amemi," Amemi introduced. "Sora's my brother."

Sora waved as he looked down at the angel. "Hiya!"

Belle smiled. "Pleased to meet you."

Lumiére gestured at his friend. "And this is Angelique. She is the castle decorator."

Goofy looked perplexed. "The castle 'demonstrator'?"

"The '_decorator_'!" Donald corrected with frustration in his voice. These mispronunciations were starting to get to him, again.

"What does a decorator do?" Launchpad inquired. He looked completely lost.

Sora shook his head. "I think they design things."

"They make and setup the designs for things," Amemi explained. Launchpad nodded in acknowledgement.

"You mean _was_ the castle decorator," Angelique stated. "I am not responsible for this baroque atrocity. When I was in charge, the castle was full of light and beauty…. "

Sora started to yawn. He was not in the mood to hear someone go on and on about the way things used to be. He had been to this castle a few times before. He knew all about the spell, the Enchantress, and the role everyone played in it.

He was well aware the castle had once been a bright, cheerful place before the spell came along. He could almost picture a shiny, white castle with reddish rooftops. A place where the sun's light shone through every window all day. A peaceful building where the heartless were absent.

He still wondered how long it would be until he could see it happen — the spell being broken. Or, at least, he could see the results after the spell was broken.

"Ah, but cherie, that is why we have come," Lumiére told Angelique. "We are planning the _greatest_ Christmas celebration ever!"

"Yeah!" Donald approved.

"It's gonna be great!" Sora grinned as he casually placed his hands behind his head.

All the ornaments cheered in turn. "_**Yay**_!"

Sora had the feeling everything would turn out well after all. It did not matter if the Beast was sure he could keep Christmas listed as a forbidden holiday. A major holiday like _**this**_ one also could serve as a symbol of hope! That was exactly what everyone in the castle needed the most — hope.

Angelique started frowning darker and darker. "No! Stop!" she hollered.

Everyone froze in an instant. This was the last thing they had anticipated from the Christmas angel. Then again, maybe this had something to do with Lumiére's approach? The candelabra _did_ appear to have a tricky time dealing with girls. He reminded Sora of that young man in the leather jacket from that one television show. He just wished he could remember what the show was called. What was it?

Lumiére looked shocked. "What is it, cherie?"

Angelique scowled at him. "Why do you raise my hopes?" she paused and gestured to all the ornaments gathered around her. "I mean, _their_ hopes — only to have them dashed? Well, no more."

The ornaments all turned away. To Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Amemi, they all looked very disappointed. Clearly, they had been stored away in this attic ever since the spell had been placed on the castle. All they wanted was to have something to do. Instead, their leader — the castle's decorator — wanted to have nothing to do with the Holiday Season.

"It's Christmastime," Goofy said.

"Yeah," Donald agreed (this made Sora and Amemi exchange looks of astonishment).

"With or without you," Sora added. "We're gonna have a celebration. There may be cake and ice cream."

He grinned at the thought of all the desserts they would be having after Christmas dinner. Hopefully the cake would be chocolate… with vanilla ice cream. He longed to have some more of it. Of course, if his sister requested Neapolitan — that was Amemi's favorite flavor — he would just have to grin and bear it.

"Ha, _**Christmas**_!" Angelique shouted. She turned away from the group. "I refuse to hope for it anymore. I will _**not**_ be disappointed again!"

"We will never get this place ready by tomorrow without you," Amemi said.

Angelique seemed to snort at the sandy-haired girl. She threw one of her arms into Amemi's direction and let it fall like she was saying "Whatever!". "But of course you can not," she declared. "Christmas takes planning and organization. No! No! I _won't_ do it! It _won't_ change anything!"

Belle shook her head and smiled. "I believe it will."

Sora crossed his arms and started to contemplate. Knowing how Belle was a "_Princess Of Heart_" (just like Kairi), he had the feeling her heart of pure Light was trying to shine out. By helping her restore Christmas to the castle, would he be helping her Light shine out for the world to see? Christmas was the time of year when the Light was at its strongest.

If he and Belle succeeded, this world's Light might end up being the strongest it had been in years. That would be an excellent thing.

He turned to Belle. "Any ideas? How can we convince Angelique to help us?"

Belle only smiled at the spikey, brown-headed Keyblader. Sora knew this meant she already had something in mind. The young woman kept her eyes on the ornaments and Angelique. "There is more to this time of year than sleigh bells and holly, mistletoe and snow," she told them. "Those things come and go much deeper than snow, stronger than the strongest love we'll know… we'll ever know…. "

The ornaments all looked curious. One of them tried to hobble closer to Belle, only to have an unimpressed Angelique give them such a scowl, they retreated back.

Belle strolled up to the window. She calmly pushed it open, allowing a cold gust of snowy wind to blow through the attic. Angelique squinted before looking up at the window.

As he felt the wind swirl around him, Sora did not shiver. Rather, he felt the presence of something warm and very comforting. It reminded him of the sensation he had gotten whenever the colorful wind back in _**Jamestowne**_ had blown. He wondered… was this the same?

Was he feeling the world's Light through this cold wind?

Belle started for the door. The ornaments followed her as she led them down the stairs. Sora followed suit, so Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were not far behind. Goofy grabbed Lumiére and Launchpad seized a startled Angelique.

"What are you doing?" Angelique complained as the pilot followed the others downstairs. "Stop, stop. Put me down! Put me down! _**Put me **__**down**_!"

Her pleas went ignored. As the group hurried through the castle corridors (being careful to check if the Beast was anywhere in sight, which he wasn't), Belle continued to sing aloud. "_As long as there's Christmas, I truly believe that __**Hope**__ is the greatest of the gifts we'll receive. As long as there's Christmas, we'll all be just fine. A star shines upon us, lighting your way and mine._"

It did not take long for the group to reach the castle's ballroom. They found Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and the other transformed servants busy setting up various Christmas decorations.

Cogsworth was also singing out loud. "_Just as long as there's Christmas, there will be Christmas pud_!"

He chuckled. "We are due for a party! Where on earth do we start?"

Chip was smiling with excitement at the snow outside. "We will build us a snowman that will reach up to the sky!"

When Angelique saw a handful of ornaments decorating a makeshift tree, she scoffed at the display. "Uh, this is ridiculous, everyone knows that the lights go on first."

Some of the ornaments grabbed her from Launchpad's closed fist and lifted her to the top of the makeshift tree. "I don't want to go all the way up there on the top!" she yelled.

When he saw Angelique scowling with her arms crossed from the top of the makeshift tree, Sora had to shake his head and smile. She looked just as annoyed as he used to whenever Riku beat him at the various races they had had over the years.

He closed his eyes and placed his hands behind his head. He started to rock back and forth as he thought about the last major race he and Riku had conducted. They had raced all the way to the star-shaped tree in the cove and back to where Kairi was judging the competition. It had all started because Riku had wanted to name the raft "_Highwind_" after his favorite videogame, and Sora had chosen the name "_Excalibur_" after the story of the legendary king he had come to enjoy when he was younger. Sora had suggested the winner would name the raft and be the vessel's captain. It was Riku had said, "The winner gets to share a Paupu with Kairi."

This had shocked Sora for the time being. Although he had won the race using a shortcut he had found (a recently-added zip-line), Riku had shaken his head. "Lighten up, man," the silver-haired youth had said. "It's just a name, after all!"

Boy! That had _**really**_ gotten under his skin! Sora had wanted to punch his friend in the face. If Kairi had not been standing less than five feet away, he might have done just that. This memory still remained in his mind to this day mainly because Sora knew he could laugh about it now. Just like his Mom had told him time and time again — one day, you will look back at those times when you struggled and laugh about the whole thing(s).

He did feel very silly knowing why he had gotten so upset with Riku. Especially since Riku now seemed to have a special girl friend of his own. Wait… was it Violet? Or that Niccole girl? Sora was still not sure. It almost appeared Riku was somewhere in the middle between the Angel of Dreams and the golden-haired young lady. He decided that was something he did not have to worry about. It was Riku's problem, not his.

Sora came back into focus in time to see the servants excitedly scurrying about the makeshift tree. Lumiére had hopped out of Goofy's hand and was helping out. Belle smiling at the stack of what the brown-headed seventeen-year-old Keyblader now realized was golden serving trays.

"_As long as there's Christmas I truly believe__ t__hat __**H**__**ope**__ is the greatest of the gifts we'll receive_," the servants were chanting.

"_There'll always be Christmas_," Belle called out. "_So there always will be a time__ when __the world is filled with peace and love__!_"

Chip leapt for joy. "We're going to have the _greatest_ Christmas _**ever**_!"

Belle had to smile. "Oh, I hope so, Chip."

Sora gave a nod of agreement. He _**really**_ hoped so.

An enormous crash seized everyone's attention. The makeshift tree had fallen over and all of the ornaments were scurrying away with excitement. Lumiére and Mrs. Potts were trying to gather them back to the mess. "You, on the left, you on the right, follow me," the candelabra called. "There is decorating to be done!"

Sora nodded and slapped the right of his chest with his fist. "We'll help!"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all nodded in turn. Amemi gave a wave and smiled to indicate her approval.

Cogsworth gave a nod at the group. "Yes, yes, but keep in mind — the master _mustn't_ find out!"

Sora and his teammates all gave nods of acknowledgement. They placed fingers to their mouths and nodded again. Cogsworth gave another nod. He hobbled away, muttering to himself. "Too much nodding, not enough talk…. "

No one took notice of the tiny piccolo peeking into the room from the entrance doorway. The instrument gave a sneaky grin and chuckled softly to itself. "_Ohhhhhh __**yes**_!" it whispered.

It then hurried away, closing the door behind.

* * *

"'**Christmas**'?!" the Beast roared so loudly, it echoed about the room. Thanks to the high ceiling, it seemed to rattle everything. The lampstands, the windows, even the fireplace seemed to rock a little. "She's planning _**Christmas**_?!"

"Yes," Forté replied from across the room. Even in the dim light, he could still make out the Beagle Boys cowering in the far corner where the castle's master could not see them. The moment the Beast had set foot in the room, the trio had decided to hide from what they had declared was "a terrible monster". He ignored them and kept his eyes pinned to the Beast. "Awful, isn't it?"

The Beast gave a discouraged sigh and plopped down in a lavish chair before the roaring blaze in the fireplace. "Perhaps she doesn't know how I feel about Christmas…. "

"But she _does_ know," Forté indicated. This seemed to make the Beast jump in complete shock. The composer then added, "She just doesn't care… like I do. She's actually trying to bring Christmas back to the castle… and you know much we despise Christmas."

The Beast scowled and looked at the flames. It seemed he had a terrible recollection going through his head at that particular minute. "The day my life ended…. "

Forté grinned. This was precisely what he had in mind. He started to play his favorite, solemn melody. "But we have come so far since then. We have… _risen_ above the tragedy."

The Beast snorted. He gritted his teeth so tightly, it looked like one of them might crunch apart. "I _hate_ Christmas."

"The music… helps?"

"Your music is the only thing that helps me forget."

Forté grinned all the more, even if it was just making his mask-like face appear darker. "Don't worry, old friend. I'm here for you, just as I have been, just as I always will be."

This seemed to help the Beast calm down. Following a loud sigh (it was more like a grunt), the castle's master turned into the direction of Forté. "Where _is_ she?"

"I believe she's gone to the boiler room," Forté responded. "Or so a little birdie told me."

Fife poked his head out from behind the pipe organ. Although the Beast could not see him, he still gave a nervous chuckle. "He-he. Tweet, tweet, tweet."

The Beast about-faced and marched to the exit doorway. His footsteps seemed to echo all around. Forté retained his grin until he caught a glimpse of the Beagle Boys and Fife. The trio of hooded criminals and the piccolo were gathered in the same corner, scowling at each other. Fife spun around and snorted into the air.

This sight made Forté sigh deeply. "It's such a shame," he grumbled to nobody in particular. "Good help's so hard to find nowadays…. "

* * *

The boiler room was a rather dark, uninviting place. At least, that was the way Sora perceived it. The only light came from the enormous, red machine at the far end of the room. The walls were made of concrete stone. There was lots of hustle and bustle. Containers of wood were marching back and forth through the open doorway. The wood was dropped off at an axe block, where an axe was chopping it in half. The pieces of chopped wood were then delivered into the fiery furnace.

As Sora stepped inside with Belle and Amemi, a voice shouted, "Hey, hey, hey! Get out of the way! We're working here!"

The three spun around and hastily stepped to the side as a wheelbarrow of wood driven by an angry oil can rushed past. "Oh, excuse me," Belle said.

Sora shook his head. To him, everyone in the room was probably overworked and very, very grouchy. Kind of like Donald. He saw the axe giving out strict orders, which also reminded him of the duck mage.

"All right you guys," the Axe commanded. "Now get back to work. The castle doesn't heat itself you know! Oy!"

Amemi shook her head. She glanced at Sora. "Since when do castles have internal heating?" she inquired in a whisper.

Sora shrugged. His sister did seem to have a valid point. After all, castles supposedly were cramped, dark fortresses. The only times people tended to live in them was during the winter or when the town(s) was/were under siege… whatever that meant. He honestly did not understand how this particular castle had its own, unique heating system. Then again, maybe it was because the building was enchanted?

The Axe took notice of the group standing in the doorway. When he turned to them, he said, "So, what can I do you for?"

"We're looking for a log," Belle explained. Sora and Amemi both nodded. Of course, they were after a special type of log. Sora knew all about it… sort of…. It was just another boring Christmas tradition as far as _he_ was concerned.

"All right. Logs we got," the Axe declared. He hopped into a pile of wood beside the chopping block. "We've got hard word, soft wood… we got it all — birch, maple, pine, oak, _oy_!"

The Axe stood up from the pile. He seemed to be in a daze. "_Concrete_, my head! Don't worry, it'll pass."

He shook his head (which seemed to pretty much be his entire body) and gazed at the group. "So make up your mind already!"

'_He's sounds rude_!' Sora thought to himself. He noticed Amemi seemed to be thinking the same thing. She was standing there with her arms crossed and a frown on her face.

Belle approached a nearby wood pile. "Is it all right if we just browse?" she questioned.

The Axe seemed to shrug. "Suit yourself. Take your time. Me, I got work to do."

Sora and Amemi strolled up to the same wood pile and started looking through the various types of logs in it. Many of them seemed to be dead, dry wood. Some of them contained abandoned cobwebs. Amemi found one with a sticky web and had to shake it off her hand; she had a disgusted look written all over her face. To sight made Sora secretly grin.

Through the corner of his eye, the brown, spikey-haired youth saw Donald stepping into the room. He was wiping some of the sweat off his forehead as though the room's temperature was irritating his feather. "Phew!" he gasped for air.

The tool-like workers threw in another pair of log pieces into the furnace. All of a sudden, the boiler started to shake and expand like it was overloaded. Everyone stopped and stood back to watch what was happening. When Donald saw the boiler, he gulped and tugged at his collar before rushing behind a pile of wood. Sora could tell the duck assumed the boiler was about to explode.

_**Explode**_?! Sora saw Amemi was staring at the boiler in alarm. The machine _**did**_ look like it was going to blow apart at any second! Sora was about to grab his sister and duck down with her when a whistle went off and a large amount of steam escaped the boiler. The machine started to cool off. Everyone let out a sigh of relief, even Amemi did.

Sora started to laugh when he saw a worried Donald sticking his head out to see what was going on. Sora covered his mouth. Donald scowled at the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder. "I _knew_ I heard something!" he stated.

Through his peripheral vision, Sora saw Amemi secretly laughing at Donald, too.

"Hey, what am I paying you for?" the Axe yelled at the other workers. "Being _boring_? Do that on your own time."

"Yes!" Belle said with excitement. Sora and Amemi watched as she pulled out a solid log with its bark still attached. Donald strolled up and folded his arms when he saw what Belle was holding.

"It's a log," the duck indicated. He sneezed when Belle blew the dust off the piece of wood and it ended up in his nose. This made Sora and Amemi laugh louder. Donald was about to snap at them when a loud series of footsteps came from the hallway outside the door. "A Heartless?"

"Maybe," Sora said. "Let's get the jum—!"

Before Sora could finish his sentence, the Beast barged into the room. Belle swiftly hid the log behind her back and gave an innocent smile. Sora, Amemi, and Donald all grinned.

The Beast swept his eyes across the group. When he saw the group's innocent looks, he raised an eyebrow. "What are you hiding?" he demanded to know.

No one spoke. Donald started to whistle the sailor's song he had learned in while in the navy. Sora knew how it went and started humming along. Amemi started to move her hands to the beat like she was conducting an orchestra.

The Beast now looked puzzled, yet still _very_ suspicious. Since Belle was the only one not taking part in the music, he raced around her and swiped the log from behind her back. He looked completely baffled and bewildered. Why was Belle hiding a log from him?

"It's a Yule log," Belle said.

The Beast looked totally lost. "Huh?"

"A Yule log."

"A holiday tradition," Amemi explained. "You choose a log. Everyone touches it and makes their wish for Christmas."

The Beast snorted. "Wishes are stupid," he stated.

"No, they _aren't_!" Amemi shouted before Sora could stop her. "You need to believe to make them come true!"

The Beast stomped towards the door. "You made a Christmas wish last year," he told Belle. He spun around and spoke in such a loud voice, it echoed like it was a roar. "Is _**this**_ what you wished for?!"

Belle closed her eyes. Sora thought he could see a tear sliding down her cheek. "No," she replied. She reopened her eyes and frowned at the Beast. "But I'll keep on wishing."

"We _all_ will," Amemi agreed. "And we'll start with bringing Christmas to this gloomy castle!"

"There will be no Christmas," the Beast stated.

"But," Sora started to say. "What about—?"

"**NO**!" the Beast's roar was much louder. So loud, Sora had to cover his ears for the first time since he had met the castle's master back in _**Hollow Bastion**_. "_**I**_ am the master here!"

Amemi pointed her right index finger accusingly at the Beast. "You are so _**selfish**_! I've seen people on television act mean and cruel, but you… you've gone above and beyond!"

Sora covered his face with his hands. Now his little sister had gotten deeply involved with something that was not her problem. She had instead made it her problem. If only she had known the castle's Master as long as _he_ had. The Beast was not as heartless as she claimed. He was fearless. He might have given up his own life just to save Belle from Maleficent. That had given Sora enough courage to be willing to face Riku and save Kairi — even after Donald and Goofy had left him.

If only his sister could see the strong, caring person the Beast was inside. If only she could….

The Beast gave an extremely deep sigh. "You cannot possibly understand. You have no idea what it's like to lose everything, to be trapped in your own castle, to be a… a…. "

Belle looked straight at the Beast. "A prisoner?" she asked.

The Beast grunted in return. Belle looked away for a moment. "The only one holding up prisoner here is you," she said, turning back. "Well, _I'm_ not giving up."

"And _neither_ will we," Sora said. He had finally decided it was time to step in. Even if Amemi had already gotten involved a little _too_ much, he was not about to watch the Beast treat Belle like she was a slave… well, that probably was the wrong choice of words. What else could he say that would mean the same thing? Detainee? Captive? Hostage? Recidivist? Wait… was that a real word? He had no clue where it had come from.

Belle stormed out of the room without making much noise. Sora and Amemi were not too far behind. Donald stepped out from behind another wood pile and hurried to keep up. "What was _that_ all about?" the duck magician asked.

Sora shook his head. "Please, don't ask."

He glanced back to see the shocked and dismayed Beast slowly marching up to the furnace.

* * *

The castle seemed rather quiet and gloomier than before. As they walked down the halls, Amemi thought she saw a gargoyle statue or two watching her every move. The enormous, shadow-filled corridors made feel rather anxious. The sounds of her footsteps echoing a little down the hallway ahead could be heard. The argument with the Beast was still replaying in her mind.

She had been shocked when Sora had stood by and let the Beast shove Belle around with his commands. She had felt it was necessary to leap in and insist it was wrong. This had resulted in quite the spat between the two. Yet, it seemed that had only made things worse. Now, it appeared Christmas would be cancelled in this world. She felt a little guilty.

As she followed Sora and Donald down the giant, West Hall, Amemi thought she saw some of the suits of armor they passed turning to face her. When she looked back, the armor was motionless and looking straight ahead. She paused in question.

First, the castle's gloomy state had gotten her attention. Second, the castle's servants were all household items. Third, the castle's Master was a beast. Fourth, it felt like she was being watched as they proceeded down the hallways. It almost felt like this place was something straight out of a lost fairy tale. What did these add up to? No… it was not ten.

There was something peculiar about this castle and everything and everyone inside it. She gazed at Sora. He had been here before. Maybe… he knew what was going on? Why this place was so strange? She had to ask.

"Sora," Amemi said. "Why does this castle feel so… _peculiar_?"

Sora and Donald paused in their tracks. They turned around to face the sandy-headed girl. Sora gave a shy grin and started to scratch the side of her face with his finger. "Well… That's just the way it is. Some worlds seem strange because they're different than back home on the islands."

"Yeah," Donald speedily agreed, giving a large grin of his own. "Other worlds, other strange things."

The two spun back around and continued down the hallway. Amemi folded her arms. She was still unconvinced. Her brother and Donald were hiding something. She needed to know what it was. It definitely had something to do with this castle….

The group headed down the stairs leading into the castle's huge Entrance Hall. They stopped at the landing and proceeded through a set of doors. On the other side, Amemi was instantly taken in by the enormous, circular ballroom. Her mouth fell open and her eyes grew wide.

It had a C-shaped second floor with golden columns to hold it up. The floor seemed to be crafted from marble or slate with a design that appeared to be based on a carpet. The other end consisted of tall windows curving around. The lack of curtains allowed plenty of sunlight to stream in. The ceiling resembled a rotunda, similar in design to the inside of the dome for the mayor's office back home on the _**Destiny Islands**_. A painting depicting cherubim dancing in the clouds was situated directly in the center of the rotunda. A massive, golden chandelier was hanging from the middle of the ceiling. The whole room was quite a grand one.

"_**Wow**_!" Amemi marveled. Her voice seemed to echo off the walls. Sora grabbed her arm and dragged her further in.

In the middle of the ballroom, Cogsworth was overseeing Lumiére, Angelique, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and several others as they worked on setting up decorations. Each time the other servants did something, Angelique tried to tell them it was all wrong. No one seemed to notice.

Sora came strolling up to the group. He had a disappointed look on his face. "Hey, guys," he said. Everyone turned to face him. "We've got some bad news."

"The Beast doesn't like Christmas," Donald stated.

"You mean, he has forbidden it," Amemi corrected. This made Donald start to quiver in annoyance.

The servants all sighed. All of them, except Angelique. The angel folded her arms and gave a quick nod. "See? I _knew_ it was impossible!" she pointed out. "I _knew_ this was a hopeless folly!"

Cogsworth sighed before rapidly regaining his composure. "Well now, we'll just have to start cleaning up all these forbidden decorations."

"But I'm _not_ going back into that attic," Angelique stated in a stubborn voice.

Sora gave a deep sigh. Amemi did the same. She had been so looking forward to seeing Christmas brighten up this castle. It now appeared this entire fortress would be a dark, gloomy building for years to come. Then again, maybe next year the Beast will have changed his mind? Christmas could return? Who knows? Maybe… as long as Belle kept on believing.

Believing. That was it. She was not going to stop believing at any time soon. This castle needed her. Everyone inside needed Christmas. And she was going to ensure they still had Christmas, even if the Beast had declared it an illegal holiday. After all, nobody could prevent Christmas. That story about the Grinch who tried to stop it… the story of the rich, old man who despised it… even the tale of the young man and his friends who restored Christmas to a castle and everyone inside. This would be no different.

After taking a deep breath, Amemi stepped forward so everyone could see her. "Look, I know this might seem like a bad idea, but we should still have Christmas. It doesn't matter if the Beast says it's against the rules. What's the worst he can do? Lock us up? My _brother_ has the Keyblade — he'll let us out!"

Sora was startled to hear those words leave his sister's mouth.

"I'm not willing to see everyone here suffer because someone else is suffering," Amemi continued. "We should still have Christmas whether the Beast is with us or not."

"Yeah!" Donald approved, raising his magical wand in the air like a soldier shouting in agreement.

"That was very well said, my dear," Mrs. Potts said.

"Yes! We should still celebrate!" Lumiére declared.

"Yes, yes," Cogsworth added. "But we're falling behind schedule. We'd batter quicken the pace."

"There's only one problem," a voice said. Jiminy hopped out of Sora's pocket and looked around the room. "Where are Goofy and Launchpad? Christmas won't be the same without them."

"Not to worry," Mrs. Potts said. "They said they were heading for the kitchen to make some more Christmas cookies."

"_**What**_?!" Donald hollered in alarm. "They'll burn the castle down!"

"_**Yes**_, _**yes**_!" Cogsworth shouted in turn. "_**Hurry**_! We have to stop them!"

Once Jiminy had leaped back into Sora's pocket, Sora, Amemi, Donald, and Cogsworth all raced for the doorway. The doors barged open. The group froze. "_**Look**_!" Donald yelled.

A thick, dark column of smoke was filling the Entrance Hall. Sora used his eyes to trace it to its source — a cracked-open doorway downstairs. "_**Hurry**_!" Sora shouted.

They charged down the stairs. At once, a few Shadow Heartless rose from the floor. In an instant, Sora summoned his Keyblade and sliced the creatures out of existence. He led the others straight to the doorway and pushed the doors open with all his might. "_**Goofy**_! _**Launchpad**_!" Sora called.

The group started to cough from all the smoke. Sora and Amemi had to duck down low. Donald and Cogsworth were below the smoke's level, so there was not much of a problem there. The _real_ problem was what they saw when they crept through the doorway. There were Goofy and Launchpad. The two were rushing cups of water from the castle's indoor pump straight to an oven. Red, orange, and yellow flames were practically jumping from the oven's open door.

"_**What'll we **__**do**_?!" Donald panicked. He raced around like someone screaming and rushing around in circles. Mrs. Potts and Chip came bounding into the room. The teapot poured the water in her spout straight onto the flames. With Chip's help, the flames started to disappear. Sora and Amemi snatched a few cups themselves, filled them with water from the pump, and then dumped it all onto the fire.

Within three minutes, the fire had been doused. Sora gave a sigh of relief. He saw Amemi looking around in question. "Why didn't a smoke alarm go off?" she asked.

Sora had to shake his head. His sister would probably never understand that some worlds just did not have the technology back home. This was one such world.

Cogsworth marched over to the oven. He took a few seconds to inspect it before turning to scowl at Goofy and Launchpad. "You two have _ruined_ this oven!" he scolded. "You are hereby forbidden to tinker with anything else in this kitchen!"

The knight and pilot's eyes were downcast. So were their faces. "Sorry," Goofy apologized.

"I might have put too much coal on the fire," Launchpad added. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

Cogsworth's scowl transitioned into a look of understanding. To Sora, he seemed to be feeling sorry for them. Cogsworth shook himself back into focus. "Well then, since you are sorry for what you've done, and it was an accident, I'll let you off this time with a warning."

Goofy and Launchpad simultaneously gave sighs of relief and wiped some sweat off their foreheads.

Sora looked around. "Does anyone know where Belle is?"

"She went to her room," Chip replied. "Do you want to go and see her?"

Sora gave a nod. "Yes."

He bent down lower so Chip could hop into his hand. He signaled to the others to follow. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all trailed the Keyblader out of the kitchen while Cogsworth and Mrs. Potts oversaw the mops and brooms cleaning up the mess.

* * *

The doorway in the East Wing was cracked open. When Sora and his team arrived with Chip, all they had to do was give it a gentle push. They stepped into the rather small room. Amemi took a moment to notice how nice and neat it was compared to the Beast's destroyed bedroom. They found Belle lying on her bed, moping. She gave a very deep sigh.

"Hiya, Belle!" Chip said with lots of enthusiasm. He hopped out of Sora's hand and landed onto the bed beside her. "You should see the ballroom. It's all decorated and pretty and there's garlands everywhere!"

"I helped put one of them up," Launchpad blurted.

Sora had to roll his eyes halfway. He knew which one the pilot had helped with. The one that was stretched a little too far, partly torn, and tilted at an angle.

"Chip," Belle sighed. "Your Master, he's forbidden Christmas."

Sora had heard enough of this nonsense. He had already witnessed Amemi standing up to the Beast over this very topic. He had watched Belle refuse to back down when the Beast had pretty much insisted his problems were worse than hers. "C'mon," he declared. "The Beast can't stop Christmas. No one can."

Launchpad shrugged in confusion. "How can holidays be cancelled? There're always on calendars."

"Christmas is not something someone can prevent from coming," Amemi said.

"Yeah!" Donald approved.

"They're right!" Chip agreed. "You said so yourself, Belle!"

Belle rose from the bed. She now looked determined. "You know Chip, Sora… he can't! We'll have Christmas with or without him."

"Hooray!" Chip yelled as he bounded into the air. "Can we get a tree now, Belle? It's the only thing we're missing."

Belle glanced at Sora and the others. Sora was relaxing; his hands were behind his head and he was swaying slightly back and forth. She smiled when they all nodded.

Belle turned back to Chip, who hopped into her hands. "All right then," she said. "Let's go get a tree."

"We'll have a chat with the Beast," Sora told her. "Maybe we can convince him Christmas is not such a bad thing."

"I'll go with you," Amemi said.

"I'll go help set up more decorations," Goofy said as he headed out the door. Launchpad was seconds behind.

"They'll make another mess," Donald stated. He hurried after the two.

Sora and Amemi turned to Belle. "We'll be back later," Sora said.

Belle nodded. "Be careful," she told them. "There are still some Heartless roaming around the castle."

Sora gave a thumbs-up in return.

* * *

It did not take too long for Sora and Amemi to reach the West Hall. The giant corridor with its scarlet carpet was hard to miss. The suits of armor lined on either side of the hall made good landmarks. The high ceiling led to complete darkness.

As Sora and his sister strode through the hallway, the sounds of something moving up ahead grabbed their attention. The two hurried to the not-too-distant corner and rounded it. Crawling all around the hallway were a group of Neoshadow Heartless. A few Shadow Heartless accompanied them.

"_Heartless_ _**here**_?!" Amemi exclaimed. She pulled out her slingshot.

"_**Not**__ again_!" Sora summoned his Keyblade.

They were about to rush over and battle the monsters when a brilliant flash of Light filled the corridor. He covered his eyes from it. Amemi did the same. When it died down, the two looked ahead. To their complete shock, the Heartless were all gone.

"What happened?" Amemi inquired. She looked to her brother for answers.

Sora only shrugged. "I was thinking the same thing, Amy."

The two proceeded down the rest of the hallway to the stairs. As they marched up, Sora thought he sensed a strong Light coming from up above. He glanced up for a moment, only to see what seemed to be a faint glow near the ceiling. He shook his head and continued on his way.

Amemi felt a strong sensation of Light coming from close by. She looked up, only to see what she perceived was a glowing illusion. It appeared to be a shade of indigo….

* * *

As Amemi followed Sora through the West Wing, she felt more confident than before. Even as they passed the broken pieces of architecture, she ignored them. She now understood it was most-likely the Beast's doing. However, Sora trusted the castle's Master. If he did, so would she — even if the Beast had a terrible temper and was extremely selfish.

This time, Amemi was the first one to the door. She pulled it open, revealing the ruined furniture of the Beast's bedroom. She saw the Beast and Lumiére on the other side of the room. They were standing around the glowing rose.

Deep down, Amemi wondered if Lumiére had come to the room with the same intentions Sora and her had. Then again, probably not. Lumiére and the Beast were looking out the window. They were preoccupied about something else.

Sora and Amemi approached the two. "Hey, Beast," Sora said. "What are you doing?"

The Beast glanced at Sora and Amemi. Then he turned away from them. Curious to know what the other two were looking at, Amemi and her brother strode up to the window. Far down below, they could see Belle and Chip out in the snow with the footstool-dog, Sultan. Amemi knew exactly what they were doing.

Searching the castle grounds for a Christmas tree.

"Oh la la!" Lumiére grinned.

"Lumiére," the Beast growled a little.

"She is beautiful, now?"

The Beast stepped to his rose. "Yes, and I'm hideous."

Lumiére chuckled. "Not to mention ill-tempered," he said under his breath.

The moment Amemi saw the Beast looking at the rose, she could tell he was not a monster — not at all. Just a shy creature who was hidden behind a terrible-looking face. She understood what this meant. The Beast was not really a beast. He probably was something else entirely. She just did not know what.

She needed to ask her older brother, again.

Amemi turned to Sora. "So, what's with this rose?" she asked him as she gestured to the rose.

Sora did not listen. Well… Amemi could tell he _had_ heard her. He was just ignoring what she had said. This made her wonder what it was he was hiding. What secrets were trapped within? What could he be wanting to hide? It did not make sense to her. Was it something bad? Did the rose mean something terrible had happened? It did not make sense… roses were meant to show beauty — not tragedy.

Sora tapped the Beast on the shoulder. "Say, Beast, have you see this yet?"

He gestured to the present Belle had had him place beside the rose. Amemi sighed, knowing her brother was just trying to keep himself from telling her something.

"What?" the Beast said when he saw the present. "What is that?"

Lumiére hopped over to the table and looked at the wrapped package. "Oh, it looks like a Christmas present," he announced.

Amemi rolled her eyes. Of course it looked like a Christmas present! It _was_ a Christmas present!

"It _is_ a Christmas present," Sora confirmed.

The Beast stormed out onto his balcony. Lumiére took a look at the tag attached to the gift. "Oh ho ho! It's for you, Master. It's from… a girl!"

The Beast gazed back into the room with a funny look. "Mrs. Potts?"

Amemi had heard enough. She rolled her eyes and unfolded her arms. "It's from _Belle_!" she stated firmly.

To Sora and Amemi's surprise, the Beast looked excited. He walked up to the gift and picked it up. He started to pull on the ribbon when Sora and Amemi both shouted at him to stop.

"Ah, ah, Master!" Lumiére scolded in a friendly fashion. "You can't open it!"

The Beast seemed startled. "Why, why not? It's for me, isn't it?"

"It's _still_ Christmas Eve," Amemi informed him. "You can't open that present until Christmas Day."

"Pshaw!" The Beast growled in irritation. He turned away.

"Look, Beast," Sora started to say. "We understand you hate Christmas. But, you've got to understand. Everyone _needs_ Christmas. This is the only world I've ever seen without it. Right now, Maleficent and the Heartless are trying to destroy Christmas."

The Beast appeared to be completely caught by surprise. "We can't give up," Sora continued. "If you continue to hate Christmas, things will only get worse. You need to give Belle what she wants. She wants to bring Christmas to everyone here."

Amemi felt a smile forming across her face. "I think Belle likes you — a lot. It's just like my brother and Kairi."

"Hey!" Sora swung his eyes to the sandy-haired teenager. Amemi started to giggle. Sora threw his right arm over his face. "Come on, Amy! Give me a break!"

"Yes," Lumiére said, rolling his eyes at the two siblings. He returned his focus to the castle's Master. "When a woman gives a man a gift, she is saying 'I care for you'."

The Beast now looked worried. "But I don't have a gift for her."

"It is not too late," Lumiére encouraged.

The Beast rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I guess I could get her a little somethin'."

"What's that?" Amemi questioned. The Beast did not answer. He simply marched away to a small doorway in the side of the room.

"I don't remember that door being there," Sora commented.

Amemi shrugged. She turned to Lumiére. "We should head back downstairs and continue getting things ready for the celebration."

"Bravo, mademoiselle!" Lumiére approved.

Amemi had to smile. Even though she did not enjoy the candelabra's "ladies man" style, she knew he meant well. Besides, here he had just been helping to encourage the Beast. She picked him up and carried him to the exit.

When Sora saw his sister heading for the doorway with Lumiére in hand, he ran after them. "Hey! Wait up!"

* * *

The hall was rather quiet. Or… it might have been if Forté had not been busy with his latest composition. The gloominess of the music made the Beagle Boys feel bored and nervous at the same time. It actually _did_ seem to help them forget about all those threats Maleficent had made should they fail with any of their assigned tasks. Since they _had_ failed, the music was good thing.

The three were huddled by the fireplace, listening to the music, and playing a game of jacks. Well, two of them were playing the game. The third had fallen asleep in the luxurious chair with the comic book he had been reading still in his lap. He started to snore, even as the music echoed all around.

"_Forté_," a deep voice shouted suddenly. "_**Stop**_ the noise!"

The room fell into complete silence for a few seconds. The Beagle Boys stopped what they had been doing and swung their attention to the doorway close by. There was the Beast, marching into the room. He looked outraged. The Beagle Boys all nodded to each other. After cleaning up the jacks, ball, and comic book, they dashed back to their shadowy corner. Only their eyes could be seen from there.

Forté was beyond astounded. "Noise? _Noise_?! This is my _**masterpiece**_!"

The Beast whirled around and growled at the pipe organ. When he saw the anger in his Master's eyes, Forté leaned forwards like he was bowing politely. "Master…. "

The Beast nodded. He started to pace around the room. "I want you to compose a song," he instructed. "It's a present… for Belle."

"_**Belle**_?!" Forté exclaimed in alarm.

The Beast did not seem to notice Forté's distressed expression. "And make it happy!" he added before strolling to the doorway. In a few moments, he was out of sight.

"Oh," Forté moaned. "But happiness is so… depressing! What's next? _**Love**__ songs_?! _**Wedding**__ marches_?!"

The Beagle Boys crept out their hiding place. They exchanged looks of perplexity and shrugged.

Forté glowered at the far wall. "It's all that girl's fault."

"Look!" the shortest Beagle Boy declared. The three spun their attention to Forté. The enormous pipe organ was giving off what appeared to be a thickening cloud of Darkness. They gulped.

"That doesn't look good," the second-tallest Beagle Boy said.

"Since when is Darkness _ever_ 'good'?" the tallest Beagle Boy asked.

The other two stared at him. The third slapped himself in the face. Here he had just complained about the Darkness, and yet the three of them _**were**_ on the side of the Darkness — alongside Maleficent and Pete!

"Fife!" Forté shouted. "Beagle Boys!"

The Beagle Boys and the tiny piccolo rushed over to the giant pipe organ. They all saluted to him.

"Pay attention," Forté ordered. "I need you all to pace when I think."

The Beagle Boys and Fife nodded. They started to pace back and forth across the room. Each Beagle Boy took a separate route, only to cross paths and end up bumping into each other. Forté ignored them; his eyes were focused on Fife.

"The girl is evil, I tell you," Forté pondered aloud. "She holds the Master from my grasp. She fills his head with dream of love and hope and… Christmas."

Fife turned to face the pipe organ. "Well, whatcha gonna do? Ya can't stop Christmas!"

"No one can!" the tallest Beagle Boy stated.

"Your ploy is impossible!" the second-tallest Beagle Boy added in turn.

"If you can't stop Christmas from coming, what will you do?" the third (and shortest) Beagle Boy asked.

"Maybe I can't stop Christmas," Forté said, giving a sinister snicker. "But I can stop the _girl_."

This made the Beagle Boys all grin with dark smiles.

* * *

**A/N: **

**SORALEGO278: AND... THERE YOU HAVE IT! ANOTHER COMPLETED CHAPTER!**

**MICKEY MOUSE: What happens next?**

**SORALEGO278: I do not believe we shall find out until Chapter 27 comes along.**

**MICKEY MOUSE: Oh... I got ya!**

**SORALEGO278: So, I HOPE you enjoyed all the Goofy and Launchpad moments in there! I had a lot of fun writing them!**

**MICKEY MOUSE: It reminds me of the last time Goofy made two hundred hamburgers for our _Valentine's Day_ party! I still can't forget the look in Donald's eyes.**

**SORALEGO278: Also, the term "_RECIDIVIST_" (used in Sora's thinking at one point) IS a real word! It refers to a convicted criminal who commits the same crime twice - especially in repetition.**

**MICKEY MOUSE: Wow! I never knew that!**

**SORALEGO278: I did not know it myself - until I wrote This Chapter! Plus, Yes, the comic book one of the Beagle Boys was reading IS a Real Disney graphic novel/comic book! "_The Wizards OF Mickey_" is one of my personal favorite Disney book(s). That is part of the reason(s) why I included it. The other is because the Beagle Boys DO work with Peg-Leg Pete in it.**

**MICKEY MOUSE: I remember that story! Being a wizard's apprentice was a whole lotta fun!**

**SORALEGO278: I can picture that! After all, that's the way it was in the book!**

**MICKEY MOUSE: Yup!**

**SORALEGO278: True enough! -_YAWNS-_ Sheesh! Exploring a land of Disney can REALLY take it out of you! I believe it's time to sign off.**

**MICKEY MOUSE: Okay. See ya real soon! I'll be back for Christmas!**

**SORALEGO278: See You Later, Mickey! Thank you for the autograph! Tell Pluto I said "Hello!" Also, Tell Tinker Bell I said, "Thank you once again!" ****

**MICKEY MOUSE: No problem and I will!**

**SORALEGO278: So Then -_YAWNS-_, I'll See You Next Time!**

**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY (AND MICKEY MOUSE) DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**I HOPE THE SEQUEL MAKES IT ONLINE! I HAVE SOME EXCITING THING(S) IN MIND! I HAVE JUST ONE QUESTION: CAN YOU IMAGINE _SORA RACING A_ _CHOCOBO_?!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**

* * *

****** Yes! I DID ask Mickey this when I got his autograph at _Magic Kingdom_! His reaction and response was the same!**

**** Yes! I also got Tinker Bell's autograph! Hopefully, I will be able to have her appear later in This Story - given her world makes an appearance!**

***************** Donald has tried to be [_a little_] more generous lately! He threw some candy at the audience during a _Magic Kingdom_ parade!**


	27. Ch27 - A Shady Character

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE! THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE "'_HAPPY DAYS_'" WE ARE ALWAYS ENJOYING!**  
**Why, you ask? Simple! Chapter 27 Has Now ARRIVED! HALLELUJAH! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! YES!**

**Okay! Okay! Enough with the excitement! No, I did NOT mean the readers/viewers! I was talking to the opening title(s) crew. They can get SOOOOOOO Carried Away!**

**So, for all of you who are eager to read on ahead, I just wanted to state a few things first.**  
**(1.) ATTENTION ALL "_Once Upon A Time_" FANS! Progress on Chapter 4 of "_Once Upon A Time ~The Darkest Age~_" has started. However, it will be postponed until after 7 [SEVEN] REVIEWS have been posted on it! So far, only 3 [THREE] REVIEWS have been posted! Therefore, Chapter 4 shall have to wait until 4 [FOUR] MORE REVIEWS have been posted on that story!**  
**(2.) I apologize for taking such a long time to write Chapter 27. Things got a little hectic lately, and I am still trying to sort a few of them out. I HOPE Chapter 28 takes less time to complete. I REALLY LIKE WRITING THIS STORY!**  
**(3.) PLEASE CHECK OUT THE POLL ON MY PROFILE PAGE! IT SHALL NOT REMAIN OPEN INDEFINITELY!**

**Anyways, Ever since I came back from _DISNEY WORLD_, I have been in the mood to watch mainly Disney Movies. I wanted to tell you I also got to meet JOY And SADNESS from Disney-Pixar's "_INSIDE OUT (2015)_", DONALD DUCK, GOOFY, and even MINNIE MOUSE \- ALL AT EPCOT!**  
**I will tell you it was difficult NOT to look at JOY! She was as hyper as in the movie - and she LOVED dancing around and letting her dress twirl.**  
**Donald Duck signed his autograph, "_DONALD DUCK #1_". What a surprise, huh?**  
**I told Goofy, "A-Hyuck!", and he whispered to me, "You got it!" In that moment, I felt REAL DISNEY MAGIC! It is extremely easy to notice Disney Magic whenever you watch one of their movies/shows/anything-else-Disney-related!**  
**If only SORA was a meet-able character...**

**So, I decided to just let you read on ahead. Please keep in mind, This Chapter is a much DARKER Chapter than Chapter(s) 25 OR 26! YOU WERE WARNED!**

**In other words, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 27  
****A Shady Character**

The ballroom was looking fancier and fancier. Pieces of holly and mistletoe were being hung all around the room. The fragrance of the plants seemed to hang high in the air. The only sounds were the footsteps of everyone walking or hobbling around.

Sora approached a long, wooden table and carefully threw a white cloth over it. He proceeded to tuck it in on the sides and ends. Once it was neatly on the table, he bent over and scooped up a stack of china plates. He calmly placed one at each seat. Next, he grabbed some spoons, knives, and forks and placed one of each at each spot. He paused for a moment, realizing he had fourteen forks; each one was a different size. He sighed, recalling how his mother had once explained to him that there would be one fork for each course during a holiday meal.

He placed the remaining silverware onto the table. As he wiped his forehead, he thought the pile of metal objects resembled a bunch of scrapped cars. He shook his head. He _**hated**_ doing work like this — it was sooo _tiring_! It reminded him of all those chores his mom had insisted he do the day he had turned sixteen.

Sixteen years' worth of work… in one day. No wonder he hated it. After all, he had always either tricked Riku or Kairi into doing his jobs, or he would offer Amemi a new seashell for her collection in exchange for her doing all his chores. Now he wished he had gotten used to doing all this work. It would have payed off in the long run.

He wondered… why didn't he ever think everything through? He shrugged it aside and returned his attention to the table.

"No, no, no!" a strict voice said from behind. Sora spun around to see Angelique waving her right hand at him and shaking her head. "Every fork _must_ be in its proper place. The smallest one goes on the outside and the biggest one on the inside."

Sora sighed deeply. He picked up the silverware and started sorting it out. By the time he had finished this, he had heard Angelique scolding others in the ballroom. He glanced around. He saw the Christmas angel was now lecturing Goofy and Launchpad for casually tossing holly and mistletoe all over the place; the knight immediately started sweeping up the colorful, decorative twigs.

He spotted Donald helping Cogsworth clean off ornaments. Many of them were sparkling. Some of the shone brightly like the moon on a clear night. A few seemed to move by themselves. The rest were a little dusty and needed to be polished. That was where the duck mage and the clock came into play.

This sight made Sora shake his head and smile, a little. He recalled how Donald had once spent two hours to clean the Gummi Ship's windshield after Goofy had taken the controls and flown through a comet's tail. All that dust and ice… it had taken several washings to clear the window.

Sora's eyes now landed upon Amemi. The sandy-haired teenager was busy hanging a strand of silver garland all around the room. He watched as she carefully wrapped the strand around a column a few times, cut it from the main strand, and then moved on to the next one. This sight did not surprise him. His sister tended to help set up the decorations for _any_ party, celebration, or holiday. In fact, the brown-haired young man would not be surprised if she had been the one who'd placed all the decorations for his surprise birthday party.

Sora had to smile at watching everyone getting ready for the Christmas dinner and party. As he saw Lumiére and Mrs. Potts directing various decorations around, the seventeen-year-old Keyblader relaxed. He placed his hands behind his head and started to sway a little.

For now, all he needed to do was watch.

A soft noise seized his attention. He stood upright and swung his head around. That was when he noticed something else about the unexpected sound. It was also graceful like… music? It almost felt like the songbooks he had explored with Riku and Violet back in the _**Symphony of Sorcery**_. Of course, that was simply a coincidence… or was it? He did not know for sure.

He noticed the others around him were starting to take note of the music. "What is that?" Amemi asked as she stopped wrapping some garland around a column. "It sounds… beautiful."

"And spooky," Goofy gulped.

Sora turned to Cogsworth. "What is it?"

"Oh, that's just Forté," Cogsworth muttered in reply. "He's probably busy composing another song for the Master."

Donald grabbed some tissues from his pockets and stuffed them into his ears. "I don't care _who_ he is! That stupid music is _too loud_!"

That was when Sora realized Donald had a point. The music _had_ grown louder as the group had been listening. This made Sora wonder why… or rather, who this "Forté" was like. His mind went back over how everyone else in the castle had been transformed into tangible items thanks to the spell that Enchantress had placed on the castle. This led him to assume this "Forté" was probably some kind of musical instrument.

The music continued to play. Sora's ears perked up. He froze. They seemed to be telling him something. He wondered… what was it? What about this music was getting his attention?

He needed to find out more.

Sora signaled to his teammates to join him by the exit door. Not sure what the young man was getting at, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad all shrugged and followed Sora out the door. Once they were all gathered in the entrance hall, Sora turned to his friends. "I don't know about you, but I'm curious about this guy, 'Forté'," he said. "Wanna check it out?"

Donald and Goofy seemed a little hesitant. Sora was very familiar with this reaction. Those two always became quite nervous whenever Sora was eager to do one thing or another. He had often made them jump in surprise by simply joking around about stuff. Once, he had suggested taking a pirate ship out for a joy-ride. He could still perfectly recall the reactions on Donald and Goofy's faces. Boy, were they relieved when he had added in how it was all a joke!

"Sora," a voice said from the left. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all looked to the left and saw Belle coming up the stairs towards them. Chip was standing in her open hand. At the far side of the entrance hall, the front door was slightly cracked open.

"Belle," Sora said. "What's going on? I thought you were outside."

"Me, too," Goofy nodded.

"Yeah," Donald stated with a suspicious look in his eyes.

"I think we _all_ were convinced you weren't inside," Amemi indicated. Launchpad simply gave a nod of his own.

"We were outside," Belle explained. She looked up to the other side of the room. From there, Sora knew the stairs led to a corridor that led down to the West Hall.

"It's… the music," the young woman went on. "It sounds beautiful."

Amemi gave a nod. Sora could tell his sister agreed with Belle. He wondered if this was one of those so-called "girl-things". Of course, the sandy-haired young lady had often claimed whatever Riku and Sora had been doing on their own at the Children's Play Island "boyish-things". He only knew this was true since he had once overheard Amemi telling Kairi this during a sunset a few days before. He had not thought about it much at the time… yet, now it seemed to distract his mind.

He shoved the thinking process into oblivion and told Belle how he was going to check out the source of the unknown music. Before Belle could reply, the red footstool-dog raced up the stairs, nearly knocked Belle and Donald off their feet, and hurried up in the direction of the West Hall.

"Hey!" Donald snapped at the footstool.

"Sultan?" Belle called to the sprinting piece of furniture. She hurried up the stairs after him.

"Hey! Wait up!" Sora called after Belle. He led his friends and sister up the steps after the young woman.

* * *

As Sora and his friends sped through the West Hall, they saw Belle round a corner. They came a stop on the other side. In the middle of the hall was a pack of blob-like creatures that were all a dark-purple shade. Everyone stared at the display before them.

"_**Heartless**_!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy declared.

They summoned their weapons and charged into the horde. Launchpad used his gas-gun. Amemi aimed with her slingshot. Belle leaned against the wall with Chip, just to be safe.

Sora charged up to one of the floating bubbles. "_Take __**this**_!" he shouted. He jumped and swung his Keyblade at the Heartless. The weapon sliced straight through the monster, which evaporated in a flash. With a relieved grin, Sora proceeded to do the same for three more Heartless.

"_**Fire**_! _**Fira**_!" Donald sent five balls of flames at the drifting enemies. As each fireball made contact, one of the Heartless caught fire and exploded, weakening the others around it.

"_**C'mon**_!" Goofy charged into the fray. His shield smashed straight into one of the Heartless and vanquished it before he slammed into two additional Heartless behind it.

Within seconds, all the Heartless in sight were no more. Sora took a few moments to catch his breath. He turned to his companions and casually placed his Keyblade onto his shoulder. "Well, that's that!" he grinned.

He noticed his friends were filled with alarm. He saw it written all over their faces. Belle gasped and pointed into the distance. "_Sora_!"

"_Watch __**out**_!" Amemi yelled.

"Huh?" Sora was perplexed. What was everyone looking at? He turned around in time to see a giant instrument sending something deadly at him. He leapt out of the way. "_**Whoa**_!"

He landed directly next to Amemi. "What _**IS**_ this?!"

It was nothing like he had ever seen before. This particular creature was a tall, human-like being that resembled a marching band conductor with grey horns shaped like musical nots of the sides of its head. It was wearing a bright-green coat with black cuffs, a high, black collar, two, black, M-shaped patterns on its chest, white pauldrons with gold tassels on its shoulders, and a gold trim. Its pants were very baggy and sported black-and-white stripes. It wore white gloves and knee-high, black boots with slightly curled toes. It also had a tall, bright-green shako bearing a golden-white feather and violet trim. There was also a relatively large spike on the back of its head. Its red eyes were glaring at the group and there was a golden, lightning bolt-shaped baton in its right hand.

"_**It's a**_ _**Heartless**_!" Donald exclaimed in alarm.

Sora stared at the creature. When he saw it twirl around like a top for a moment, he noticed a peculiar-looking symbol on its back. It seemed to resemble a darker version of the Heartless emblem.

With one wave of its baton, the creature caused three more monsters to appear. One of them was a red drum with white rims and two, dark-gray drumsticks with gold spheres on the ends.

Another was a golden trumpet with a silver mouthpiece and valves; it seemed to be a strange, zig-zagged shape.

The third one was an ordinary-looking violin, with the exception of an odd, V-shaped headstock and very deep side indentations. It was mostly brown with some black, lightning-shaped markings on its body. The bow was silver with an arrowhead-shaped tip.

"This is _not_ a Heartless!" Sora realized. His eyes grew in astonishment. "It's… something else!"

The creature waved its baton around as though conducting an orchestra. The trumpet, violin, and drum started to play. A wave of reddish music flooded the room. Sora held his arm over his face to shield him from the shockwaves the music was making. Donald rushed behind Goofy's shield; the knight was already ducking behind it. Amemi leap behind Sora, and Launchpad barely held his ground.

Once the musical wave had ceased, Sora lowered his arm. He shook his head and jumped into his fighting stance. "I don't know what it is, but we've _**gotta**_ stop it!"

The creature continued to wave its baton around and around. One by one, each of the instruments approached the group. Donald sent a series of fireballs at the violin and set its strings ablaze. Goofy slammed his shield straight into the drum and bounced back. He vibrated for a few seconds before coming to.

"A-Hyuck!" was all he could say.

Launchpad fired several rounds from his gas-gun. Each of them either bounced against the violin's strings, missed the drum, or were deflected by the conductor's waving baton. "Aw, gee…. "

Amemi fired her slingshot straight at the trumpet. She was so focused on the one enemy, she failed to see the violin and drum closing in on her. With one loud set of notes, the two instruments sent a series of glowing, red musical notes at the sandy-haired girl from both sides. Amemi screamed and she was thrown into the air and slammed into the nearby wall.

Sora gawked at the sight. "_**Amy**_!"

He hurried toward his sister. The drum set crossed his path. Sora glared at the monster. He was _**NOT**_ about to let this terrible creature get away with this! He slashed his way through the drum, tearing it clear through and vanquishing the creature in the process. The trumpet got in the way next. He sliced his way through the instrument's valves and split them apart. When the violin came along, Sora tried to slice his Keyblade through the enemy's strings.

His blade was tangled in a hurry. As he tried to yank it free, Goofy came rushing over and smashed his shield into the strings. They buckled a lot, causing Sora's weapon to come flying free. The Keyblade tore out some many of the strings, the violin exploded into blue-fiery Darkness.

At last, Sora reached his sister. Amemi was just starting to rise from where she had landed onto the floor. She shook her head and looked around. When she saw her sister, she felt relieved. "Sora."

"It's okay," Sora assured her. He held out his hand. Amemi accepted it. He helped her to her feet. As she looked around, Amemi's eyes lit up.

"Sora!" she shouted, pointing into the direction of the enormous conductor.

Sora whirled around in time to see the creature giving a fiery, reddish glow. Its eyes seemed to be glowing a blood-red color. The seventeen-year-old Keyblader winced at the sight. This was _nothing_ like he had ever seen before. It was clear this particular monster was not a Heartless, nor was it a Nobody.

It also seemed to be giving off a dark emotion. What was it? Jealousy? Why? What _**was**_ this monster?!

The conductor turned to face Sora's team. It raised its arm back and then thrust it forwards. The baton went flying across the room like it was doing cartwheels. Goofy yelled for everyone to look out. The group rushed to the sides and the baton bounced off a wall — less than two feet away from Belle and Chip. The baton circled back and ended up in the conductor's hands.

Sora scowled at the creature. "Let's do this!" he declared.

In one swift move, Sora ran towards the enemy and jumped. Donald rushed forwards and did the same. At the same time, Goofy hurried ahead and leaped high into the air. Donald caused a column of ice to form around the creature's head. Goofy tossed his shield straight at it and shattered the icy block. Just as the shield was making impact, Sora swung his Keyblade at the creature. "It's over!" he yelled.

His blade went clear through the monster's head. The shako went flying into the wall. As he moved across the creature's short, blonde hair, Sora sliced his Keyblade in a sideways arc. The monster's head burst open, causing the entire creature to go up in bluish-colored flames. It happened so fast, by the time Sora's feet were back on the floor, the creature had vanished into Darkness.

"We did it!" Donald and Goofy cheered together.

"Oh yeah!" Launchpad agreed, giving a thumbs-up.

"Thank goodness!" Amemi sighed with relief.

Sora came running back to his friends. "That was weird," he remarked as he let his Keyblade vanish from his hand. "Where did that guy come from?"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all shrugged. Amemi's face indicated she was as puzzled at the others. "Yeah, you're right," Sora admitted. He turned to the stairs leading to the West Wing. "We have more important things to do. Let's find that dog… err, footstool."

Amemi rolled her eyes. She had absolutely no clue what Sora was talking about. How could that footstool be a dog? True… it _did_ act and sound like a dog. However, its appearance was that of a footstool. She shook her head.

This was one thing her brother still needed to explain to her.

Belle and Chip hurried by. "Sultan?" Belle called as she sped up the stairs.

Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were not far behind. They hurried to the Beast's room at the end of the hallway. From there, Belle led the way through the doorway Sora had earlier noticed was unfamiliar to him.

Back in the West Hall, a figure in a black-hooded coat peeked their head out from behind the banister. As they looked up to the second floor, the figure reached up and removed its hood, revealing spikey, black hair, pale skin, and golden-yellow eyes.

With a sneaky grin, the figure's eyes started to give a yellow glow. "Ah, yes, Ventus," it said in a rather deep voice. "I see you're still as strong as I remember. One day, you and I will join back together and help recreate the χ-blade!"

A dark portal opened behind them. The figure calmly replaced its hood before turning to the portal. They stepped through it without another word.

* * *

Once in the Beast's room, Sora's team continued to trail Belle as she walked through a doorway. Sora recognized this entrance _now_. Last time he, Donald, and Goofy had been to this place, they had somehow missed this door. Well, it was not much of a doorway. Rather, it was a small opening in the wall that led into the next room.

As the group stepped through, their footsteps started to echo about the enormous chamber on the other side. Sora looked around. Aside from the large windows on the opposite side of the room and the many candle-stands lit throughout, nothing seemed _that_ out of the ordinary when compared to the rest of the castle.

He noticed a small fireplace near another doorway on the side of the room. He gazed up and saw the ceiling was completely shrouded by darkness. When he swept his eyes around the room, there no sign of life anywhere.

"There's nobody here," Sora muttered to himself.

The music had seemingly stopped. '_That _was_ weird_' Sora thought to himself. After taking down a peculiar-looking enemy, this unfamiliar part of the castle was somewhat… spooky. Where had the music in this place come from? How would he find out?

Sora saw the footstool-dog, Sultan standing beside Belle. "I found him," she told the others.

"Alrighty," Goofy chuckled. "Then let's go."

"Wait," Sora blurted. "What about that music? Isn't this where it came from?"

The members of his team all shrugged and shook their heads a little. The brown-haired Keyblader frowned. "C'mon! Let's take a look around here! We _gotta_ solve this mystery! How do we know there aren't any Heartless in here?"

"Look around," Amemi pinpointed. She gestured her hands all over. "You can see this place is empty."

Sora shook his head. "I don't think so. I'm going to check it out. Are you coming along?"

Launchpad grinned. "Heh! What've we got to lose? Christmas is tomorrow, but we've got plenty a-time to finish those decorations!"

One by one, the others all gave in. Sora nodded and suggested they split up to search the area. Sora headed for the fireplace. Amemi hurried to the windows. Goofy approached the side of the room where a few boxes and chairs were being kept. Launchpad neared the exit doorway. Donald strolled to the only wall without any candlelight.

Amemi felt along the windows. She could feel the cold, winter air blowing around outside. As she slid her hand against the window, her feet bumped into a wooden trunk on the floor. She stared at it for a moment. She cautiously approached the chest and, finding it unlocked, opened it. All she found inside where blank pieces of paper. "Wait a moment," she said softly. "This looks a little like… music?"

Donald continued to walk around. His hands were tucked behind his back and he was whistling softly. His eyes were rolled back as though saying "I didn't do it!". The keys of a piano caught his eye. Recalling all those lessons his mother had insisted on, Donald looked both ways before a sneaky grin formed on his face.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy," he muttered to himself. He crept up to the keyboard and plopped himself onto the dusty stool before it. He reached his hands out and cracked his knuckles. He was about to touch the keys when a deafening blast of music filled the room. The vibrations shook the place so much, Donald bounced off the stool and tumbled onto the floor.

"_Yeow_!" Donald shrieked in alarm. He noticed Sora, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all trying to keep their balance as the noise rocked the chamber. Even Belle and Chip bounced around a little. A few window panes gave a crack or two.

"Donald!" Sora stated in a serious tone once the noise had ended. "What're you _**doing**_?!"

"That wasn't funny!" Amemi scolded.

"I didn't do it!" Donald hastily said.

"A-Hyuck! Hey, fellahs! Look what I found!" Goofy called from the other side of the room. Sora and the others swung their attention straight to the knight. The anthropomorphic dog was gesturing them over from a nearby chair.

Sora led his team over to where Goofy was at. Belle came over with Chip. To their amazement, a tiny piccolo was standing in the chair.

"Oh, hello," Belle said in her _very_ polite style. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Belle."

"I'm Sora," Sora introduced.

"I am Amemi," Amemi said. She gestured to the other three. "That's Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad."

"Are you… Forté?" Sora inquired.

The piccolo rapidly shook its head. "No," he said in a speedily voice. "F-Fife."

"We heard the most beautiful music," Belle told Fife.

Goofy nodded. "Yeah! Was it you?"

Fife gave a giggle. "Me? You thought that was… _me_?"

Before Sora and the others had a chance to cover their ears, Fife turned a bright red color and unleashed an ear-splitting squeak. Donald started to complain about the noise, yet no one could hear him over the short, yet deafening, sound.

"Excuse me, please," a loud, deep voice declared from the shadows. As the words echoed about the room, Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Belle all swung their attention to the nearby wall. To their surprise, a gigantic pipe organ was situated against the wall. The lack of proper lighting in the room made it difficult to see the instrument.

Nevertheless, Sora thought he saw a mask-like face located in the middle of the organ's tallest pipes. The face changed from a blank look to a friendly smile. Sora nearly leapt in surprise.

"I am Maestro Forté," the face on the organ said. "Court composer and your most _humble_ servant."

Sora gulped as he stared straight up at the face. This guy, Forté… he was the one Cogsworth had mentioned? He sure looked spooky. The sight reminded the spikey-headed youth of the residents of _**Halloween Town**_. He wondered if there was a connection there. Was there?

Belle fearlessly approached the pipe-organ with Chip hobbling over beside her. "Please to meet you, Monsieur Forté. I'm Belle."

"Yes, the entire castle is talking about you, child," Forté said. His tone of voice reminded Amemi of someone who was rolling their eyes. He was not even looking Belle in the eye as he spoke. "They say you are planning a Christmas Gala."

"Yeah," Donald nodded.

"Marvelous idea. The very thing to shatter the master's dark and _gloomy_ past."

A mystified Amemi turned to Sora. "What is he talking about?" she asked.

Sora held up a hand. "It's not important," he told her.

Amemi crossed her arms, an annoyed look in her eyes. Forté ignored the two and went on. "But you must make this the _grandest_ celebration ever."

He looked down at the group. "Have you gifts?"

"Yes," Sora approved.

"Food?"

"Yep!" Chip confirmed.

"Garlands? Ribbons? Wreaths?"

"You name it, we've already got it set," Amemi proclaimed.

Forté continued without missing a beat. "Spangles and 'fandangles'? The trinkets? The trimmings? The trappings?"

Sora shook his head to the side. He had never heard of such things. Then again, there were _always_ things he had never heard of before. Maybe this was all stuff needed for a Christmas celebration? It sure sounded like a lot of things!

"Yup," Chip nodded with delight. "We got 'em all!"

Forté gave a doubtful grin. "The tree?"

Chip sighed. "See, Belle?" he looked at the young woman. "I told ya."

Donald stared at the two. "_**You **_**didn't**_** find a tree**_?!"

"Well… we found one," Belle admitted.

"But it was on the piddlin' side of punny," Chip added.

"I remember having a similar thing happen to me," Launchpad blurted. "I got a tiny, green tree and I put one ornament on it. The tree leaned over and the ornament fell into the snow."

"Hey! I remember that!" Goofy added. "It was like in thuh old cartoon movie! A-Hyuck!"

Donald glared at the pilot and knight. "Shut-up!" he scolded them, a fiery look in her eyes.

Forté gave a laugh; this seemed to irritate Donald all the more (for a few milliseconds). He shifted his gaze to the window. "But, did you look in the Black Forest?" he questioned. "There, you will find a tree better than any you can dream of."

Sora turned his eyes to the window. In the distance, he could see the forested landscape. A few mountains rose beyond the trees. One look at the forest, and he agreed the name Forté had called it by was fitting. It almost looked like the place where Heartless and Nobodies would be lurking.

"'Better'?" Chip beamed. He turned to Belle. "We _gotta_ go Belle! We _gotta_!"

Belle turned to the teacup and held out her hand for him. Chip hopped into her open palm and she raised him up to her face so she could look in the eye. "Chip, we can't," Belle said. "I promised your master I wouldn't leave the castle grounds."

"You did?" am astonished Sora said. There were a number of new things going on here he had never expected.

Belle nodded. "I gave my word."

She lowered her hand and allowed Chip to hop back onto the ground. His eyes were downcast and he was looking at the floor.

"Cheer up, son," Forté said, drawing everyone's focus back to him. "There is a profound lesson to be learned here. Keeping your word is _much_ more important than bringing joy to another."

"_What_?!" Donald and Goofy exclaimed.

"That doesn't make any sense," Sora stated.

"I'm completely confused," Launchpad admitted. "Don't worry! I'm used to it!"

Belle frowned at the giant organ. "You're twisting what I say," she folded her arms.

"Not at all," Forté countered. "I agree with you. Look after yourself. Let the Master do the same. Never mind that the tree was always his favorite part of Christmas."

Now, Sora was also crossing his arms. He could sense a hint of manipulation in Forté's words. "Favorite part of Christmas"? Yeah, right! That was one of the oldest forms of trickery. Sora knew it anywhere.

He was not as naïve as he used to be. Ever since he had ventured through the _Realm of Sleep_ with Riku and Violet, he had somehow changed. He was not sure why or how this had taken place. All he knew was, it was coming in strange forms.

He had acted rather hyper and a _lot_ like his sister when he had celebrated Riku becoming a Keyblade Master. He had nearly shoved Kairi into the sea one evening while she was standing on the dock with her eyes on the distant sunset. He had easy beaten Tidus and Wakka in a two-against-one fight before dawn. Selphie had claimed to see Sora cheating with some type of "glowing sword". Not too long ago, Goofy had indicated he was using the power of Darkness. He had seemingly shoved Judge Frollo off the bell tower of Notré Dame.

Sora tried not to let it bother him. Surely, all these events were just coincidences… weren't they? Hopefully, they were. He was still trying to make sense of all this. Now, _that_ was definitely _**not**_ one of his strong points!

"Please, Belle, please," Chip begged. Sora and Amemi noted the teacups reactions significantly resembled the look a little dog gave whenever it was pleading.

Belle shifted her gaze to the window. "It looks dangerous."

"Mademoiselle," Forté said. "You are in more danger in this very room, I assure you."

Sora saw Amemi folding her arms and giving the same suspicious look Belle had. Those last few words Forté had said… why did they sound so… peculiar? It _did_ sound like the composer-turned-pipe-organ was hiding something. Whatever it was, it was clear neither of the two siblings knew was it could be.

After a few long seconds, Belle finally lowered her arms. "All right."

Chip hopped into the air with delight. "Yes!"

"We'll help," Sora instinctively said in turn.

Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all shrugged. Once again, the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder was eager for another adventure — even if it was simply going into the forest beyond the castle's grounds.

"We'll take Phillipe," Belle added. "If we hurry, we can be back by nightfall."

"_Hurray_!" Chip cheered with excitement.

Belle bent down so Chip could hop into her hand. "Au reviour, Monsieur Forté," she said to the enormous piano. "You'll keep our secret, won't you?"

"Of course, Mademoiselle," Forté replied less than a moment later. "The Master will remain completely in the dark."

Belle turned to Fife. "Au reviour, Fife."

Fife blushed and waved as Belle left the room with Chip. Sora followed her out the door. He glanced back to see Forté giving the same grin he had the entire time. He wondered… why did the composer seemed so… suspicious?

Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were all out the door shortly after Sora had left.

* * *

Once the group had departed from the chamber, Forté turned his eyes to Fife. The tiny piccolo was still waving at the doorway. His cheeks were a slight shade of red. "Au reviour," he muttered in a soft voice that echoed about the otherwise empty space.

Forté rolled his eyes in irritation. "_**Fife**_!" he shouted. Fife whirled around and looked up straight at the giant organ. "I want you to follow them," the former stated. "Make sure that they _don't_ come back."

Fife gasped and glanced back at the still-open doorway. "Oh, but Maestro, she's so nice…. "

Forté snorted. "When you are finished fauning, Fife, perhaps you can recommend someone _else_ to play your solo?"

A series of greenish musical notes drifted from the pipe organ's pipes and started to open a wooden trunk near the windows. A song started to play from inside.

The instant he heard the song, Fife spun around and started to hobble for the door. "_No_! I'm going, I'm going."

Forté gave his typical sinister grin. He spotted the three Beagle Boys stepped out from their hiding place near the fireplace's mantle. The trio looked as perplexed as ever.

"What's going on?" one of the tall Beagle Boys asked.

"I don't understand," the second tall one added.

The third one turned to Forté. "How did Sora get here?"

"Hmm?" Forté raised an eyebrow. "You know that young man?"

The Beagle Boys immediately nodded. They quickly filled in the castle's composer all about their encounter with Sora and his team in the world of _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_. They went into a _**lot**_ of detail about how the Keyblade and his sandy-haired sister had defeated them and a huge Heartless in the city square.

Forté gave a darker grin than before. "Well, fortunately for you, everything is going according to plan. We will have that 'Sora' and also prevent Christmas from coming back to the castle."

The Beagle Boys all gave dark grins of their own.

* * *

Less than five minutes had passed since Sora had left the castle with Belle and Chip. The three had taken the Axe from the boiler room with them when they had left for the forest. Amemi had watched them hitch a red sleigh to a large horse. She had witnessed them leaving.

Now, she was sitting in chair near the window. She continued to look out anxiously. What if there were Heartless in those trees? Maybe Sora could handle them. Then again, what if he was too far outnumbered? She recalled all the Heartless Frollo, Pete, and the Beagle Boys had used in the ambush in the _Count of Miracles_. Now, she _**was**_ worried!

…She wondered if this was how their mother often worried about Sora's safety. This had taken its toll during that year Sora had seemingly vanished altogether. Amemi hated to think about it. That very idea of seeing an extra bedroom with such an enormous mess had never made sense… until she had finally remembered her brother. Even though Kairi had told her over and over there had been another boy in addition to Riku on the island, Amemi had refused to believe it.

She shook the terrible memories away from her mind. She watched as Lumiére tried to direct the servants to raise the room's chandelier higher and higher to the ceiling. Donald watched in awe from the other side of the ballroom.

Amemi looked to the controls. To her surprise, Goofy and Launchpad were the ones operating the chandelier. "Careful, Careful," Lumiére instructed. The chandelier slipped. His eyes grew with alarm. "_Too fast_! _Get out of the way_! _**Stop**_!"

The enormous chandelier came rushing down at the floor. Donald panicked and ducked underneath the table in the middle of the room. The light fixture came to a sudden halt on the tabletop. Donald gave a sigh of relief as he crawled out.

"Huh!" Angelique snorted from where she stood on the other end of the table. "Amateurs!"

Amemi had to roll her eyes. She watched both Goofy and Launchpad casually slip out of the ballroom. They left the door open. Before Amemi could rise to her feet and close it, a loud voice echoed into the room. "Cogsworth!"

Cogsworth raced to the door and beyond. "Oh yes, coming, coming!" he called in return.

"Cogsworth!" the voice bellowed again. Amemi did not have to take a second thought to recognize it as the Beast.

A few minutes passed. That was when Cogsworth returned, a nervous look in his eyes. "Excuse me, hello! Has anyone seen Belle?" he told everyone. "I can't find her anywhere and the Master is demanding to see her now."

"Why?" Donald asked.

"He's got a song he wants her to hear," Cogsworth explained.

Lumiére grinned brightly with enthusiasm. "C'est magnifique!"

"Last I saw of her," Mrs. Potts said. "She was going with Chip and Sora to look for a Christmas tree."

Amemi's eyes grew with realization. Had her feelings of dread proved true? Hopefully not! She could not bear the thought of her brother being in danger. It was not like him to be caught with his guard down. It was impossible thanks to his Keyblade.

"Right," Cogsworth decided. "We must conduct a search of the grounds. Lumiére, you're with me."

Lumiére saluted. "You can on me, Mon Capitaine!"

The two headed out of the room. Cogsworth peered back a second later and said, "Mrs. Potts, stall the Master."

He glanced back out the door and hurried away. "Lumiére, Lumiére, wait! _I'm_ leading! Me first, you second."

"_Cogsworth_!" The Beast's voice echoed for the third time. "_I'm_ _**waiting**_!"

Mrs. Potts rushed out the door before Amemi could react. Donald stepped up to the young woman. "Well, what now?"

Amemi gave a shrug. "I have absolutely no idea _what_ is going on here," she admitted. Deep down, she wished she _did_ know what was happening. There were too many questions lacking their answers.

The strong scent of smoke grabbed their attention. "Not _again_!" Donald deeply sighed. He charged out the door.

Amemi rolled her eyes. It was clear Goofy and Launchpad were back in the kitchen trying to make cookies — and they had burned them all again. "What's new these days?" she told herself.

She rose from her seat and walked towards the middle of the room. The decorations strung all over seemed to sparkle in the light of the now-rising chandelier. She smiled, recalling how much she had always enjoyed looking colorful lights — especially during the holidays! It was always something she looked forward to seeing. That, and the "WordGirl Christmas Special", "_**Holiday Cheese**_". They were both two of her traditions.

She looked traditions — particularly the ones regarding holidays. Routines were a _little_ part of that, even though she had come to take things as they came. Sora, on the other hand, had never learned to accept things in stride. He often battled, argued, and fought his way through them.

'_That could be a reason why he's got a Keyblade_,' Amemi thought to herself. She continued to admire the decorated ballroom. This was of those scenes she wanted to remember as long as she could possibly remember anything.

At once, Cogsworth and Lumiére came rushing back into the ballroom and straight up to the sandy-headed girl. Amemi was startled to see the two out-of-breath. To top it off, they were also showing fearful expressions on their faces.

"What's wrong?" Amemi inquired.

"This is _catastrophic_!" Cogsworth declared. "They… they went into… the… the…. "

"…The Black Forest!" Lumiére completed.

Amemi gulped. The secret was out. She knew they had no choice. "I know. Sora went with them. They went into the forest to find a tree."

"But there are Heartless out there!" Cogsworth stated. "It's too dangerous!"

"We need to _save_ them!" Lumiére said. "Will you come with us?"

Although she did not care for the candelabra's behavior towards her (and all the other girls in the castle), Amemi knew they had to act — and fast! She nodded.

Donald suddenly appeared in the ballroom. "Let's go!"

One look at the duck's serious facial expression and Amemi instantly knew he had been informed of the situation. Not to mention, his wand was out and ready for fighting Heartless. She pulled out her slingshot. "Sora, Belle, here we come!"

The group hurried out of the ballroom. They raced to the exit doorway and out into the snow beyond. As they struggled through the deepening snowdrifts, Lumiére gazed back and Cogsworth. "Cogsworth, quit dawdling," he said.

"I'm _not_ dawdling!" Cogsworth argued. "I'm waddling."

"Well, don't waddle then! We're in a hurry, you lazy, old clock!"

Amemi shook her head. The two servants were clearly not getting along too well — if at all. Hopefully, they would be able to work together once they had located Sora, Belle, and Chip.

* * *

Time was passing at a snail's pace. He continued to pace around with lots of anxiety. The Beast peered out the window in anticipation. The sun had just finished setting. He was getting more and more impatient. After all, patience had _**never**_ been one of his favorite attributes.

Here he was all dressed up in his best suit, standing beside a candlelit table, awaiting Belle's presence. The only thing he could hear was a ticking clock. Tick-tock… tick-tock… tick-tock… tick-tock… tick-tock… tick-tock… tick-tock… tick-tock… tick-tock… tick-tock… tick-tock… tick-tock…. He was about ready to seize that _**annoying**_ clock and smash it against the wall!

He gazed out the window after a few more minutes of pacing. "Why am I still _waiting_?" he insisted to know. He turned to the doorway. Belle and Cogsworth were still nowhere in sight. "_**Mrs. Potts**_!" he yelled.

In less than a minute, the old teapot came hobbling into the room. "Coming sir, coming," she said as she speedily approached the table. The instant she saw his frown, she quipped, "Such a brisk day. You look positively chilled to the bone!"

The Beast's frown grew. "Where's Belle?"

"How about a nice pot of tea, sir?" Mrs. Potts swiftly suggested. "Just a spot."

The Beast snorted his disapproval. He marched to the open doorway leading to the music hall. "Forté! Play Belle's song."

From the next room, the melody of a song could be heard from the composer's pipes. All he heard was music. He wanted much more for Belle. "You're not singing," the Beast bellowed.

"_Deck the hall with boughs of Holly_," a dejected Forté sang from the next room. "_Fa la, la, la, la… la, la, la…_. "

The Beast slammed his fist onto the table. "_Louder_!"

Forté's voice grew a little louder, even though his singing did not sound any better. "_'Tis the season to be jolly…. _"

The Beast turned away from the doorway. It was not _his_ fault the castle's head composer was a terrible singer. This was _his_ castle, so everyone had to do whatever _he_ told them to. There were no exceptions. He was the Master and they were his servants.

"How 'bout some tea, sir?" Mrs. Potts suggested. "Good for the heart, you know."

The Beast growled softly. "No, thank you."

"Just a spot."

"No."

"But there's always room for tea, love."

The Beast pounded his fist onto the table. "I said '_**NO**_'!"

Mrs. Potts shook her head rapidly. "Dearie me!"

The Beast raised an eyebrow. Something strange was going on here. "Mrs. Potts, are you trying to distract me?"

"Goodness no, sir," the teapot declared with haste. She swung her focus to the window. "Heavens, is that a yellow-bellied, double-breasted sapsucker? Rare this time of year."

He had heard plenty. The Beast knew _something_ was up. "Enough!" he snapped. "Where's Cogsworth? Where's Belle?"

"Belle?" Mrs. Potts whimpered.

The Beast knew he had summoned the wrong person. He turned to the doorway. "_**Sora**_!"

"He's not here," Mrs. Potts accidentally let slip out.

The Beast stared at her. "Where _are_ they?"

Mrs. Potts gulped. "We can't find them, sir."

The Beast leaped to his feet in a flash. "_**What**_?! _**Leave me**_!"

Mrs. Potts barely dodged the table as it flipped over. She hurried out the door to avoid the Beast's wrath. In the meantime, the castle's Master marched up to the small table where his rose was kept. He grabbed the bluish mirror beside it.

"Show me the girl!" he ordered.

The mirror immediately changed its reflection to show a projection of a reddish sleigh being pulled through the snow by a brown horse. In the carriage were Belle, Sora, and Chip.

The Beast glared at the display. He knew this meant only _one_ thing. Belle was running away… and Sora was helping her. Although he was not sure why Donald and Goofy were absent, he kept his mind focused on Belle. He needed to take action — _fast_!

"I will bring her back," he stated in a very loud voice as he slammed the mirror down onto the table. It did not break, nor did it crack. He did not notice. He was just determined to get out there and retrieve Belle before anything happened to her. He knew Heartless were lurking in those woods and did not want _anything_ to happen to his prisoner, even if she was with Sora.

He marched into the next room and headed for the doorway to the rest of the castle. Knowing this was a shortcut to the entrance hall, the Beast stormed towards it.

"No!" a voice declared from behind. The Beast spun around to see Forté staring at him. The gigantic pipe organ hastily added, "She's abandoned you!"

The Beast snorted at the composer. He turned to the door. "Listen to your old friend, won't you?" Forté quickly said. "have I ever steered you wrong? Lead you astray? No!"

The Beast turned back to face his servant. "But the girl," Forté sighed. His keyboard began playing a spooky melody. One might have assumed it was Halloween-style piece. He started to sing. "_The quickest way to break your heart… make you depressed and ill… is to get tangled up inside… the side effects could kill…_. "

As Forté sang, the Beagle Boys emerged from their hiding place to watch. The composer was shrouded in a cloud of Darkness that was growing thicker by the second. "_All passion is a waste of __**time**__… a deadly game, pour vous… I am your friend, your cher ami… I wouldn't lie to __**you**__…_. "

One of the Beagle Boys grabbed a mirror and rushed it up to the Beast. The creature seemed to be under some kind of spell. Either that, or he was in a trance. "_If you must love someone, may I suggest_," Forté continued. "_You love __**yourself**__! Just think it through… you'll never leave and you will find… you'll get more rest… you'll always feel as good as new…_. "

The Beast grinned at his reflection. The glass shattered a moment later. He glared at the Beagle Boy, suspecting a trick. The villain dashed away before the Beast could get his claws on him. Forté's playing intensified, causing green streaks of music to fly from his pipes. He pointed them towards the rose in the nest room. "_Your freedom is the most-important thing, my friend… you must be _**strong**_, you mustn't bend… __**don't**__ talk for hours… __**don't**__ send flowers… __**don't**__ write poems… __**don't**__ sing and dance beneath the stars that shine above… don't fall in __**love**_!"

The green streaks of music transformed into a number of Air Soldier Heartless that were dark-blue colors instead of the usual brown or orange. The Beagle Boys stared in alarm, having never seen this coming.

Forté chuckled. "Don't do it!"

The Beast swirled around wildly. This was exactly what Forté wanted to see. He knew his manipulation in the song was working. "_As soon as your heart rules your head… your life is not your own… it's __**Hell**__ when someone's always there… it's bliss to be alone… and love of any kind is bad… a dog, a child, a cat… they take up __**so much precious time**__… now where's the sense in _**that**_?_"

The Beagle Boys nearly jumped when a large Defender Heartless appeared out of the Darkness cloud around Forté. Their eyes were wide and alert, having seen this exact same thing happen with Judge Frollo in the Palace of Justice.

"_Love takes the wildest heart and makes it tame_," Forté added. "_If you're turned on, then just turn __**off**__… emotions are a thing all great men overcame… please, don't make this grand catastrophe… don't get attached to anyone or anything… there's nothing worse than things that cling…_. "

The Darkness from the composer surrounded the Beast. In no time, he was lifted into the air and hovering before Forté's glowing, green eyes. This was one sight the Beagle Boys _**hated**_ to look at. It almost felt like the Devil had possessed the pipe organ.

"_You'll go to __**pot**_," Forté continued to sing (or chant). "_You'll turn to __**drink**__… you'll never __**rest**__… you'll end up mad and looking like some poor, tormented __**dove**__…_. "

Forté gently allowed the Beast to land on his feet. "_Don't fall in love…._ **DON'T FALL IN LOVE**!"

In a single half-heartbeat, the Beast's eyes filled with rage and power. He roared with such force, the Beagle boys had to cover their ears. They watched as the castle's Master charged out of the room on all fours. He stormed down the halls beyond like a predator on the hunt.

The three blinked a few times. Had they just witnessed what they thought they had seen? Had Forté done something to that creature? What was going on? Outside from the fact Forté had caused numerous Heartless to show up, they were totally lost.

They swung their eyes to the composer. He was giving a darker grin than they had seen before.

"He sure looks creepy," one of the Beagle Boys commented.

"You ain't kiddin'," another said.

The third one gulped. "I don't like this."

Forté shifted his eyes to the trio. "_**Beagle Boys**_!" he bellowed. "Go out there and make sure this 'Sora' _never_ makes it back to this castle! I can't have _anyone_ interfering with my plans!"

The Beagle Boys all exchanged puzzled looks. After some quick shrugging, they turned back to the piano and saluted. "Sure thing, boss!"

The three hurried out the door. Several of the Heartless followed them. As he watched them leave, Forté maintained his proud smile. Once the girl, Belle, and that wretched boy were out of the way, nothing would be able to stop him from making the spell permanent. "Yes," he grinned. "The time is near."

* * *

The ballroom was brightly lit considering the time of night. Angelique was walking across the table in the middle of the room. She slowly strolled around each table setting, checking to see if Sora had done his task perfectly.

She stopped when she saw something she did not like on the table's end. One of the forks was at a crooked angle. She shook her head and shoved it into its proper place.

The doorway banged open. The decorator glanced up. There were Goofy and Launchpad, their hands full of trays. They rushed to the table and placed the smoking trays down as quickly as they could. The pilot and knight immediately started to blow off their hands. "At least we got the cookies done," Launchpad smirked.

Angelique took a closer look at the oddly-shaped objects sitting in the trays. The cookies were a dark-brown color and smelled like a combination of M&amp;Ms and soot. She shook her head. "No, no, no, no, no. You cannot make cookies from dust."

She broke off a crumb of the nearest cookie and tossed it into her mouth. As she chewed, Goofy and Launchpad watched in anticipation. After a few minutes, the angel noticed something surprising; these cookies tasted absolutely _delicious_!

She smiled. "Still, I have to admit… not bad for amateurs."

Goofy and Launchpad grinned. "Donald owes us twenty Munny!" Launchpad whispered to the knight.

Goofy snickered in agreement. Boy, would Donald be greatly upset when he returned to the ballroom and saw these cookies!

A massive roar echoed from the hall. Angelique, Goofy, and Launchpad all swung their eyes to the doorway in time to see a well-dressed Beast coming into the room. Now, this was a sight Goofy had never seen before. The Beast was down on all fours, and he had a dark-gray cape. To top it off, he had a wild, dark look in his eyes.

"Huh?" Goofy said aloud. "What's going on?"

Less than a second after the knight had spoken, the Beast charged over and shoved the knight and duck-pilot aside. The two went flying into the wall. He slammed his clawed fists onto the table with such force, it toppled over and splintered into two sections. All the silverware, dishes, and cups fell to the floor and shattered.

The Beast did not stop there. Next, he stormed over to the garland wrapped around the room's columns. He grabbed it and yanked. The garland snapped apart and fell to the floor. He did this for each column as he raced around the room. He then reached the curtains that had recently been placed over each window. He slashed through them and then pulled them down, tearing the fabric into small pieces.

Goofy and Launchpad were back on their feet in time to see the Beast race past them and out the door. He barged through the doorway with such intensity, the doors shook and one broke free, crashing to the floor just inside the ballroom.

The two were speechless. The whole ballroom had been torn apart and had been left in ruins. This sight was a terrible reminder to Goofy of how much damage the Heartless had done to the worlds — particularly the _**Radiant Garden**_.

"Gawrsh," was all Goofy could say.

"The cookies!" Launchpad declared as he raced over to the ruined table. The trays had been knocked onto the floor and every cookie had been smashed — except two. One of them resembled an angel. The other was shaped like a star. The pilot hastily scooped up the surviving cookies.

Angelique rose from where she had fallen from the table. The instant she saw the mess, she sighed deeply and her face became downcast. "I knew this was hopeless…. "

Goofy and Launchpad both looked out the door. To their surprise, the Beast had left the entrance doorway wide open. Snow was starting to blow into the castle. Knowing this meant the castle's Master had hurried outside in a frenzy, Goofy wondered if the Heartless had done something to him.

The knight and pilot quickly agreed to make sure nothing happened to the Beast and hurried out the door. They needed to find Sora as rapidly as they could.

* * *

Sora breathed into his hands. He rubbed his arms. He continued to shiver. The cold wind blowing over the sleigh had gotten worse. Belle's horse, Philippe, struggled to pull the vehicle through the otherwise blinding gusts. The night sky above was void of any stars. Sora looked up several times, only to instantly slam his eyelids shut.

His teeth started to chatter. This was the complete opposite climate from what he was used to. The tropical islands back home seemed like a paradise compared to this blizzard, or snowstorm, or whatever it was called.

He just wanted to find a tree and get this over with. There should not be anything to worry about. What kind of Heartless would suddenly show up and attack in weather like _**this**_?!

Finally, Chip hopped up and down in Belle's hand. "There!" he declared. "That's it! That's it!"

The sleigh stopped. Belle and Sora looked up. On the other side of a frozen lake was a tall, green tree. To Sora, it seemed to be the same tree his Mom had struggled to set up for Christmas.

Belle smiled. "Oh, Chip, it's perfect!"

Philippe whinnied with delight. He gingerly crossed the iced lake to the other side. Sora and Belle quickly hopped out. Chip jumped into the sky and hobbled over to the tree. Sora looked up straight up at the trunk. "Whoa!" was all the brown-haired young man could utter.

"This is it!" an excited Chip proclaimed.

Sora was so focused on the tree, he barely saw the flash of Light in his hand. He shifted his eyesight down a moment later. His Keyblade had suddenly appeared. He stared at it. He knew one thing for certain.

Whenever his Keyblade appeared like _that_, it meant trouble was on the way. The only question was… when would it get here?

* * *

Amemi's teeth were chattering away, even though her mouth was closed. As she trudged through the snow, she kept her arms tucked in. She could feel the snow against her legs. Each step she took caused her feet to sink deeper into the snowbank. By now, her shoes were going in all the way.

She watched Donald step past. His bill was so cold, an icicle was dangling from it. Up ahead, Cogsworth and Lumiére were slowly moving through the snow. The candelabra was way up ahead, about twelve feet ahead of the clock.

Cogsworth was panting. "Do you see her?" he asked.

"Not yet," Lumiére replied. "Now, come along, hurry."

Cogsworth stopped to catch his breath. "You go on. I'll never make it. Save yourselves."

Lumiére stopped and turned back. He gave an annoyed grin. "It will be summer before we reach them," he muttered.

The candelabra shoved the clock face-first into the snow. Before Amemi and Donald's eyes, Lumiére hopped onto Cogsworth's back and caused the clock to slide down the other side of the bank. The sight reminded Amemi of a surfer.

"Whoa! Oh dear!" Cogsworth yelled in alarm.

"Allez, Allez, faster, faster!" Lumiére called. "I think we've finally found a use for you! Clock-boarding! No, snow-clocking! Whatever! Allez!"

The sight of seeing Lumiére using Cogsworth as a sled made the gears in Amemi's head turn rapidly. She wondered if there was a way she could do this very thing herself. Her eyes landed onto Donald.

The moment Donald saw the look in Amemi's eyes, he gulped. He knew this would not end well. "_**No, no, no**_!"

Without warning, Amemi snatched the duck and threw him into the show. She jumped onto his back and rode him like he was a surfboard. Except, instead of waves, there was snow drifts.

"_Wahoo_! Let's go!" she cheered with delight. Having mastered surfing back home, she rode down the snowbanks and zipped along at super speed. She wondered if this was something WordGirl ever did during the Winter months.

She failed to notice Donald muttering a long list of illegible garble. Thanks to the snow, his words were completely muffled and almost impossible to make out — even just a little.

* * *

The weather was worse than the Beagle Boys had expected. They shivered as the trudged through the deep snow. The biting gales caused patches of frost to form around their masks. An occasional passing snowflake caught their eyes before it drifted into the distance and out of sight. Their tongues and noses felt numb. Despite their black clothing, they were ill-equipped to deal with these freezing temperatures.

They had a job to do. If Forté kept his word, they would get their second chance. This should be the golden opportunity they needed to get back onto Maleficent's "good" side — given the evil fairy _had_ a "good" side. That was the only thing that kept them going through this apparent snowstorm.

A movement from the left caught their attention. Before their eyes, a strange-looking figure rushed by. They blinked twice. Had they just seen a candlestick surfing down the hillsides on the back of a clock? That was _**impossible**_! …Or was it?

A second movement drew their focus. They stared in complete surprise. A sandy-haired girl was sliding across the landscape at super-speed. Yet, what had drawn their eyes to her was the fact she was standing on top of Donald Duck.

"_Huh_?!" one of the taller Beagle Boys said, a baffled and bewildered look inscribed upon his face. "What was that?"

"It looked like that girl Sora was with," the other taller Beagle Boy added.

The third Beagle Boy gasped in astonishment. "It was his sister! She was sledding on Donald!"

The three were equally amazed. They had just witnessed the sister of that young Keyblade wielder surfing the snowbanks from atop Scrooge McDuck's nephew. That was the _last thing_ they had expected to see in this world!

"Let's get some Heartless out here!" the tallest one stated. He reached out his hand. A tiny, Shadow Heartless appeared and slowly crawled through the snow.

"That's nothin'! Let me give it a try!" the second one said. He reached out his hand. A few Neoshadow Heartless appeared and trampled over the smaller Shadow Heartless. Like their predecessor, the Neoshadows were having a difficult time trudging through the snow.

"You got it all wrong!" the third one declared. "I'll show ya how it's done!"

He reached out his hand. A pack of wolves suddenly appeared before the group. They were a neon-green color with navy-blue paws, yellow ears, and glowing red eyes. Their teeth were also glowing a blood-red color.

Before any of the Beagle Boys could react, the wolves attacked the Neoshadow Heartless and terminated them with such ferociousness, they acted like they had not eaten for twenty years. The pack then turned their focus to the trail of skis and tracks left behind by Sora's sister, Donald, and the other figure who had flown by earlier. With growling snarls, the Heartless scurried down the hills and into the distance.

The Beagle Boys each gave a sinister grin (even though they were still not as dark as Pete's grin). They were convinced everything would now be going their way.

* * *

Sora was keeping watch. He shivered as he stood still and swept his eyes around the forest. His Keyblade was still in his hand. It had not disappeared, and he was currently unable to put it away. He had tried multiple times to do this, and each and every one of them had ended in failure.

He definitely knew _**something**_ was up. He just did not know what it was, let alone when it would come. It almost felt like his Keyblade was taking a shot into the Darkness.

"It's the best tree ever!" Chip declared. Sora looked to his right. Chip and Belle were gathered at the tree the former had decided they needed for the celebration. The Axe from the boiler room was slung over Belle's shoulder.

"Chip, you're right," the young woman agreed.

"Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah!" the Axe cheered.

Belle took a moment to observe the snowstorm. "We'd better hurry. It's getting very stormy."

"We'd better get going," Sora added. "I've got a feeling something's coming our way."

Belle held the Axe tightly as she slammed it against the tree's base. "Oy! Oy!" the Axe declared. "Again, with the chopping."

Sora rolled his eyes. About one year ago, whenever someone had acted like this, he normally would have grinned or laughed. Now, he thought this kind of stuff was rather unamusing and just plain annoying.

It suddenly occurred to him this was most-likely the way Donald often thought about things. He could picture the duck thinking about all the possible ways he could get back at Goofy and Launchpad for all the troubles they had caused him.

He was wondering if this was a result of Xehanort's Darkness in his heart. Goofy had mentioned some of that terrible Keyblade Master's Darkness might still be inside of the brown, spikey-haired seventeen-year-old. Even so, Sora was sure that was just an excuse. He had learned from Violet how his heart had nearly been lost to the Darkness thanks to Xehanort's deception in the _Realm of Sleep_. Of course, that did not mean that same Darkness still existed in his heart now.

Then again, he _had_ outright attacked Dilan at the entrance to the castle at the _**Radiant Garden**_. He had also inadvertently shoved Judge Frollo off the rooftop of Notré Dame. Now, he was starting to think a lot more like Donald. Was there any connection between all these incidents? Or was it all just mere coincidences?

He did not for sure, and he was sure he would never know for certain. After all, that was the way life worked. No matter how many questions you asked, there would always be a limited number of answers. You could ask a million questions in your lifetime and only receive enough answers for about half of them.

"Timber!" Chip's shout broke Sora's thought process. The young man looked up in time to see the tree coming down — straight for him. He ran to the side as the tree's highest point crashed down where he had been standing.

"That was close!" Sora murmured to himself.

Belle grabbed a rope from the sleigh and tried to the tree's base. She turned to her horse. "Take it away, Philippe."

The horse neighed in reply and started across the frozen lake. The sleigh and tree were not far behind. Belle grabbed Chip and the Axe and hopped in. Despite having his Keyblade stuck in his hand, Sora raced over and climbed into the sleigh. It was now time from the long journey back to the castle.

Hopefully the others' distractions had kept the Beast from learning where they had gone.

An audible _**KLINK**_ filled his ears. Sora glanced ahead and spotted a tiny object lying on the ice. Belle poked her head out, too, and smiled when he saw the little instrument.

"Fife?" Belle said.

Fife grinned with a large, shy smile. "Uh, hi, Belle. Nice tree." He waved.

"How'd you get all the way out here?" Sora inquired. He still suspected something peculiar was afoot.

"I just was a… walking," Fife replied. His cheeks started to turn a shade of red. This display reminded Sora of how he had felt after Kairi had — _**NO WAY**_! He was _**NOT**_ about to let _**THAT**_ memory return to his mind! It needed to be locked up — _**ONCE AND FOR ALL**_!

"You were walking way out _here_?" Sora asked.

"I mean, I love the bitter cold," Fife chuckled with extra anxiety. At once, his chuckles ended and a deafening, high-pitched toot filled the air. Sora and Belle covered their ears. The sound felt more like a shrill alarm than something a little piccolo could produce.

The horse clearly hated it. He reared up in alarm and slammed his paws against the ice. He did this a few times. The sleigh rocked and suddenly toppled. Sora found himself falling out and sliding across the lake on his face. "Ow," he muttered softly.

Belle landed a few feet away from him. She looked back at her now-panicking horse. "Philippe! Oh, no!"

The ice underneath the sleigh started to crack. It broke apart, sending the vehicle and tree into the freezing water. The Axe jumped from the sleigh just as it plunged under the ice, dragging the tree and the horse along with it.

"The tree, Belle!" Chip exclaimed. "We're going to lose the tree! Noo!"

Belle gasped. She tried to stand, only to fall and start sliding. Sora's eyes were on Belle's horse. The animal was still panicking and being dragged under by the sleigh. Although he still was not sure if this was the reason why his Keyblade had appeared, he knew someone had to do _something_ — and fast!

Despite how slippery the ice was, Sora managed to stand long enough to rear back and throw his Keyblade through the air. The blade cut clear through the ropes connecting Belle's horse to the sleigh. The animal ran off to the safety of the snowbank as the ice continued to crack and float away.

"Phew! That was _too_ close!" Sora commented as he fell backwards onto the ice. At least, this time he was sitting down.

"Sora!" a voice shouted.

Sora swing his eyes to the opposite side of the lake. He could just make out the silhouette of a young woman about fourteen years old waving him over. "Amy!" he realized in a mere half-second.

He crawled to the nearest bank and stepped onto the snow. He started for his sister. He noticed Donald rising out of the snow. He had to shake his head, certain he knew what had happened. In addition, he took notice of Lumiére and Cogsworth hurrying across the ice to where Belle, Chip, and the Axe were waiting.

"Hang on, cherie!" Lumiére called. "I will save you!"

"Oh dear," Cogsworth worried aloud.

Sora continued to head for his sister and Donald. Just as he was getting close, he saw a wild-looking animal appear from the trees and cut him off. He slid to a stop before the peculiar-looking wolf. The moment he saw the Heartless emblem on its head, he glared and immediately started to fight the creature. "_**Back off**_!" he shouted in anger.

Another Heartless or two joined the first one.

* * *

Amemi watched in alarm as she saw her brother taking on a few Heartless wolves. She watched Donald pull out his wand and hurry over to help Sora battle away. She reached into her jacket pocket and took out her slingshot.

Before the sandy-haired teenager could rush into the frenzy, she found herself shoved into the snow. She looked up to see a snarling Heartless wolf standing beside her. Now, she wished she had paid a little more attention in school. Her teacher had given a full lecture on wolves — particularly on their hunting strategies. He had even shown an episode of an animated show starring a pair of brothers who study animals.

Her mind paused for a moment. The only thing she really could remember about that topic was the show. What was it called, again? She could not remember. All she did know about it was it starred those two brothers who know _a __**lot**_ about creatures, the characters sometimes used technology to turn themselves into versions of the creatures, and the animation did not appear to contain any outlines.

The Heartless's growl grabbed her attention. Amemi looked around and saw her slingshot lying in the snow a few feet away. She tried to reach for it, only to have the enemy step in the way. Spotting a nearby stick, she rolled around and grabbed it. She clambered to her feet as the monster approached.

"Stay back!" Amemi yelled as she held the stick like a baseball player about to swing. "I'm warning you!"

The Heartless continued to approach. She swung the stick and missed. She swung a second time. The Heartless opened its mouth and snatched the stick. Amemi pulled as hard she could, only to have the stick snap in half. The Heartless spat out the piece of broken wood and glared all the darker at the teenage girl.

Amemi gasped in alarm as the creature jumped at her and shoved her onto the ground. She tried to get up, yet the enemy had her pinned down. A second Heartless wolf emerged from the trees and raced straight for her. Knowing the creature was about to jump in her direction, Amemi screamed. She was so much in shock, her eyes remained frozen on the creature about to strike. "**HELP**!"

"**AMY**!"

The monster leaped into the air and reached its claws at the young woman's neck and chest. Just before the Heartless could land, a blur of something flew through the air and headed for the creature. A second object came flying from the side; it appeared to be spinning like a top.

The two items struck the Heartless wolf at the same time and vanquished it. A bolt of magical lightning appeared and struck down the Heartless wolf pinning the young woman in place.

Amemi bolted upright in a flash. She looked around wildly and spotted both Sora and Donald rushing over. From the side, Goofy and Launchpad came scurrying over. They were accompanied by the Beast, who was roaring with intense force.

Sora reached his sister first. He extended his hand. She grabbed it and he pulled her up. "_**Thank you, Sora**_!" she declared as she threw her arms around her brother. "_**I was so scared**_!"

Sora felt a little shocked for a moment. He took a deep breath and smiled. "It's okay. No need to get so worked up."

Amemi let go of her brother. "Well, you _did_ just save my life."

"More like I just saved your heart from those Heartless," Sora corrected.

Amemi had to shake her head. Her brother was acting so modest. She knew that was one quality their Mom had strictly wanted the two to have. If there was anything less important than being glorified as a hero or heroine, she could not think of it.

"That was close," Donald remarked.

Sora and Amemi turned their attention to the three spectators. "What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"Your sister was almost Heartless food," Goofy indicated.

"And you almost couldn't get to her," Launchpad added.

Sora had to admit, his friends had a point. Those Heartless wolves _had_ almost taken his sister's heart, let alone her life. He had never been one to think so extreme in such situations. To him, helping others was always important. So was proper justice being served. He was only eager to be called a "True Hero" by Phil. If anyone else referred to him as a hero, he tended to shrug it aside.

A loud _**ROAR**_ snatched the group's attention. Across the lake, the Beast was lifting an unconscious Belle off the ice. Cogsworth, Lumiére, Chip, the Axe, and Fife were all following him back to the shore. As they drew closer, Sora saw Belle's face had turned blue. He knew this could only mean she had caught a cold… or worse.

Sora held up his hand. "Just in time, again!" he declared, ready to give his friend a high-five or pat on the back.

The Beast simply snorted towards the young man and proceeded through the snow. Amemi and Goofy stepped to the sides as the Beast marched past and continued on his way in the direction of the castle.

Sora and the others stared in disbelief. "What's happened to him?" Amemi questioned.

"Gee," Goofy spoke up. "He sure seemed cranky."

"No kiddin'," Launchpad agreed, shaking his head slightly. "He tore up the ballroom while you guys were gone."

Sora, Amemi, and Donald swung their eyesight to the pilot. Launchpad explained how he and Goofy had finally finished some cookies, even though they had left the kitchen a mess. After they had taken the desserts to the ballroom, the Beast had barged in and smashed the table, torn down the decorations, and wrecked the entire room. "Reminds me of muh own house in Spoonerville," Goofy mentioned.

Sora nearly slapped his face. He could easily picture any house Goofy lived being in a total state of disaster. He wondered if Goofy tended to live the same way he did. It was something the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder had been told was called "the casual life". Each day would be a relaxing one… throwing filthy clothes on the floor… drinking soda with every meal… watching movies and shows on the television and/or online every day… sleeping in… accidentally tossing smelly socks out the window… eating popcorn covered in chips for every single snack….

Sora now wondered why he had gotten involved with the style of living. Being a couch potato no longer sounded like fun. Eating chips? Talk about fattening! It was too much like the way of life shown by the sloppy sportswriter, Oscar Madison, on that classic show, "_The Odd Couple_".

He shook all this out of his mind. Ever since school had let out for Winter Break, he had a little too much time to think about stuff. Until now, he had not even thought about all the things he did in his carefree, daily life. He was not quite sure why he was thinking about this particular topic either. It was what it was. Just as simply as counting to twenty-four.

Sora and the others turned their focus back to the lake. The servants were all on the snow-covered bank. Chip saw Belle lying in the Beast's arms. "Belle!" he exclaimed.

Fife looked as though he had just witnessed a tragedy or watched a horror movie. "Oh no! What have I _done_?!" He looked down into the snow and covered his eyes. "It's all _my_ fault."

Cogsworth, the Axe, Chip, and Lumiére all gathered around him. "We all share some blame, mon ami," Lumiére reassured the piccolo. "For daring to hope for Christmas."

Sora gave a deep sigh. He gazed into the distance. The snowflakes had stopped blowing around, so the castle could be seen as a large silhouette. He knew he needed to lead his team back to that building before they all got hypo— what-cha-call-it.

* * *

It was pitch-black outside by the time Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi returned to the castle. Cogsworth, the Axe, Lumiére, Chip, and Fife had all taken a separate route and gotten to their destination a few minutes before.

All the servants were gathered in the Entrance Hall, moping. Even Angelique and Mrs. Potts were there. So was the large Wardrobe from Belle's room. Sultan, the footstool, was racing around and around, trying to get someone to play with him.

When Sora asked what was going on, Cogsworth sighed. "It's hopeless," the old clock replied. "The Master is locking Belle in the dungeon. The ballroom is in shambles. The _kitchen_ is a disaster zone."

Goofy and Launchpad both covered their mouths to keep from snickering a little. Sora ignored the two and headed upstairs. "Sora? Where're you going?"

Sora looked back to see Amemi following him up the steps. "I'm gonna go see the Beast," Sora explained.

"Then, I'm going with you," the sandy-haired teen stated.

Sora nodded. He and Amemi hurried up the stairs to the West Hall. They raced down the hallway, slashing through a few Neoshadow Heartless that happened to cross their path. When Sora approached a greenish doorway in the hall, Amemi stopped.

"Where does this lead?" she asked.

"The undercroft," Sora informed his little sister. "It's… like a basement. The dungeon's down there."

Amemi gave a nod. "Then, let's keep moving."

Sora pushed the doorway open. The two ran down a flight of stairs and hurried to a large, stone doorway. As they grew close, a passing blur of something dark-purple caught Sora's eye. He halted, so Amemi did the same. "What is it?" she asked.

Sora glanced over his left shoulder. "There!" he said.

Amemi spun around and gasped. Her eyes grew wide with alarm. A small, bubble-shaped creature was drifting around the room. It was a dark-purple color with black eyes and a staring facial expression. Parts of the edge were spiked like a hedgehog or porcupine. "That is one ugly monster," Amemi winced.

"That's a Heartless," Sora indicated. He summoned his Keyblade and rushed towards the enemy. He jumped and sung his weapon at it. The Heartless was hit, yet all it did was jiggle a little. Sora was about to attack again when the Heartless drifted towards a stone statue. The creature entered the statue. At once, the statue glowed with the power of Darkness and came to life. It swung its massive battle-axe at Amemi. The young woman flipped backwards to avoid getting hit.

"This is not going to be easy," she sighed, taking out her slingshot. She shot at the statue. The statue hobbled back a little after being struck. It proceeded to swing a pair of samurai-like swords in a counter-attack. Amemi jumped out of the way and shot at it again. The creature blocked the attack and tried to clobber the young woman.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Sora shouted. He sliced his Keyblade through the statue. The object retaliated, sending Sora flying into the wall. Amemi saw what had happened and instantly kicked at the statue. The object suddenly became motionless. She shot at it.

With a significant force, the statue exploded apart, sending a shockwave through the air. From the shockwave, a group of Air Soldier Heartless appeared. Once he had gotten back to his feet, Sora glared at the enemies. He and Amemi stood side-by-side as they attacked each and every enemy. They had to counter and block a few times as the Heartless attacked almost relentlessly.

Once they had eliminated the last Air Soldier Heartless, a few flying bats appeared. In the middle of the group was the bubble-shaped Heartless. "Let's _do_ this!" Sora yelled.

"Right!" Amemi approved.

The two sibling charged at the enemies. The bats sent a series of sound waves to attack. Sora and Amemi leapt through the waves like a lion going through a flaming hoop. They struck out each of the bat-shaped Heartless before turning back to the bubble-shaped creature.

"Let's go!" Sora shouted.

"C'mon!" Amemi called in turn.

Their weapons glowed. They jumped into the air as Light started filling the room. Amemi rushed at the enemy and delivered a perfect shot at it. Sora held his Keyblade high above his head and slashed his way clear through the enemy.

The Heartless was so damaged, it practically evaporated into Darkness less than a minute later. Sora and Amemi looked back in time to see the creature disappearing for good. They put their weapons away and wiped some sweat off their foreheads.

"Thank goodness!" Amemi said with relief.

"Yeah," Sora nodded. He gazed at the doorway to the dungeon. It was open. "Let's get going."

The two hurried to the dungeon. As they were about to step inside, they could hear a pair of voices coming from the dark room. They halted and closely listened. They immediately recognized one voice as the Beast. The other one clearly was Belle.

"You said you'd never leave."

"I wasn't trying to leave. I just wanted to make you happy."

"You broke your word, and for that, you will rot in this dungeon forever."

"I should have known that you'd never be anything but a Beast."

Sora and Amemi stared in complete shock. To Amemi, Sora seemed to be in more shock than she was. As far as the young woman could tell from the words she had just heard, the Beast was going to imprison Belle in there for good. The whole concept reminded her of a rather dark fairy-tale. She was not sure why, just that it did.

A pair of twinkling lights appeared from the darkness. As they grew larger, it became clear they were eyes. Sora and Amemi stood on either side of the doorway as the Beast stepped out from the dungeon. He did not bother to shut the door and continued to the stairs across the undercroft.

Sora reached for his friend. "Beast?"

The Beast stopped in his tracks. "Sora… leave the castle."

Sora now looked shocked (from Amemi's perspective). "But," he started to say. "What about—?"

"_**Enough**_!" the Beast roared. He spun around long enough to glare at the spikey-headed Keyblader. "This is _**my**_ castle! Everyone must do what I say!"

Amemi had heard enough of this nonsense. She frowned and stepped forwards. "What's gotten into you?!" she scolded. "What _**are**_ you?! A _**slave**__ owner_?! You treat _**everyone**_ here like trinkets! You _**don't**__ care_ about them! You think they're slaves and take advantage of them!"

She pointed straight at the creature before her. "_**That's**_ what makes you a beast! You're _nothing_ but a _**monster**_!"

The Beast snarled at the sandy-haired girl. "_**Silence**_! You don't know _**anything**_!"

Sora hopped between the Beast and his sister. "_Cut it out_ — _**both**_ of you! We came here to bring _peace_ — _**not**_ start a war!"

The Beast covered his face in shame. He turned away and strolled up the stairs to the West Hall. Sora and Amemi watched him leave. Amemi sighed. "I didn't mean to cause trouble," she confessed. "I hate watching someone mistreat others."

Sora turned to his sister. "I know, but… this's not the time to bring that up."

Amemi crossed her arms. "When _will_ the time come?"

Sora spun around. "I… don't know. Let's get back to the others. We've gotta get going."

Amemi gawked at his brother's statement. "Are you serious? You're going to just _leave_ this world without trying to resolve this problem?"

Sora turned to his sister. "Unless we leave and _come back_, what good can we do?"

Amemi realized her brother had a point. They should just leave this world and return later. Hopefully, by then, the Beast and Belle would have reconciled. Maybe this place will be much brighter and more home-y. Perhaps this was still a chance.

Yet, the very idea of having to leave and return later was still quite a tall order. The Beast needed to learn to respect others' wishes… but, that would be another story.

* * *

**A/N: ...I am not quite sure what to say. That ending... it seemed to... to... to get to me. How TRAGIC!**  
**Despite how terrible everything now appears, it looks like Amemi is not willing to give up so easily!**

**Still, I have the feeling all of you noticed the changes in Sora's character. I know, those might [(a little)] out-of-character for him. Fortunately, I will tell you, they ARE NOT permanent ones. It is all a part of a certain "'story arc'" that started back in "_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_". More on that later, most-likely.**

**Either way, I HOPE you all enjoyed This Chapter! I actually had a hard time planning out the scenes at the lake. I did not want to mirror the movie TOO MUCH at the part where Amemi battled the Heartless wolves using a stick. That was a bit of a challenge. Thank goodness I was able to sort it all out!**

**By the way, I wonder if any of you recognize the figure in the black-hooded coat - the one who appeared in the West Hall. Does anyone know who he is? What about the monster Sora's team took on? The one that WAS NOT a Heartless? Please post your answers in the REVIEWS SECTION FOR THIS CHAPTER!**

**I am still wondering what you thought of Goofy and Launchpad's comical relief in there. I personally found it quite silly to see them trying to bake cookies like that!**

**Well... I seem to be running out of time. I shall just have to sign off here and come back later on. Then again, it depends on how long it takes me to finish Chapter 28.**

**So Then, I Shall See You All Next Time!**  
**What I Mean Is, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DOES DEPEND ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS MUCH - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, Remember To "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	28. Ch28 - The Star OF Hope

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY? ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER... CHAPTER!**

**Welcome back, everyone! You're just in time for the premiere of Chapter 28! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! YIPPEE!**

**Okay, so that was probably not the best way to start off, considering the way Chapter 27 ended.**

**Either way, for those of you who might have noticed, this is quite a LONG Chapter - words AND pages alike! I was actually caught by surprise when I discovered it was about 50 pages long (according to _Microsoft Word_). That is why I am going to keep this introduction short.**

**As it is, I wanted to point out how the amount of views on this story (and the other two I have posted) has/have significantly dropped in the last month. I still do not understand why this is the case. Are you not pleased with any of the stories I posted? Please, be honest. If you feel displeased, let me know.**  
**Like Walt Disney, I often take pride in my work. So, if you have anything to say negative about it, please keep it short and to the point. Don't go on and on and on without stating what you mean. I don't know anyone who likes that.**

**Well, anyway, I would like to once again recommend you all check out the POLL on my Profile Page.**  
**I am giving the chance to choose up to TWO SUMMONS for This Story!**

**Plus, I wanted to say something to any/all of you who read "_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_". If you look back at THAT STORY'S Chapter 10, I added a scene at the ending (a flashback). I added another scene at the start of the following Chapter 11 (also, a flashback). I decided to do this after coming back from _DISNEY WORLD_.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 28**  
**The Star OF Hope**

_**DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG! DONG!**_

The ringing echoed from one of the castle's towers. Sora glanced at his cellular phone. Through the cracks, he could just make out the clock. It read **12:00 A.M.** He gave a deep sigh, knowing it was now officially Christmas Day — at least, in _this_ world. Everywhere else, the holiday was still about one week away. The same was true for the _**Destiny Islands**_.

Even so, his mind was wrapped around all the things he had witnessed lately. He had saved the lost city of Atlantis from the hands of a greedy commander using the Heartless. He had prevented the outbreak of a war between a native tribe and a group of settlers. He had brought an end to the tyranny of a Darkness-infested judge and restored peace to an entire city. He had helped a world-renowned teenager save her world from a mad scientist.

Yet, here he was unable to bring back the Christmas Spirit to an entire castle. If he only knew what he had done wrong. Why wouldn't the Beast compromise with Belle? At one point, the Beast had seemed eager to celebrate Christmas after all. Now, it appeared all that excitement had simply been temporary and worn off altogether. The ballroom and kitchen were ruined, and the Beast had ordered Sora and his friends to leave. To top it off, Belle was now locked up in the dungeon.

Sora looked around the parlor. On the other side of the room, Donald was lying before the roaring fireplace. His bill was so close to the flames, it seemed to be about to catch fire. The duck magician had been there ever since the group had returned to the castle. Sora did not blame him. His bill had been frozen stiff from the outside air, and an icicle had been dangling from it.

Goofy was plopped down in a chair, looking through a comic book. Sora noticed the cover was old and faded. He was unable to make out the title, although it looked like it had been written in the Old English style. The letters were all fancy and huge. The colors were faded, yet still bright enough to be appealing to the eye.

The only other thing Sora saw was Goofy was wearing a pair of eyeglasses as he read. Having never seen them before, the spikey-haired Keyblade wielder wondered how long the knight had owned those glasses.

Amemi was the last one Sora saw in the room. Launchpad had gone outside to get _Herbie_ started. It would not be long before the group would be off into space and heading to another world. Maybe they could check in with King Mickey and Master Yen Sid. Perhaps they could get some advice for this dilemma from Leon and the gang. Who knows? Kairi might have something to say.

Sora's eyes were trailing his sister. As she continued to pace the floor, he watched her walk back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth…. He soon felt a little dizzy, especially when Amemi's steps became faster.

This was not an uncommon sight for him. At home, whenever the sandy-haired girl had been nervous about something, she tended to pace around and around and around her room, sometimes through the whole house. Those were the times Sora preferred to lock his door whenever he was in his room. Once, she had spent an entire night pacing. The result had been a series of thick footprints that still remained in her carpet to this day. True, she _had_ been worried about a major Mathematics test the next morning… she had not slept a wink. Because of this, their Mom had allowed her to stay home and get caught up on all the sleep she had missed.

Sora had felt jealous at the time, yet now, it did not matter. Still, the sight of his sister pacing around like this bothered him for some reason. What was she thinking about? Did it have anything to do with the current events? She _had_ scolded the Beast and called him a number of things, one being a "slave driver". Another was a "monster". It was no surprise to him that the Beast had yelled at her. With his bad temper, _anything_ could have happened.

With curiosity filling his mind, Sora finally opened his mouth to speak. "Amy, what's up? You look like you've got another test tomorrow."

Amemi stopped in her tracks. She turned to face the young man. Sora could now see she was frowning. Before he could ponder why this was the case, she started yelling at him like a violent, erupting volcano. "_What's_ _**going**_ _**on**_?!" she hollered in an extremely loud voice. "_**Every**_ _**single**_ _**time**_ I ask you why this castle seems _**very**_ peculiar, you change the subject or ignore me!"

Sora nearly jumped out of his seat. The only other time Amemi had shouted at this volume was when her first boyfriend had run off with another girl. "Sora, _**what**_ are you hiding?!" the sandy-headed young woman added. "I _**need**_ to know what's happening around here!"

Sora's hands flew to his head. This was the last thing he needed. His sister was determined to learn this world's secrets, stuff he had been trying to keep her from. The story of the Beast, the servants, and the castle was clearly _**not**_ a pleasant one! It was the kind of tale Amemi would be terrified to hear.

When he saw both Donald and Goofy turning their eyes towards the two, Sora knew he had no choice. With a dismayed sigh, he turned to his sister. "It's… kinda a long story."

Amemi crossed her arms. "Then, let's get started! We have all night, remember?"

Sora sighed. He could not recall all the details Cogsworth, Lumiére, and Mrs. Potts had shared with him, Donald, and Goofy. All he could remember was the spell, its effects, and how it could be broken. Perhaps his friends remembered more of it?

He looked at the anthropomorphic duck and dog. The two had risen from their places and approached them. "Could you guys help me out?"

"Yeah!" Goofy nodded as he put away his eyeglasses and the comic book. He paused and put his finger to his chin. "Let's see… it all started on some old Winter-y night. A woman came to this here castle, and she asked for 'shell-y-tear'."

"That's '_shelter_'," Donald corrected. The duck cleared his throat. "But the Beast — I mean, the Prince — wouldn't let her in. She was _soooooooo_ ugly!"

Amemi gasped. "That is a _**terrible**_ story!"

"Yup!" Goofy agreed. "He was a mean guy before we met him. The servants said he was spoiled meat. Thuh woman told him to be nice, but he was still very mean and closed thuh door in her face."

"She transformed into an Enchantress," Donald continued the story. "And she turned him into the Beast."

"Oh, yeah!" Sora saw, his eyes lighting up. He had just remembered the rest of the story. "And then, the Enchantress put the spell on the castle. Cogsworth and the others became what they are. Then, the castle was transformed."

"And it became so unfriendly," Amemi realized. Her eyes told Sora she was shocked by the tale. "I _**knew**_ there was a reason! Why didn't you tell me this before?"

Sora hesitated in his response. "Well… I wanted to protect you, Amy. Some stories can be dangerous."

Amemi's right hand instantly slammed against the right side of her head. She rolled her eyes and smiled. "You really are naïve, Sora," she said. "You can try to deny it, but I know you. You're my brother, and you will _always_ be naïve."

"He's always this way," Donald informed the nearly fourteen-year-old girl.

"He's also very shy around girls," Goofy explained. He started to chuckle.

Amemi had to smile all the more. "No wonder you don't like it when someone mentions how Kairi kissed you."

Sora was on his feet and staring straight at his friends. "_**WHAT**_?! Haven't you _**forgotten**_ that already?!"

"Nope," Goofy grinned.

"We never will," Donald stated. He waved his right arm around in a semi-circle.

Amemi's shiny, blue eyes had never looked more clear and bright. "Kairi will _never_ let you live it down!"

Sora groaned in annoyance. Now, he wished he could jump back through time and prevent that incident from ever taking place. If only he could. If only he could….

"See, Sora?" Amemi went on. "There's nothing to worry about. The story of this castle was a tragedy, but it's all over now. Nothing else can happen here."

"Yes, there is!" Sora argued. "The last time we came here, a guy named 'Xaldin' was trying to turn the Beast into a Heartless."

Amemi froze. "Who?"

"He was a member of Organization XIII. Xehanort's Nobody, Xemnas, was their leader."

"They controlled _all_ those Nobodies," Donald added. He shrank back at the memories. The very thought of being surrounded by those monsters still haunted his mind.

"That's right!" Goofy spoke up. "They were gonna make thuh Beast into a Heartless! They would have had control over his Nobody. They wanted ta make their own _Kingdom Hearts_!"

Amemi looked lost. When Sora opened his mouth to explain, his sister raised a hand to him. "Please, that was a _lot_ of information for me to take on at once."

Sora gave a nod. He completely understood what it felt like to learn too much too fast. When King Mickey had explained to him about how the Ansem he'd fought and defeated was really the Heartless of Ansem's apprentice, Xehanort, he had been nearly completely lost. It hadn't helped when Goofy had started to ponder. Fortunately, the knight had realized Xehanort's becoming a Heartless had meant he probably had a Nobody. Sure enough, King Mickey had confirmed that very Nobody was the true leader of Organization XIII. (You can just imagine the alarm Sora had felt inside!)

Sora had been willing to practically _**strangle**_ Xehanort at that exact second — _**especially**_ after all he had done to Riku, Kairi, and him! His own family… his island home… his mind was running away without him. He needed to stop there.

Now, Amemi looked puzzled. "But… what does the story of this place's spell have to do with the Beast hating Christmas?"

Sora shrugged.

"Well, we know it was during some 'cold winter's night'," Goofy mentioned.

"Yeah," Donald nodded. "That's what the servants told us."

Amemi gazed at Sora. "Is there a connection?"

"I dunno," the seventeen-year-old Keyblader confessed. "That's the only lead we've got."

Amemi paused to think. Sora, Donald, and Goofy watched her with anticipation for the next few minutes. "There could be more to this story," she said.

"But what?" Donald wondered aloud.

Sora and Goofy shrugged in turn. Before anyone could speak or move, a bright Light shot across the room. The group spun their eyes to the far wall as a magical, transparent screen appeared. It reminded Sora of a television screen, only much clearer.

It also looked somewhat… familiar.

An image appeared in the projection. The display showed a slender, muscular boy about ten or eleven years old with fair skin, light-auburn hair, and blue eyes. The background appeared to be the castle's Entrance Hall, only much brighter with white walls and golden lining rather than the dark-blue walls and dark-magenta lining.

To Sora, the boy looked familiar….

* * *

"_Bring me my presents!" the boy snapped. His face was twisted into a snarl. On the other side of the room, a small group of people were gathered around a Christmas tree. A number of presents lined the tree's base._

_Among the people at the tree was a large man sporting a curly, brown toupee and a mustache. Another was an older woman with blue eyes, magenta lips, long eyelashes, lavender eye shadow, pink cheeks, and a round chin._

_One of the people approached the boy. It was now clear the boy was seated in a large, golden chair. It resembled a throne._

_The one who had approached the boy was a tall, thin man with a long nose, brown eyebrows, and heavy-lidden brown eyes. He knelt before the boy and smiled. A package covered in nice, green wrapping paper was in the man's hands. "Your Highness, please accept this humble gift as a token of our appreciation," he said. "I know I speak for everyone when—"_

"_Oh, just __**give**__ it to me!" the boy demanded. He snatched the item out of the man's hands. Everyone in the room stared in surprise. With an excited look in his eyes, the man tore away the wrapping paper. To his shock and dismay, inside was nothing more than a book with a red cover. "A storybook?" he stared at the man with a funny look. "You call __**this**__ a present…. "_

_He dropped the book to the floor and scowled into the direction of the group of people. "I hope you have something __**better**__ for me, Forté!"_

_The group of people all swung their eyes to one particular figure. It was a rather tall man sporting a mask-like face with lavender circles around his eyes. He had rather pale skin and a large wig that made him look like an Egyptian pharaoh. He was dressed in a nice, black overcoat with light-colored pants, a bronze-like vest, and black shoes. He had huge, puffy ends to his sleeves, the design resembling a piano's keys._

"_Yes, sir," the man said as all eyes turned to him. "Of course, Master."_

_He sat down at the pipe organ across the room. He started to play a series of notes. The song sounded very uncheerful and haunting. He was starting to show a hint of a grin when the boy stared in disgust. "What's __**that**__?"_

_The man turned to face the child. "A small piece," he explained, bowing very politely. "In your honor, sir."_

_The boy shook his head and stuck out his tongue. "Ugh! I __**hate**__ it," he sighed, a little. "Forté, that stuff is gloomy."_

_At that precise moment, a loud knocking echoed about the room. Everyone whirled their attention to the castle's front doorway. The boy rose to his feet and scowled all the more. "Who disturbs __**my**__ Christmas?!"_

_He stomped over to the doorway and opened it. Outside was a middle-aged woman sporting long, magenta hair that gracefully descended down to just below her shoulders, magenta eyes, and very light skin. She was wearing a faded, magenta dress with long sleeves and silver lining along its cuffs, collar, and bottom trim, and a pair of pointed, magenta shoes. There were a pair of wilted, magenta antennae on her head, each sporting a yellow ball on the end. Her sagging and soaked magenta wings were shaped like paper fans with a slightly-brighter tint inside their outlines. Her eyes were outlined with smeared light-green eye shadow._

_She was shivering the snow outside. She held up a lush, green rose in her left hand. It almost seemed to be glowing a little. "Please," she said despite her chattering teeth. "T-take this rose i-in exchange for sh-sh-shel-t-t-ter from this bitter cold."_

_The boy snorted at her. The look on his face indicated how appalled he was to have this woman at his doorstep. "I don't need a rose. Go away, you wretched old hag!"_

_He turned to step back inside. The woman grabbed his arm. "Please, help me! You should __**not**__ be deceived by appearances!" she gave a hint of a smile. "Surely you know how beauty is found inside?"_

"_I told you to go away!" the boy shouted. He swung his arm and broke free. He turned and kicked the woman onto the ground. Next, he went back inside and slammed the door shut._

_The woman stared in alarm. As some tears filled her eyes, she also felt something else — anger and rage. This quickly became evident on her face. Her scowl was accompanied by a thin layer of Darkness shrouding her body. "_**NO WAY**_!" she declared. "I shall _**NOT**_ be treated like I was a mindless animal! Justice _**MUST**_ be served!"_

_She started glowing a strange color of red. In a flash, the doors of the castle flew open. The boy and everyone else inside whirled their focus over to her. They covered their eyes with their hands. The woman had become a hovering being wearing a scarlet robe with short sleeves and a pair of matching sandals. She had a magenta wand in her right hand; the tip was a scarlet-colored star. The rose was still in her left hand._

"_You have been long deceived by your _**own**_ cold, self-centered heart!" she declared in a loud voice that seemed to echo. "I hereby place this _**curse**_ upon you _**and**_ your household! Unless you can learn to love someone else and win __**their**__ love in return, you shall forever remain a _**beast**_!"_

_Before the boy could have said anything, magic started to swirl around him. He stared in alarm as he suddenly transformed into a hideous creature with horns, fangs, and extremely sharp claws. The other people around the tree remained frozen, watching this event. Magic started to circle each of them. In a matter of minutes, all of them had been transformed into objects — a clock, a candelabra, a teapot, a teacup, a piccolo, even a wardrobe._

_The woman saw what had become of the boy and all the servants. When the castle's walls became a very dark shade of blue, she summoned a glass lid. She placed the rose underneath the lid and put it carefully on the floor. She then turned to the open doorway and flew outside. "That shape is _**so**_ suitable! If _**only**_ I could have done the same to 'him'…. "_

* * *

The image faded away and the projection vanished. The screen itself flickered for a few moments before it disappeared altogether.

Sora, Amemi, Donald, and Goofy were still staring in astonishment. Sora was the most speechless. If what the projected movie had showed was true (and he was sure it was), the Beast had indeed been a spoiled brat — just like Lumiére had claimed. To make matters worse, the spell had been placed onto the castle on Christmas night. What a _**tragic**_ tale! It was _much __**darker**_ than he had first believed! Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, and Lumiére had not said _anything_ about the timing of the spell. Christmas… no wonder the Beast hated it so much! It was indeed a painful memory for him. The only other case where someone had gone through a similar situation (as far as Sora knew) was Ebenezer Scrooge — in that classic story, "_A Christmas Carol_".

However, his mind was mainly focused on the Enchantress. Her appearance. Those wings, her hair, the wilted antennae that made her look a little like an alien… they looked and felt familiar. He thought back to the first time he had met Violet in the then-Sleeping World of _**Traverse Town**_. He had initially assumed she was a flying alien that had invaded the town. If Riku had not explained to him how Violet was an angel, Sora might have feared the worst and attacked her.

Now he was wondering if there was a connection between Violet and the Enchantress. Was there? He was stumped about the whole, entire thing.

Through the corner of his eye, Sora thought he saw something poking out from behind a luxurious couch on the other side of the room. He turned his head to the right. Whatever it was, it was gone now. In its place was a faint glow… was that a shade of blue? Or was it violet? Mainly… indigo?

Curiosity rapidly flooded Sora's head. He decided it was time to investigate. He stepped away from the others. They were still staring in complete shock. As he approached the couch, a head poked itself out before ducking back behind.

"Wha—?" Sora muttered to himself. Had he just seen what he thought he saw? There _was_ someone hiding behind that couch!

He needed to know who it was. It could very well be a troublemaker. Maybe… someone linked to Maleficent and her council of villains. He would have to summon his Keyblade in an instant if necessary.

The brown, spikey-haired young man stopped at the side of the couch and reached his hand behind it. He could feel something back there. It almost felt like… a butterfly's wing? He reached further and grabbed something more solid. He could feel something pulling against him. He pulled harder and harder. He stepped back as he yanked a figure out from behind the couch.

"Huh?" he was startled by what he saw.

He was holding onto the arm of a slender young woman with very pale skin, and indigo eyes and matching shoulder-length hair. She was decked out in an indigo dress with long sleeves and silver lining along the cuffs, bottom trim, and collar. A pair of indigo shoes with pointed toes were slipped on her feet. She sported a pair of indigo antennae with light-bluish balls on the ends, and a pair of indigo wings that were a shade lighter on the inside. There was a large, triangular tear in her upper, right wing. A necklace around her neck contained a large capital "I" for its emblem. Her whole body was engulfed in an indigo glow.

When he sensed a strong Light radiating from her, Sora's eyes lit up in a flash. He knew this feeling. It was the same sensation he always had whenever Violet was around.

The girl's eyes showed signs of fright. She looked away and closed her eyes. "Please, do not hurt me," she said in a voice that sounded like something Sora recognized. He wondered… could this be Violet, only transformed? No way! That was impossible! …Or was it? He did not know.

"Uh… Violet?" he asked. "You know I'm not gonna hurt you."

The girl's eyes opened and she swung her attention back to the young man. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open in complete surprise. "You know Violet?"

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah."

The girl gave a deep sigh of relief and smiled. "So sorry. I… I did not know you knew her."

Sora grinned in return. This was definitely not Violet. Even though she had a similar appearance and voice, she did not use the same word choices as the angel. That was quite clear.

"Sora?"

"A-Hyuck! Who's this lady?"

"What is she?"

Sora and the girl spun their focus to the middle of the room. A fascinated Amemi, Donald, and Goofy were walking over. Goofy looked amazed. Donald was puzzled. Amemi was smiling.

Sora gestured to the young woman. "She was hiding behind the couch," he explained. He turned to the girl. "I'm Sora. These are my friends, Donald and Goofy, and my sister, Amy."

"Amemi," Amemi corrected. "'Amy' is a nickname."

The girl gave a shy grin and small wave. She had one hand (her right one) hidden behind her back. Sora presumed she was left-handed.

"My name is Indigo — The Angel of Hope," she introduced herself. "Violet is my sister."

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy declared. "Ya do look an awful lot like Violet. Are ya sure you ain't her twin?"

Indigo hesitated a little in her response. "It is… something along those lines. We were… separated many years ago. All three of us."

"'All three'," Donald muttered aloud. "There's three of you?"

Indigo nodded. "Correct. There is Violet, myself, and Teal. We are part of the mythical '_Angels of Light_'."

"So, what you're saying is there _are_ other angels?" Sora questioned. When Indigo gave another nod, the Keyblade wielder knew he had been given his answer. He now knew he should _never_ had doubted Violet. He had outright accused her of lying to him and Riku about stuff. It turned out, the angel had been honest from the get-go. If only he could hop backwards and stop that terrible event from ever happening. If only he had not been misled by that mystery guy in the black coat. If only he could….

"How were you separated?" Amemi asked. Indigo turned away. The sandy-haired girl immediately understood. It was one of those things that were better off left unsaid. More than likely, it was an extremely hurtful memory.

The door barged open. Everyone whirled their eyesight around. Into the room strode Launchpad. His big bill was a little blue and had a few now-dripping icicles on it. He was shivering as he stepped down the steps and neared the group. "Sorry, buddies," he told them. "_Herbie_'s fallen into a deep sleep. He wouldn't start. I guess we're stranded until morning."

The moment he saw the angel with the others, Launchpad took a second look. "Hey, who's she? A Christmas angel, or a large butterfly in a dress?"

"This is Indigo," Sora informed the pilot. "She's Violet's sister."

Sora and the others stepped back as Launchpad marched up to the angel with lightning speed. He grabbed her left hand and started shaking as hastily as he could. "Nice to meet ya! The name's Launchpad McQuack! If it's got wings, I can _crash_ it! You're the second angel I have seen not on a tree or in heaven!"

Indigo broke free from the muscular duck's firm handshake. "Please do not 'crash' me. It would hurt too much."

Launchpad stepped back a little. He looked downright confused. "Why is it all my friends tell me not to crash? Would they all rather take up skydiving? Or can they fly like an angel or bird? Maybe they're all conspiring against me to fly solo…. "

Donald leaned in close to Indigo. "His flying's out-of-control," he whispered. "It's why I joined the navy."

Indigo gave the duck a nod of understanding, even though Sora could tell she had her doubts and did not quite comprehend.

Sora looked to the now-open doorway. Knowing they were going to have to spend the night in the castle, he decided they might as well try to do something about the Beast and Belle's falling out. What was the worst that could happen? The two would never see nor hear from each other for the remainder of eternity. Of course, that was extreme. Yet, it was also the worst-case scenario.

Sora turned to his teammates. "Let's head to the dungeon. As long as we're stuck here, let's try to help Belle and Beast."

Amemi nodded. "Yes. I'm not giving up without trying."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all agreed in turn. Indigo asked if she could come along, to which Sora signaled for her to follow. The angel beamed brightly as she followed the group out of the room and up the stairs to the West Hall.

As the group strolled down the enormous corridor, Indigo was busy telling the group all about her latest adventure. When she mentioned about being in the bell tower of Notré Dame, Sora paused in his footsteps. He suddenly recalled sensing a powerful Light from the upper reaches of the cathedral's bell tower. Amemi was the one who spoke.

"I _knew_ there was something up there!" she admitted. "I thought I had seen someone hiding in the rafters."

"Yes," Indigo acknowledged. "I was keeping my eyes on the bell ringer. His heart was trapped in a set of walls I knew needed to be torn down."

"Quasi," Sora realized. "Then… you know him, too."

"I sort of know him," Indigo said. "I know what lies in the hearts of others around me. I can sense their Light shining out. When it starts to fade, I head over and take a closer look. It has been taking place a _lot_ these past few weeks. Whenever Christmas comes around, the Darkness tries to destroy the Light."

"Must be the same with all angels," Donald mentioned. "Violet told me she can feel my jealousy towards my cousin, Gladstone."

Indigo gave another nod. "Yes, it is. All angels can sense Light all around them and tell exactly where it is fading from."

She turned to Sora. "I can tell there is a strong Darkness growing inside you. It is moving slowly, yet it is still very strong."

Sora was startled to hear this. "Huh? What're you saying? My heart's full of Darkness?"

"That is not what I said," the angel replied. "I told you, there is a slowly growing Darkness inside your heart."

"Must be Xehanort's doing," Goofy blurted. All eyes turned to him. "Don't you remember? 'Zen-ha-court' put his Darkness inside ya, Sora."

"You mean 'Xehanort'," Donald hastily corrected.

"Oh yeah, A-Hyuck!"

Donald wanted to slap the knight's face.

"I forgot about that," Sora realized.

"Must be normal," Launchpad commented. "I'd forget everything if Mister McDee and DW let me."

Amemi turned her eyes to the pilot. "Don't you use flashcards to remember things?"

"I used to," the duck-pilot admitted. He gave a shy grin and rubbed the back of his head. "But… I forgot where I put 'em all."

Amemi crossed her arms. "Launchpad, when you were young, did you fall on your head?"

"All the time," Launchpad answered. "Why?"

Amemi rolled her eyes and shook her head. Sora had to shrug this all aside. He had something important to tell the angel. After all, she _was_ Violet's sister. Perhaps she would join them — just as he had told Master Yen Sid, King Mickey, Riku, and Violet. She could help them in their fight against Xehanort, Maleficent, and anyone else who tried to get in their way.

"Indigo," the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder started to say. "Do you know what's going on out there?"

"Lots of trouble," Indigo replied. "There are scary monsters hiding in the shadows. I watched one set a house on fire. Another one stole a soldier's heart. He faded away and turned into one of them. It was _such_ a scary sight!"

"Yeah, I know all about the Heartless," Sora sighed. He had the feeling the angel was not very well-informed. At least Violet had possessed knowledge of the current events taking place in the _Realm of Sleep_. Her sister did not seem to be familiar with the on-going threat of Darkness. Worlds were in danger, and she was doing absolutely nothing to help them… well, that's the way Sora understood it. He wondered why the Angel of Hope was not retaliating against _Maleficent's Council_. Was she completely unaware of their nefarious deeds? Did she see them acting and simply run away? Was she a coward at heart?

He had to shove all this thinking aside and focus on filling her in. "Look, Indigo, there are these creatures called 'Heartless' that go around stealing people's hearts," Sora explained. "There also try to steal the hearts of worlds."

Indigo stepped back a few feet. "That would be a _very_ scary to see!"

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "That's why I have to lock their Keyholes. A witch named Maleficent is trying to—"

"Wow!" Indigo interrupted. She rushed forwards and bent down to get a close look at the magical weapon in Sora's hand. Her eyes filled with sparkling stars. "Is this… a 'Keyblade'?"

"Uh… yeah?" Sora was puzzled. What was she driving at?

Indigo hugged Sora so suddenly, she knocked him onto the floor. "I have _**always**_ wanted to see one! Thank you so much! Thank you so much!"

Sora had to shake the angel off his shoulders. "Like I was saying, there's this witch, Maleficent, who's trying to use the Heartless to take over the worlds."

"She's got a council of villains helpin' her," Goofy elaborated.

"Pete, Mortimer, and the Beagle Boys are among them," Donald added in turn.

"Don't forget that fairy, Thistle," Amemi indicated. "She was one tough opponent."

"What about all those others?" Launchpad wondered aloud. "Judge Frollo? Drakken? And anyone else we haven't seen?"

When Sora started to speak, Indigo swung her eyes back to him. "That's why we need your help, Indigo. We need seven hearts who can stand up for the Light."

Indigo froze. Her left hand touched the air directly between her neck and chest. Her eyes were wide and focused, like she had just watched a horror movie. "So, all this time, you were looking for me to help you fight these 'Heartless' monsters," she summarized.

Sora nodded. "Yeah. Will you help us?"

Less than a second later, Indigo leaped into the air. She curled into a ball and flipped around as she fell towards the floor. The whole time, a loud, "_**YIPPEE**_!" echoed about the hallway. When she landed back on her feet, she saluted using her left hand; Sora saw sparkles of enthusiasm in her eyes. "_**Spectacular**_! I shall help you out any way I can! You can count on _**that**_, I promise!"

This caught Sora completely off guard. He had not expected the angel to get so animated and agree to provide help in an instant. He had the feeling there would be a _lot_ more to angels than he ever would know. Violet and Indigo were sisters, yet they were also very different when it came to their personalities. _That_ much, he could definitely confirm at this point.

He noticed his teammates reacting to Indigo's excitement in various ways. Donald sighed. Goofy chuckled. Launchpad looked confused. Amemi was shrugging; that was normal for her.

Sora shook his head and gave his world-renowned grin. "C'mon, let's go see Belle. She could use some cheering up."

The others nodded. Only Indigo spoke in reply. "Bringing Hope to others is my duty!" she declared. "Let's do it!"

The group headed for the green doorway leading to the basement… err… the undercroft.

* * *

Sora shivered as he led Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo into the castle's dungeon. His eyes adjusted to the darkness enough to make out their surroundings. The middle of the room was empty, except for a hard, stone floor. A few stacks of hay were situated against the walls. The only light came from a small, rectangular window. The moonlight shining through was rather dim, so it did not fill the room.

Belle was seated against the wall near the window. She had a blanket, yet it looked too thin to fight against the cold air coming in from the window. When Sora and the others stepped into the room, the young woman looked up and gave a small smile when she saw them. "…You're here?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah. We want to clear up this misunderstanding."

"Are you sure that's what it is?" a puzzled Donald asked.

"Well, what else would it be?"

The duck-magician folded his arms in thought. Sora did not wait for an answer. He signaled Indigo to come forward. "Belle, this is Indigo. She's a new friend of ours."

Indigo stared at Belle for a few seconds. When she sensed the young woman's heart of pure Light, she took a deep breath and relaxed. With a smile, she waved. "Hi, Belle! I am the Angel of Hope."

Belle's smile seemed to grow. "Pleasure to meet you."

Indigo placed her hands together as though she was praying. A cheerful smile appeared on her face, and her eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight. Just by looking at the angel, Sora could tell she was delighted to meet the _Princess of Heart_. He wondered what exactly was going through her head. Was she thinking about Belle's Light? Did she question what was going on in this world?

"I know you are hurting," Indigo said at least. "Yet, Belle, this whole problem is not your fault. Someone else has tried to hurt the Beast."

Sora's ears perked up in a flash. The last time he had heard something like this, Xaldin had attempted to turn the Beast into a Heartless so he could seize the latter's Nobody. "Huh?"

"Is it somebody using thuh Heartless?" Goofy inquired.

"Or did the Organization come back here?" Donald asked.

"You are close," Indigo replied. "The Darkness I have found here is coming from upstairs. I can tell it is very strong. I just cannot tell exactly where it is coming from."

Sora crossed his arms. He was now wondering just what the angel had detected. He recalled how Violet's antennae had always started swaying whenever she had sensed any form of powerful Darkness close by. He had the feeling Indigo was no different. Perhaps all angels had this special skill? Was it like instinct?

However it happened, the brown-haired youth knew for sure that something or _someone_ using Darkness was somewhere in this very castle. The only question left was… who was it? Who could possess that much Darkness? He was not sure.

He was about to speak when a series of sounds came from the still-open doorway. Cogsworth, Lumiére, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and Angelique all came hobbling, waddling, and hopping into the dark room. The moment Cogsworth saw Goofy and Launchpad, he became quite cross.

"You two are _**forbidden**_ to make cookies in our kitchen!" the clock scolded.

Goofy and Launchpad tried to reason with Cogsworth. The clock refused to hear them out. Sora ignored them and kept his focus on everything else going on around him.

"Belle?" Chip said.

Lumiére approached the shivering young woman. "Hello, Cherie."

"There she is," Mrs. Potts said in turn.

"Merry Christmas," Lumiére declared in an attempt to cheer Belle up. It seemed to be working, a little. Sora made a note of Belle's slowly growing smile.

Chip sighed. "Doesn't look so special to me."

"The ballroom's a disaster," Donald mentioned.

"So's the kitchen," Launchpad added. This brought the pilot a stern look from Cogsworth.

Belle looked down. "Oh, Chip, I'm sorry. Nothing's changed."

Sora had to admit, Belle was correct. From the time he had set foot in this castle (during this quest, that is), the castle had not become brighter in the least, little bit. If anything, it just seemed much darker than before. The gloomy hall when he had first walked in reminded him of Eeyore's mood. The number of Heartless roaming in the castle's corridors was overwhelming.

This world was definitely not on the side of Light, at least not at this point in time. It did not help this was the Holiday Season. That was when the Light was supposed to be at its strongest. Of course, that also meant the Darkness would be strong, too. It was a shame this world was currently stuck closer to the Darkness.

Angelique came forward. "I _told_ you," she stated in a stern voice. "I _told_ you nothing would change. I _told_ you the Master would not allow this. I _told_ you that Christmas was a _hopeless_ folly!"

Sora was taken by surprise. He had not expected the castle's decorator being so harsh. Sure, she _had_ come across as a little controlling from the moment he had first met her. Yet, this was going a little too far. Now, she was coming across as somewhat of a bully… if you could call it that.

Belle shut her eyes. It looked as though Angelique's words were doing damage. The decorator sighed and her face changed from its scold-like look to one of understanding. "But… I was wrong."

Everyone turned their eyes to the Christmas angel. Indigo's eyes were wide and alert. To Sora, it appeared she was paying close attention to the decorator.

"Angelique," Amemi said. "Are you saying… ?"

Angelique's response came in the form of a song. This made Sora wonder if her heart was doing the singing. Then again, this world did seem to be set in a fairy-tale. He wondered if this was normal in any world that appeared to be a fairy-tale-like story.

"_When I felt lost and lonely, not a dream in my head, your words lifted my spirits high. I remembered what you said,_ '_As long there's Christmas, I truly believe that Hope is the greatest of the gifts we'll receive_'."

Belle smiled and held out her hands for the Christmas angel. She held up Angelique as the two continued to sing out. The sight reminded Sora of when he had sang with Ariel in an undersea musical. He found himself recalling Donald's terrible singing voice… he had to shove it out of his mind. He wanted to see this.

"_As long as our guiding star shines above, there'll always be Christmas. So, there always will be a time when the world is filled with peace and love._"

At the mentioning of "_guiding star_", a sparkle appeared in Indigo's hands. The angel calmly held it up and tossed it into the air. The tiny sparkle drifted out of the dungeon through the window. Sora watched through the window as it headed into the sky and ended up in the sky. The sparkle had now become one of the brightest stars in the night sky.

He glanced back into the dungeon. Thanks to her indigo-colored glow, Indigo was easy to see in the dim lighting. Her hands were folded and she was smiling. Noticing the twinkling sparkles in the angel's eyes, Sora had the feeling the star she had released most-likely was the "_Star of __**Hope**_".

He looked back out the window. He knew somewhere in the sky would be the "_Arrow of Truth_", a constellation he had made up years ago. Unfortunately, he could not see any familiar shapes in the stars. Not a single one looked familiar. He had the feeling this was because he was in a completely different world than his island home; the _**Destiny Islands**_.

* * *

"Oh, my _dear_ old friend," Forté said as the Beast strolled into the enormous, shadow-filled chamber. His Master looked more depressed than normal. The Beast solemnly strode up to the window and looked out. It appeared he was regretting what he had done to punish Belle. He gave a deep sigh and looked down.

"I told you not to feel for her," Forté told him in his usual, manipulative style. "Things were so much simpler before she came along, before we dared to… hope."

The Beast gave a deeper sigh and put his hands behind his back. He slowly looked up, a little. "I thought she was the one."

He turned around and began pacing back and forth across the room. Forté kept his eyes on his Master. He already had figured the Beagle Boys had gotten lost trying to find their way back to the castle. Fife had not returned, either. It did not matter.

His plan was working itself out, regardless of whether or not he had his underlings present. Yes, he did the Beagle Boys as his underlings. After all, they _had_ agreed to help him in order to avoid the wrath of someone named "Maleficent". Forté had never heard of such a name before, yet it sounded like his kind of person.

He decided to make his next move. He pretended to feel sorry for the Beast by making his mask-like face droop. It looked a lot like the sad-mask from the standard theater/play logo of the two masks. "Ah, it _tears_ me up to see you this way, Master," Forté said. "Why do you torment yourself?"

The Beast gave a deep sigh in return. Forté glanced at the rose in the next room. He gestured towards it. "There's the symbol of your curse," he told his Master. "Destroy it! End these adolescent notions of _love_ and _redemption_. End your pain — forever."

A thin cloud of Darkness enveloped the Beast. The creature approached the rose in his room. He stared at it for a moment or two. A rosy petal started to descend from the plant's top. As it drifted to the marble table, the Beast lifted the glass cover. The rose was still hovering in place.

Forté saw his chance. "Yes! _Do_ it! _**Smash**_ it!"

The Beast's eyes filled with rage. He growled and raised his right arm. He was about to slash his claw at the rose when the falling petal caught his eye. The petal drifted down to the forest-green package on the table. The Beast stared at the package, recalling who had had it sent to him. "Belle."

He grabbed the package and strolled back into the enormous chamber. Forté was startled. This was _**not**_ part of his plan! "What are you doing? What is it?"

The Beast quickly opened the package. Inside, he found a handwritten tome. The book contained a paper cover. He held it in both hands, still thinking about who had given him it.

"Oh, a storybook," Forté scoffed. "Does this one have pretty pictures you can color?" he gave a laugh. "Utterly _dreadful_, Master."

"No!" the Beast stated in a firm voice. He scowled at his court composer. "This one is different," he looked back at the book and approached the still-glowing fireplace. "It's from Belle."

Forté gave a smirked grin. "Well, _that_ would account for the creative wrapping."

"_**Quiet**_!" the Beast bellowed. Forté was so shocked, he nearly shrunk back and slammed his head against the wall. "I want to read."

Forté groaned softly as he watched his Master sit down in the latter's chair. The Beast opened the book and started to read. As he read the fancy lettering, he could almost hear Belle's voice speaking to him.

"_Once upon a time, there was an enchanted castle. It's Master seemed as cold as winter. Deep inside his heart, there was no love. His cries echoed through the stone wall of the castle. Though surrounded by servants, he was all alone…. _"

The Beast paused for a second. This all sounded _very_ familiar. He decided to continue reading.

"…_And in that simple act of kindness, he knew that someone cared. Christmas that year was spent exchanging humble gifts, but the greatest gift that anyone received was the gift of Hope._"

"Hmm… 'Hope'," his eyes lit up. He could feel a strong Light filling his heart. He wondered what it meant. Was Belle correct? Had he _really_ been too selfish — again? He knew he needed to set things correct.

He needed to apologize to Belle.

The Beast carefully closed the book and stood up. He gently placed the book in the chair and headed for the doorway. Forté stared in alarm. "_**No**_, _Master_! _**Come back**_!" he shouted in an attempt to lure the Beast back. "She'll _**only**_ prolong your _**torment**_!"

The Beast slammed the door behind him. As its echo rick-rocked about the chamber, Forté started to glare. "So, Beast gets girl, and it's a happy ending for everyone. Enchantment lifted, and Forté fades into the background. No longer important. No longer needed…. "

His scowl swiftly transitioned into a snarl. "I think _**not**_!"

Through the corner of his eye, he saw the Beagle Boys stepping into the room. Their faces were a pale shade of blue and they were shivering. A few slowly-melting icicles hung from their hoods and arms.

Forté snorted his disapproval. It was time for "_Plan B_". "They shall see, even if they are _blinded_ right now."

* * *

The dungeon felt much brighter and cheerful than earlier. Sora was feeling pleased, certain this meant the Light was returning to this world. His eyes turned to Indigo. He wondered if her presence had anything to do with it.

The angel was happily chatting with the servants about Christmas-related stuff. Although he could not tell what they were saying, Sora decided to relax a little. He placed his hands behind his head and started to sway slightly back and forth.

Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were all gathered with the servants. As he started to listen, Sora realized they were discussing about what to do about the now-ruined Christmas party. At last, Chip spoke in a loud enough voice for everyone to hear — including the seventeen-year-old Keyblader.

"You know what, Belle?" the chipped teacup asked. "I don't need a tree to celebrate Christmas."

Lumiére gave a joyful nod. "And I can do without mistletoe."

Cogsworth frowned at the candelabra. He crossed his arms. "Well, I don't need tinsel."

Lumiére must have taken this as a challenge of some kind. "Oh, I don't need holly."

"And I don't need a wreath."

"I don't need ornaments."

"And I… don't need turkey."

"I don't need stuffing."

"I don't need pudding!"

The two servants scowled at one another. This reminded Sora of how he and Riku had sometimes started their sword fights. There were those times they had smiled before starting. Other times, they scowled or even glared. Once, they had even fought during a play — "_The Nutcracker_". Well… their roles _had_ required them to have a duel. Sora had been cast as the Mouse King while Riku had starred as the Nutcracker.

He had been so jealous, he had actually encouraged Riku to go a little _too_ far with the fight. The two had knocked over a piece of the set. This had resulted in Clara — _Selphie_, that is — in shouting at them. Sora had then chosen to just fall over like he had been killed. He had seen Kairi and Amemi standing backstage with Tidus and Wakka. The two girls had been staring while Wakka was shaking his head. Tidus had slapped his face. All Sora had thought of doing was giving his shy grin, which was basically his well-known smile, only slightly wider.

"To each his own, my friend, you know how to get me stressed," an outraged Lumiére snapped, breaking Sora way from his pondering and recollection. "But when it comes to making Christmas special…. "

"Ah-ah!" Cogsworth interrupted. He stubbornly gestured to himself. "_I'm_ a cut above the rest!"

"If you could see things clearly, you would say that I've been blessed."

Cogsworth pointed to Lumiére's arms. "You can't hold a candle to my timing!"

"Ahh! _I'm_ a cut above the rest!"

The two turned their backs on each other and folded their arms. They held their noses high in the air and shut their eyes. The sight caused Sora to recall the behavior of his friends, Rabbit and Tigger. It also reminded him of two characters from that animated show — the one his sister and him had watched together for years. What was it called again?

He only remembered it had something to do with an eight-year-old boy who was a human-like aardvark. He had a bratty sister, who happened to be Amemi's favorite character. There were lots of other characters. The bunny who loved food… the smartest kid… the monkey-girl who loved sports… that one girl who only cared about money and fancy stuff… the bully-like kid who played the clarinet.

Belle bent lower so she was about four times Cogsworth and Lumiére's eye-level. "You belong side-by-side," she told them. "You should never be apart. Cause when you're both together, you're really _twice_ as smart."

Amemi stepped up. "Yes," she agreed. "If you both work together, you can make many things happen."

The two servants stared at the sandy-haired girl. They started to ponder. "They do have a point," Cogsworth gave in.

"Yes," Lumière approved. "Well, two heads _are_ better than one."

They shook hands… if you could call it a "handshake", that is. Sora still knew they meant it. They were grinning happily. He knew the pair had settled their disagreement. The only thing he wanted to know now was how long this truce would last.

A shadow loomed into the dungeon. Sora gazed at the entrance door. The silhouette of a large figure was standing in the doorway. When they took a few steps in, it became clear who it was.

The Beast. To the brown, spikey-haired youth's surprise, the castle's Master seemed to be showing a look of regret on his face.

Chip gasped. "Uh-oh! It's the Master."

Amemi stepped to her brother and held his hand as tightly as she could. Sora knew she was a little uncomfortable. He could not blame her, especially after the spat she had had with the Beast.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad gathered against the far wall. Cogsworth, Lumiére, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and Angelique did the same. Sora was ready to summon his Keyblade in case some funny business was afoot. For all he knew, the Beast might have turned into a Heartless. Then again, he was not sure, specifically since there was no stench of Darkness in the room.

He felt something from behind. He looked over his shoulder. Indigo was ducking down behind him. She peeked out from over his shoulder. He could see her anxious eyes staring at the Beast.

Belle was the only one who held her ground. She stared at the Beast with a rather calm look. The Beast approached her and took her hand. He looked into her eyes. "Uh, Belle," he sighed. A few tears formed in his eyes. "Can you forgive me?"

Belle's smile told Sora everything. She had seen the sincerity in the Beast's eyes. "Of course. Merry Christmas."

The Beast beamed with delight. He turned to everyone else with a large smile. "Let's give Belle the Christmas she's _always_ wanted!" he declared.

The servants all cheered. Sora saw Amemi jumping up for joy. "_**Yahoo**_!" she cheered.

"_Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy_!" Donald called, throwing his hat into the air with glee.

Goofy and Launchpad both started leaping up and down with excitement. The last time Sora had this behavior from them was at his birthday party. Yes, that was the time Kairi had—…. _**No way**_! He was _**not**_ about to let that memory return to his mind!

"_**Yes**_!" Sora declared in turn. Indigo emerged from behind him and stepped up to the Beast and Belle. She had a large, friendly smile. The two turned their attention to her.

"My name is Indigo — The Angel of Hope," she said, curtseying before them. "I knew you both could fix your relationship. I believed in you. Your Lights shall shine brightly for the rest of this year and long into the future."

Belle smiled all the more. "Thank you, Madam Indigo."

Indigo's smile shrank and she cupped her hands together above her chest. It almost looked like she was fidgeting with something or other. Her eyes moved around a little. Her glow dimmed slightly before it grew again. "Please, just call me 'Indigo'. That is my real name."

Sora had to shake his head. The angel's actions reminded him of how he sometimes reacted around girls. That was one thing he knew Donald and Goofy had always noticed and remembered. Why else had they teased him so much about Kairi?

A loud blast of noise echoed about the immediate area. The entire room shook violently. Sora found himself wobbling about, trying to keep from toppling over. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were not so lucky. "_Get offa me_!" Donald snapped from the bottom of the pile.

Amemi leaned against the wall as the room continued to shake. Indigo stepped backwards as the floor suddenly opened up. Sora was appalled. The castle was coming apart! Why?! What was going on?!

"_**Earthquake**_!" Amemi screamed.

Sora jumped back as the ceiling began caving in. "Whoa!"

A small trinket bounced off his shoulder. When he turned to see what it was, his eyes lit up in surprise. It was a two-sided item. On one side, it was a shiny, golden star that resembled the badge of a law enforcement officer. The other side looked like a jet-pack with some white and green colors. The object was glowing a little.

Even though he was not quite sure what this thing was, the spikey, brown-headed young man shrugged. He put it into his jacket pocket without a worry. What harm could it do?

* * *

Fife was hurrying down the darkened corridor of the West Wing. The entire hallway was shaking and dust from the ceiling was coming down in some places. He hobbled into the Beast's room and dashed to the large chamber next door.

Inside, he found a cackling Forté. For a moment, the piccolo thought the composer had lost it. The next, he realized the composer was the one responsible for the racket. He gasped, wondering why Forté was causing all this damage to the castle. Had he gone completely _mad_?!

The noise for the pipe organ was releasing such violent vibrations, the enormous windows on the far side of the room had shattered into oblivion. Chunks of the ceiling were starting to rain down. A few lampstands had been knocked over and the floor was quaking like a shockwave had rushed through it.

"_Maestro_!" Fife shouted as loudly as he could. "_Stop_! What do you think you're doing?"

Forté ceased his playing for a moment. His enormous grin turned to face the tiny instrument. "Don't you see, Fife?" he proclaimed. "They _can't_ fall in love if they're _**dead**_!"

Fife was appalled. He could _**not**_ believe what he had just heard. Forté was plotting to assassinate the Master — and kill Belle in the process! No way was _**he**_ going to stand for this! He needed to take a stand against the villain.

"I'll tell you what I see," Fife stated. He hesitated, wondering how he should come across. When he noticed the cloud of Darkness surrounding the pipe organ, he finally felt courageous enough to speak. "A… big, old windbag."

Forté just laughed off the piccolo's insult. "You could have joined me, Fife, but I see my triumph is a _solo_ act."

Before Fife could question what Forté meant, a trunk near the destroyed windows came bouncing over. It crashed down before the piccolo and popped open. A bunch of papers flew everywhere. Fife reached out and caught one. To his surprise, it was titled as the solo he had been promised. There was no music written on it.

"My solo!" he declared. "It's blank!"

Fife scowled at Forté. The latter laughed away with such a sinister tone, it sounded completely unhuman. In fact, it did not sound like a laugh. It felt like… a demon had possessed the composer.

"So naïve," Forté ridiculed. "You're _second_ fiddle, _Fife_, and that's _all_ you'll _**ever**_ be."

Fife gripped the paper in his hands so tightly, it nearly tore in half. "You won't get away with this!"

"Oh, believe me," Forté countered. "I _already_ have the high notes."

A series of footsteps approached Fife from behind. The piccolo spun around in time to see a trio of hooded figures with black masks standing behind him. Before Fife could react, the three individuals slammed the trunk they were carrying over the piccolo's head. They immediately locked it shut.

"Let me out!" Fife yelled from inside. "Let me out!"

Forté continued to play on. He gave the hooded trio a look of delight. "Well done, Beagle Boys. One less mouth to feed."

The Beagle Boys grinned with sinister smiles. Forté cackled away in as loud a voice as he could. "Can you believe I _**never**_ took a lesson?" he declared with pride.

* * *

The sinister cackle echoed about the castle. Sora's ears froze the instant he heard it. He knew that voice… that evil-sounded, spooky tone of voice. It could only belong to one individual living in this place.

"_**FORTÉ**_!" the Beast roared in anger.

Sora gave a quick nod. That was all he needed to confirm who was responsible for this destruction. Only the castle's composer could be capable of such harm. The seventeen-year-old had not trusted the composer from the moment he had first seen him. His suspicions had increased when Forté had twisted Belle's words and then had denied doing it.

Sora had the feeling Forté was probably linked to Maleficent… or Xehanort for _that_ matter.

The Beast charged to the door. The doorway had been partially blocked by the crumbling debris from above. That did not stop the Beast. He slashed his way through and proceeded through the undercroft and the West Hall beyond.

Sora saw where the floor had been torn apart and instantly leaped over. He landed safely on the other side. He turned and told Amemi to follow. The sandy-haired girl nodded and jumped for him. He caught her arm and helped her stand. After that, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all knocked over a wooden beam and stepped across it like a tight-rope. Belle and the servants followed them before the beam snapped apart and fell into the chasm. "That was _**close**_!" Sora exclaimed.

Indigo was last. She jumped into the air and spread out her wings. She soared across the gap and continued to fly after the Beast. Sora and the others gave chase.

* * *

The West Hall was literally coming down. Chunks of marble rained from the ceiling. Some of the suits of armor had been smashed or simply toppled over. The sight _did_ remind Sora of an earthquake-in-progress. Although he had never experienced such an event on the islands, he had learned they naturally happened here and there.

Sora led his teammates up the stairs to the West Wing. As they charged up the steps, a chunk of debris broke loose from the ceiling and came crashing down. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all came to a halt. Amemi had slid to a stop directly below the debris. She was not moving, only standing like a statue.

"_**Amy**_!" Sora called. "_**Run**_!"

Amemi did not act like she had heard him. Sora realized she was frozen in alarm. He knew he needed to act for her. He raced over to his sister. As he drew close, the young man saw a blur of indigo rush by. Before he knew it, Sora saw Amemi had been shoved to safety. Indigo had swooped in and pushed her to one side. The debris had ended up crashing down onto the angel, pinning her in place.

"_**Ouch**_!" Indigo shouted in agony.

Sora knew he needed to free her. Violet would _**never**_ let him live it down if anything terrible happened to her sister. He knew he had to act — _**no matter what**_!

The Keyblade wielder sped over and summoned his Keyblade. He used the weapon's blade like a lever. The large chunk of debris started to rise. Goofy and Launchpad dashed over and grabbed Indigo's arms. They pulled her to safety. Sora felt his Keyblade slip. The debris crashed down with such force, it tumbled down the rest of the stairs and broke apart when it hit the floor.

A bruised Indigo stared in alarm. "I was almost smashed!" she realized. She turned her eyes to Sora. "Thank you so very much!"

Sora gave a nod. He saw Indigo's antennae were bent slightly and her winds were crumpled like a folded piece of paper. A few scrapes and bruises were visible on her arms and forehead. Otherwise, she seemed unharmed. Donald was quick to use his magic to heal her. Sora had to nod at the duck-mage.

He turned to the stairs. "C'mon!"

He ran up the stairs and turned left. As he barged through the still-open doorway leading into the West Wing, one of the large doors broke off its hinges. The wooden door started to lean his way. Sora rushed by before the door could crash down on his head.

He glanced back. Donald and Goofy were helping Indigo along. Launchpad easily lifted the fallen door and leaned it gently against the wall. "It's a good thing Mr. McDee's vault door once rolled away," he remarked. "Or I wouldn't have had practice with carrying doors."

Sora had to shake his head. Even in the middle of a serious situation, the pilot always had time for a silly comment.

He turned his attention to the corridor up ahead and signaled for the others to follow. That was when he saw the Beast was almost to his room. Amemi suddenly raced by and sped down the hallway. Knowing they were on the correct track, Sora charged down the corridor as fast as he could manage.

He darted into the Beast's room. After hopping over a few pieces of ruined furniture, Sora made a sharp left and hurried into the gigantic room through the doorway. He entered it just in time to hear the Beast holler, "_**Forté**_!"

On the other side of the room, the castle's composer was cackling away without a care in the world. Sora was not surprised by this sight. He could make out the thick blanket of Darkness shrouding the villain. He had seen this same thing time and time again. What was new?

"We can remain as we _are_ _**forever **__and_ _**ever**_!" Forté declared.

The Beast clearly was far from amused about being ignored. "_**Forté**_! _**Enough**_!"

Forté looked as though he had been busted for a crime. "Heaven, Master," he said. "You're not _singing_!"

At once, a strand of greenish music flew from one of Forté's pipes. It slammed straight into the Beast, knocking him backwards onto the floor. In an instant, Sora summoned his Keyblade. "You're gonna pay, Forté!" he provoked, glaring at the composer.

In a heartbeat, Donald, Goofy, Amemi, Launchpad, and Indigo were standing around the brown-headed Keyblader. Donald had his wand ready, Goofy's shield was held out, Amemi was readying her slingshot, and Launchpad held up his gas-gun.

Indigo was holding a magical wand with a star-shaped point. The staff was indigo-colored while the star was a bright shade of silver and sparkling brilliantly.

When Forté saw the group, his evil smile grew all the more. "Kids like _you_? Don't make me laugh!"

All of a sudden, a group of creatures appeared from the cloud of Darkness. To Sora's shock, it was a pack of Air Soldier Heartless, only with dark-yellow helmets instead of brown ones.

He did not waste any time charging at the enemies. He swung his Keyblade and slashed his way clear through one. That was when two others attacked from both sides. Sora found himself clobbered and shoved onto the floor. Indigo raced over and waved her wand in a sideways triangle. "_**Three-sided Windspeed**_!" she declared.

The Heartless were suddenly scooped up by an enormous whirlwind. The few left were rapidly knocked aside by Goofy's shield and Amemi's slingshot. Donald reached Sora and tossed him a potion. By this time, a horde of Neoshadows had appeared and were busy slinking across the floor.

"Watch it!" Launchpad shouted as one of the Heartless rose up and started to spin his way. The monster was literally spinning like a top. The pilot was so startled, he ducked behind a statue. He accidentally bumped into the object, knocking it over. The statue banged into another one beside. Then another. And another. Before long, the short line of statues were toppling over like dominos set in a line of some kind. The last statue fell flat onto the floor, crushing four Neoshadow Heartless lurking near the wall.

"Heh, heh," Launchpad chuckled. "I meant to do that."

Sora gave a roll of his eyes before he turned his focus onto Forté. He was about to rush forwards and attack the pipe organ when three hooded figures surrounded him. He glared at them, recognizing the Beagle Boys.

"This castle belongs to _us_," the tallest Beagle Boy stated.

"Now, you can just _leave_ us alone," the medium one added.

"_Get __**out**_!" the shortest one barked.

Sora had seen enough. Although he was not certain why the three villains were here, he knew Maleficent was deeply involved in this world's affairs in one way or another. Why else would the Beagle Boys have been in this castle? He simply held his ground and tightly clutched his Keyblade.

"If I've defeated you once, I've defeated you a _hundred_ times!" he declared. "I can do this all day!"

The Beagle Boys rushed at him. Sora whirled around and sliced his weapon through each of the villains. They all fell back and bounced around a little. The two taller ones hastily returned to their feet and rushed at him. Sora swung his Keyblade and knocked them back so hard, they rolled across the floor like balls on a billiard table. They slammed against the wall and a few stars shone above their heads. Sora knew they were out for the count.

The shortest Beagle Boy crept up from behind. "Take _that_!" he yelled, swinging his sword in a wild manner.

"_**Waah**_!" Sora did not have time to turn around. He was struck from behind and knocked back. He whirled around in time to see Amemi shoot the villain in face with her slingshot. Goofy charged over and smashed his shield into the Beagle Boy's face.

That was when Donald arrived. When he saw the Beagle Boy was out cold, he sighed and grumbled. "Phooey! I _always_ miss the action…. "

Sora had to grin. He knew Donald all too well. The duck magician tended to complain about… just about, well, everything. The food… the work… the heat… the beds… the showers… the homework… the barley… the handouts… wait, _**what**_ was he thinking about?! He was not sure.

Forté's sinister grin seized the attention of Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo. "Try performing _this_ song! I call it, '_The Tune of Doom, in D Minor_'!"

He slammed down his keys. A shot of pure Darkness mixed with a green glow flew straight from the pipe organ. A few others immediately followed.

"Look out!" Sora shouted. The group huddled behind Goofy's shield. Indigo tried to race over, only to get cut off by a falling lampstand. The room was still coming apart. Instead, she ducked down as several Darkness blasts rushed by.

Amemi was also caught in the open. She had speedily raced behind a column and stayed there. She felt her heart race as one of the Darkness blasts nearly struck her. Another one slammed into the column a few inches above her head. It caused a few pieces of debris to fall on her head. Fortunately, they were about the size of sand grains. "This is getting dangerous," she murmured to herself.

Out the corner of her eye, Amemi saw Lumiére, Cogsworth, and Angelique scurrying across the room. That was when something else caught her eye. The rose in the next room. All the shaking had caused the glass container to shift around. It was now on the verge of falling over the table's edge.

"The bell jar!" Lumiére exclaimed.

The three hurried to the table. The container suddenly toppled over the edge. Cogsworth rushed in and caught it at the last second. "Got it! Got it!"

"Careful," Angelique said, trying to sound calm.

Amemi looked away. She did not want to get distracted. The only way to stop all this chaos was to stop Forté's terrible music. The composer was blasting attacks of dark music from his pipes almost constantly. Over and over, the Beast tried to get up, only to get knocked back by another blast of dark music.

"Is this happy enough for you, _Master_?" Forté called over the loud music and blasting attacks. "I know I'm downright _**giddy**_!"

Amemi was concerned. How would they stop the villainous Forté now?

* * *

Sora was struggling to stay safely behind Goofy's shield. Something bumped against his shoe. He looked down. A small, wooden trunk was there. It seemed to be bouncing around a little. When he thought he heard a soft voice coming from inside, Sora used his Keyblade to unlock the trunk. It opened and out hopped a tiny piccolo. "Fife!" Sora immediately recognized him.

"What were you doin' in there?" Goofy wondered, having noticed the little instrument.

"No time to explain!" Fife declared. He saw the Beast rising from the floor, again. "Oh, Master!"

"Get to safety!" Donald ordered.

"We've gotta stop Forté," Sora added.

Another blast of dark music slammed hard against Goofy's shield. "Gawrsh! That was a _strong_ one!" he remarked.

"Oh, the _keyboard_!" Fife exclaimed. Sora's eyes trailed the piccolo's eyesight straight to a large, fancifully-decorated keyboard at the top of a short flight of stairs. Either side of the platform was protected by railings.

"That's _**it**_!" Sora realized. If he could just reach that keyboard, he could put a stop to Forté's destruction. He needed to get to it — and fast! He took a few steps away from Goofy's shield and the others behind it. A blast of dark music barely missed him. He needed to keep moving. He did, only much, much, much, much slower than he had wanted. The dark musical blasts had forced him to hold his Keyblade before him and defend himself from the attacks of Darkness.

"_**Aside**_!" The Beast marched past. Sora watched as the castle's Master began slashing his claws at the incoming blasts. He sent each and every one of the attacks into a void deep within the Twilight Zone. He reached the steps. Before Sora's eyes, the Beast strode up one step at a time. Not a single blast of dark music clobbered him there.

"You can do it, Beast!" Sora cheered his friend on.

* * *

Forté continued to roar with delightful glee. His laughter reminded Amemi of a combination of Miss Power and The Wicked Witch of The West. She hated both those characters. It was no shock she despised Forté, too.

She kept her eye on the villain. The Beast was standing directly before the pipe organ's keyboard. He grasped the sides of the contraption and yanked it free from the rest of the instrument. The keys instantly stopped moving. The vibrations ceased, so the shaking halted, too. Forté stopped cackling and started to gasp for air. Amemi knew what this meant.

Forté was suffering. After all, he _was_ only a human that had been transformed into a pipe organ. Amemi caught a mere glimpse of Cogsworth, Lumiére, and Angelique returning the container with the rose back onto its table. She gave a sigh of relief.

* * *

Sora was taken by marvel. He watched as the Beast lifted the keyboard above his head. With all his might, he threw the keyboard at the wall. The contraption broke in half on impact. Ivory keys went flying through the air and clattered all over the floor. A few sheets of music went flying all over the place.

"What a good crash!" Launchpad approved.

The crash was plenty to cause the chains keeping Forté bolted to the wall to snap apart. "_**What**_?!" the composer declared in alarm. He started to topple over. "_**NO**_! **NOOOOOOOOOO**!"

Sora stared at the pipe organ as it toppled over in his direction. The Beast was standing in place. "Beast!" the spikey-haired youth yelled. "Run!"

The Beast held his ground. Sora was beyond worry. Was there something the castle's Master knew that he didn't?

Forté toppled over and his scream grew softer and shallower like an instrument losing its sound. He crashed down upon the steps, snapping the railing from its place and sending up a cloud of dust and Darkness. The shockwave resulting from the impact nearly knocked Sora off his feet. He looked back to see what was left of the pipe organ.

All the pipes were smashed or crumpled. The top of the instrument had been dented in badly. With the keyboard also gone, Sora knew what this meant. Forté's heart had been lost to the Darkness. There was no coming back for him.

"Forté…. " the Beast muttered through his gritted teeth.

That was when Sora saw the Beagle Boys coming to. The three villains saw the destroyed pipe organ and gasped.

"There goes our golden opportunity," the tallest one said.

"She'll have our _heads_ now," the medium Beagle Boy added.

The shortest one gulped. "Let's get _**outta**_ here!"

The three villains rushed to the side of the room. A dark portal opened. Before Sora could say or do anything, the Beagle Boys had raced into the portal and disappeared.

Sora was completed puzzled. Why _had_ the Beagle Boys been in the castle? It did not make any sense to him. Had they been causing miscellaneous mischief? _That_ sounded possible.

Whatever the case, they were gone. Sora had the feeling he might not see them again for a long time. Of course, he had defeated them in the Sleeping World of _**The Country of The Musketeers**_, taken them down in _**Le Villa de Sonner Les Cloches**_, and now he had fought them again here — at _**The Beast's Castle**_.

Now, he wondered… how many other members of _Maleficent's Council_ were roaming about causing trouble?

Only time would tell….

* * *

A few hours had passed since Forté had been taken down once and for all. The ballroom had never looked so beautiful. In such a short time, Angelique had managed to make it look as lovely as a fireworks display.

All the servants were gathered in the room, including Fife. Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo were also in attendance. They stood on the side of the ballroom beside Cogsworth, Lumiére, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and Fife.

Amemi was admiring the decorations. There were wreaths placed neatly on each window. The garland had been re-applied to the columns. There were hollies and mistletoes located on opposite sides of the circular room.

"This is so nice," she remarked with a large smile. She loved such pretty sights. They reminded her of all things that were good.

"Oh yes," Mrs. Potts nodded. "It is lovely."

Lumiére gazed at Angelique as she strode past him. "And you said it was impossible," he quipped.

"Uh-uh-uh-uh," Angelique stated, shaking her finger with a smile. "I said it was impossible without _me_."

Cogsworth's eyes were on the entrance doorway. He suddenly called, "Everyone, shh-shh! Here they come!"

Into the room strode the Beast and Belle. Amemi's eyes nearly burst with delight when she saw the golden dress Belle was wearing. She held her hands to keep them from fidgeting too much. Belle truly _did_ look like a princess.

"Wow!" Chip exclaimed.

The Beast and Belle both stopped long enough to take a look around the ballroom. Belle's smile grew all the more. "It's wonderful."

The servants all cheered with glee. The Beast gestured to the crowd. "Merry Christmas, one and all!"

"Merry Christmas!" the servants all cheered.

"Yeah!" Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all chimed in. Indigo gave a thumbs-up with her left hand. Sora beamed brightly.

"Maestro," the Beast said.

All eyes turned to Fife. "Yes, Master?" he asked.

The Beast smiled. "Would you do us the honor, friend?"

Fife's grin increased in less than a second. "I'd be _delighted_!"

He started to play a calm, yet very holiday-spirited song. A group of violins and other stringed instruments joined in. Even though no one was touching them, Amemi knew they were simply enchanted — just like the rest of the castle.

The Beast and Belle started to dance around the ballroom. As she watched them, Amemi felt a strong Light in the room. A thought crossed her mind. This place was under a spell, like in a fairy-tale. Did that mean there was a way it could be broken?

She turned to Sora. "I hope, one day, this world will no longer be under this spell," she told him.

"Yeah," Sora nodded. His smile faded a tiny bit. "I _hope_ so."

Amemi stared at her brother. That was the last thing she had anticipated. Was he still hiding something about this place? Hadn't he told her everything about the spell?

"Sora, what are you saying?" she enquired.

Sora turned to face her. "Remember the rose in the Beast's room?"

Amemi gave a nod. She recalled how she had first encountered the Beast while attempting to touch that plant. Yet, for some reason, the rose had been floating. Then, there was that mysterious, crimson glow. Was that rose magical?

Sora continued. "If Beast can love Belle, and have Belle love him back, the spell'll be broken."

Amemi's eyes lit up. So, there _was_ a way for the spell to be broken! She had seen the Beast and Belle give each other romantic looks during the dance so far. If this kept up, they would be loving one another in no time. Yes, just like a fairy-tale. "I know it'll happen," she said. "They're falling in love as we speak."

Sora did not look so sure. "True, but the spell's got a limit."

The sandy-headed teenage girl's ears perked up. "What?"

"Beast needs to break the spell before the last petal falls from the rose," her brother explained. "It's like… all his and the others' hopes are on that rose."

Amemi was completely taken aback. This castle's tale was much more serious than she had initially thought. The spell had a _time_ limit. Unless the Beast fell in love and earned Belle's love in return before the last petal fell… would the spell be permanent? Or was there a worse consequence? She refused to think about it.

She spun her attention back to the dance. "I hope so, too," she admitted. "It would be a shame for this place to remain like this forever. There needs to be Hope."

Indigo approached the two from behind. "That is exactly what I was thinking," she told them in a calm, clear voice.

"Yeah," Sora nodded. A flash of Light seized their attention. The Keyblade had appeared in Sora's hand. He held the weapon up into the air with both hands. That was when the three realized Angelique was glowing with Light. A beam of Light shot into the air from the decorator and formed a large Keyhole in the air.

Acting upon his Keyblade's instinct, Sora pointed the weapon straight at the Keyhole. A beam of Light formed at the tip of the blade and shone out across the room. The beam struck the middle of the Keyhole. The sound of the Keyhole unlocking could be heard. A brilliant shower of Light flooded the ballroom.

Sora looked at his Keyblade and gave a nod. "Looks like we're done here," he declared.

"_**Oh boy**_!" Donald cheered with enthusiasm. It was clear based on the duck's gleeful eyes he'd been cooped up in the castle for too long.

The Beast, Belle, and the servants approached Sora and his companions. "What happened?" the Beast asked.

"It's time to get airborne," Launchpad announced.

Belle and the Beast both looked a little worried. "Will you come back?" Belle inquired.

"Please do," Chip pleaded. "You're so much fun to be around, Sora."

"You'll be back," Mrs. Potts said. "I believe you will."

Lumiére approached Amemi and waved. "'Til we meet again, mademoiselle."

Angelique folded her arms and frowned at the candelabra. "I knew you were a real ladies' man, but this is _ridiculous_, Lumiére," she stated.

Lumiére spun around and hobbled over to the Christmas angel. "But, Angelique…. "

Angelique did not move. This was plenty of evidence for Amemi to conclude she was not the only one Lumiére had… well… she decided not to let her mind dwell on it. At least, it seemed Indigo had not been "involved" with the candelabra.

She shoved the pondering aside in the time it takes someone to blink their eyes halfway.

Cogsworth turned to Sora and the others. "I apologize for Lumiére's 'rude behavior'. Remember, you're welcome here any time."

Sora gave a nod. "Thanks a lot. See ya!"

He waved before he strolled to the ballroom's exit. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all waved before they followed. Amemi saluted before joining them. Indigo waved (with her left hand) before she hurried after Sora and the others.

Once on the other side of the doorway, Indigo tripped on the top step and tumbled down the stairs. She banged into Amemi. The two bumped into Launchpad, Goofy, and Donald. The group landed onto a startled Sora at the bottom of the staircase.

"Get off," Sora muttered from the bottom of the pile.

Indigo opened her wings and started hovering above the others. Her wings stirred up some dust, causing Donald to sneeze. "So sorry," she quickly apologized to them.

It did not take long for Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi to get untangled and off the floor. Sora was the last one up. Indigo came down for such a graceful landing, Amemi took a double-look. It had looked unnatural to her….

"Sora," Indigo started to say. Her hands were folded against each other over her chest and shaking a little. She was looking off to the left. Her antennae seemed to be shifting slightly. To Sora and Amemi, the angel was acting very nervous. "I… I… I want to join your… your team."

Sora gave a large grin. He placed his right hand onto the angel's shoulder like Sheriff Taylor sometimes did to Deputy Fife. "You didn't have to ask," he told her. "I was gonna tell you we've been looking for you all this time."

Indigo hastily stared at the spikey, brown-haired young man in surprise. Sora thought he saw a growing sparkle in her indigo eyes. The angel gave a pleasant smile and gave Sora a hug so suddenly, everyone else stepped back two steps (except Amemi). Sora was completely startled.

"_**Thank you so much**_!" Indigo declared with excitement evident in her voice. She removed her arms from around Sora's torso and stepped back a few feet. She leapt into the air and started flipping as she soared upwards. "**YIPPEE**!"

"Gawrsh, she sure gets excited," Goofy remarked.

"It's hard to believe she's related to Violet," Amemi indicated. "Their personalities are very different."

"They look the same," Donald mentioned. "But talk different."

"Heh, heh, like Huey, Dewey, and Louie," Launchpad chuckled. "Only with different colors and a torn wing. I wonder if she ever crashes on her own?"

No one dignified the pilot's question with a response.

"She's very special," Amemi added.

"Yeah," Sora gave another nod. "She's got a strong Light. I can feel it. It's just like Violet's."

After a few minutes, Indigo returned to the floor. She turned to the group. "Does this man I shall see Violet again?"

Sora gave a swift nod. "Yeah! We're gonna head to Master Yen Sid's tower next. Violet was there when we left."

Indigo's smile started to fade. "Oh, I understand," she said in a less-than-enthusiastic tone of voice. "Well, I guess you cannot choose who shall see ahead of time…. "

Sora was astounded. Was Indigo hesitant at seeing her sister again? He wondered why. Had something happened between the two of them that he did not know about? Had Violet kept that a secret from him, too? He had to admit, angels came across as being _**very**_ outgoing, yet secretive, individuals.

He turned to see if he had the others' undivided attention. When he saw he did, Sora said, "Okay. Let's get going. We're off to Master Yen Sid's tower."

He started for the door. Through the windows on either side of the doorway, sunlight was starting to shine into the gloomy hall. Amemi smiled when she saw this, knowing this was a sign the world's fate had not been eternally sealed. There was still Hope.

She followed Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo towards the exit. Her shoe landed on something crunchy. It sounded like paper. She looked down and saw a piece of torn paper underneath her right shoe. She bent down and picked it up. It looked peculiar, mainly due to its colorful, painted illustrations and large letters for the text. It almost appeared to be something straight out of a storybook she had read years ago.

She held it up and called, "Look what I just found!"

Everyone stopped and turned back. Sora's eyes grew when he saw the piece of paper in his sister's hand. He ran back over to her. "Amy, where'd you find that?"

Before Amemi could speak, her brother snatched the paper from her hand and was staring at it. "It was lying on the floor," she informed him. She took note of how focused he was on the paper. It appeared he recognized it from somewhere. "Do you _know_ what book it's from?"

"_**Pooh's Storybook**_!" Sora realized in a flash. "This's one of the missing pages Aerith and Myrna were talking about!"

Amemi was puzzled. What was her brother talking about? She had never heard of a book titled "_Pooh's Storybook_". What was her brother driving at now? "What are you talking about?" she enquired.

Sora slipped the paper into his pocket and rushed over to the others. Even though she was still confused, Amemi followed him. "Guys, we'll have to make a stop on the way," he told the group. "We've found a page from Pooh's Storybook."

"_**Huh**_?!" Donald exclaimed.

"I thought we'd _already_ put that there book back together," Goofy indicated.

Sora wanted to slap himself in the face. He had forgotten to tell his teammates what he'd learned the last time they'd been at the _**Radiant Garden**_'s castle. Either way, it was now time to return and put the page back where it belonged.

"C'mon," Sora proclaimed. "We've gotta get going! Other worlds might be calling!"

He led the others out the door and into the snow. Launchpad then took charge and led the way to _Herbie_. He climbed into the cab and started to engine. It worked (for a change). Once Sora and Amemi had sat down in the front, and Donald, Goofy, and Indigo had taken their seats in the back, Launchpad took off.

_Herbie_ soared off into space. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo had finally left the **Beast's Castle** safe and sound.

* * *

Flashes of green lightning could be seen from outside the windows of the tallest tower of the fortress of Villain's Vale. "_You_ _**fools**_!" Maleficent declared from inside. "_**You**_ _**imbeciles**_!"

Just hearing and seeing this would have been more than enough to determine just what was going on inside. In the circular tower room, Maleficent was sending bolts of her magic aimed at the scattering Beagle Boys. Ever since the trio had returned, the sorceress had refused to hear their _pathetic_ excuses and was punishing them with her magic.

Her goal? To smite them for good.

"Maleficent, we gots word that — _**Whoa**_!" A stray lightning bolt nearly sliced off Pete's head as he stood at the room's entrance. He ducked when he saw the enraged look written in the witch's eyes. Her face was twisted in a snarl. That was one look Pete _**hated**_ to see!

When he saw the Beagle Boys huddling in a corner in fear, the large cat grunted and shook his head. No wonder Maleficent was so outraged. Those three had seemingly deserted the team. _Now_ they were back. And after he had taken the blame for their disappearance and Frollo's loss.

Maleficent saw Pete marching across the chamber. She stopped and snorted her disapproval. "_**Leave**_, _fool_! You have no business here!"

Pete did not pay any attention to her. He marched over and halted before the Beagle Boys. He scowled at them. "Cause you three decided to high-tail it after that runt with the Keyblade beat youse, I got _blamed_ for everythin'!"

"We's sorry," the medium Beagle Boy declared.

"We won't do _anything_ without anyone's approval," the tallest one stated.

"_Count_ on it!" the third, and shortest, Beagle Boy confirmed.

Pete snorted. He was not sure whether or not he could even rely on those three. They botched every job they had been given. He had the feeling Maleficent had the correct idea. Those three _**did**_ need to be taught a lesson — permanently.

"Go ahead, Maleficent," Pete told the sorceress. He headed for the exit. A bolt of greenish lightning struck the floor directly before him. Pete tumbled backwards in alarm.

"You may only leave when _**I**_ say you can," Maleficent stated in the same harsh voice she was best known for using.

Pete rolled over and rose to his feet. "Uh… okay. What can I do fer ya?"

Maleficent held her staff with both hands. She gave a friendly grin at the large cat — if you could call it "_**friendly**_", that is. Her raven, Diablo, was perched on her shoulder. He seemed to be giving a sinister grin of his own. This sight always made Pete anxious. For all he knew, the sorceress had something terrible going through her mind.

"Please seal off this room for the next two hours," Maleficent said. "I don't want to harm anyone else than I deem necessary."

Pete was taken by surprise. Maleficent did not want to punish him for messing things up so frequently? _**That**_ was unexpected! He saluted with a proud smile. "Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am! Yes, ma'am!" he declared.

Maleficent snorted her disapproval. "Just _one_ 'Yes, ma'am', will suffice. Now, _leave_ me!"

Pete nodded and scurried out the door in a flash. Once on the other side, he used a magical spell Maleficent had once shown him. A shield appeared before the doorway. The shapes it was made of resembled hexagons.

He shrugged it aside and marched away. He did not wish to be anywhere close to the chamber when Maleficent created another enormous ruckus.

He looked over the railing and grinned when he saw the Heartless down below looked more and more like a thick, soupy mess. It would not be long before they would be getting their revenge against the runt with the Keyblade and this world's leaders. Time might be on their side, for a change.

* * *

The stars were still shining and twinkling in the sky above the _**Mysterious Tower**_. From the front steps, Violet as watching them. Her antennae had moved a little while back. For a moment, she had thought she had sensed her sister's Light in another world.

Had she? Had she _really_ detected Indigo's presence out there? It seemed possible. She wondered where her sister was now. She was curious to know what she had been doing. They had not seen each other in so long. Was she doing well? Was she trying to help the worlds, too? Had she also acquired a Keyblade?

The door behind her opened and closed. She heard the sound of someone's foot tapping from behind. Violet looked back and saw a young woman standing behind her. Thanks to her bright, blonde hair with the red petals, and her blue bracelet, Violet immediately knew who it was. She leapt to her feet and turned to face her. "Niccole! For what length of time have you been situated there?" she inquired.

Niccole's arms were folded and she did not look happy — _not_ in the least, little bit. "Do not deny it," Niccole stated. "I know all about you and Riku."

Violet looked perplexed. "What are you referring to?"

"I've seen the way he looks at you. It's the same way he _used_ to see me," the young woman stated to the angel.

Violet was startled. "I do not comprehend what you mean."

Niccole pointed straight at Violet like a district attorney. "_You_ are his new girlfriend!" she stated in a firm voice. "Why didn't either of you tell _me_?! Instead, you left me in the dark!"

Violet scowled. "That is completely _fallacious_! He is my friend! We clashed against Xehanort together!"

Niccole's eyes started to tear up. She turned away. "You _**don't**_ get it! Riku brought me out of my shell! If it wasn't for him, I would still be living with the flowers in Wonderland."

Violet's antennae started to vibrate. She understood what they probably had detected. "Do I detect a sliver of envy?" she questioned. "Or, am I detecting something a quadrillion times more precious?"

Niccole turned back. Violet pointed at the former with her right arm. "I can detect your desire to share your Light with him," the angel announced. "Is it… what do other individuals refer to it by? …'Love'?"

Niccole gave a deep sigh. She scowled back at Violet. "Look, you stay away from Riku or there'll be one less angel in this or _**any**_ world."

She stormed off down the steps to the where some low-level trees had been growing for many years.

Violet was shaken. Did Niccole truly "love" Riku? Based on that short observation, it appeared to be so. She cared for him. She had been concerned she would lose him to an angel. What an outrageous concept! Angels did not have marriages with just anyone. As far as the Angel of Dreams knew, marriage was a sacred institution and she was completely unware of how it functioned when it came to angels such as herself.

She continued to contemplate over it. She crossed her arms.

A dark portal opened to the left of the stairs. Out stepped a young man sporting fiery red, spikey hair. He looked around the immediate area and saw the pondering Violet and sulking Niccole. He was completely confused. "What's happenin'?" he muttered, scratching the back of his head. "Did I miss a fight? Was my brother, Reno, here?"

He did not receive an answer, other than the twinkling lights from the stars shining down from above.

* * *

**MEANWHILE, IN A FARAWAY WORLD….**

The large, circular room seemed to be have been crafted from golden stone. In reality, it was made from limestone with golden, black, and red white paint along it. The floor had been carefully made from marble with a tile design. The architecture resembled that of either Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome.

A few, enormously wide paintings on the walls depicted important moments in this world's history. The floor against the wall was lined with display cases. It was night outside, so the building was closed to the public and most of the lights were out. Only a few remained on, obviously for security reasons.

Standing before one particular display case was a man in a black-hooded coat. He possessed long, white hair that was spiked on top and tied into some type of ponytail in the back, whitish eyebrows, amber eyes, and mildly-tanned skin. With his hood off, a hint of the white, laboratory coat he had on underneath could be seen. He was gazing straight at something in the case. A sign above the case read in big, bold letters,

**The Charters of Freedom  
****Declaration of Independence**

He gave a grin. His eyes looked over the encased document. The parchment it had been inscribed upon was more than two hundred years old. The bullet-proof glass was not enough to keep the document's scent out. It reeked of both Darkness and Light.

He admired this smell. Darkness for the anger the author and signers had felt at the time. Light for the powerful nation that was born through it. It reminded him of all those experiments he had conducted on the Heartless and all those people who he'd been forced to sacrifice for the pursuit of knowledge.

The noise of a dark portal opening drew his attention away for a moment. A series of footsteps occurred. Striding out of the dark pathway was a young man in a black-hooded coat. He had short, red hair. The spikes partly covered his face and kept his eyes buried in shadow. Even so, his eyes still glowed an ominous combination of orange and yellow.

The first man turned his full, undivided focus back to the display. He started to read what the document stated. "'_When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the Political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation._'"

He turned around to face the red-haired man. "What does that mean to you, Genesis?"

Genesis shook his head. He spread out his arms and declared in a loud, clear voice,

"_My friend, the fates are cruel._

_There are no dreams, no honor remains._

_The arrow has left, the bow of the goddess._

_My soul, corrupted by vengeance,_

_Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey,_

_In my own salvation,_

_And your eternal slumber._

_Legend shall speak,_

_Of sacrifice at world's end._

_The wind sails over the water's surface._

_Quietly, but surely._"

Genesis beamed without opening his mouth. "Is that what you were trying to say?"

The white-haired man did not show any hint of reaction. "You are always using _LOVELESS_ as an excuse for letting us down. You need to do something important if you desire to remain in the Organization."

Genesis snorted. He turned and strolled back into the dark portal. The white-haired man turned back to the document he had been reading. Not even _this_ worked….

* * *

**A/N: THUS ENDETH _THE BEAST'S CASTLE_. Of course, this means more worlds are on the way!**

**So, that was a LOT of Chapter to go through! That's why there are number of things I would like to point out now: **  
**(1.) Yes, INDIGO is another one of MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS! She IS Violet's sister, so I imagine she will become a popular character rather quickly! That is what happened to Violet; she became a VERY popular character. That was not something I had foreseen (in case you were wondering).**  
**(2.) Yes, The Enchantress featured in this story is not the same one from the original movie(s). You can complain all you like, yet at least let me state how IT IS SOMETHING THAT SHALL CONNECT TO MY NEXT KH STORY! Please keep that in mind! Okay, NOW you can complain about it!**  
**(3.) I actually had a LOT of fun writing the battle against Forté. Why? Because I was looking forward to finally seeing his role in there end. I personally find him to be a much darker and stronger villain than Gaston. He gets more involved with the story, and there are those times when his character seems to have been possessed by the devil. Talk about dark and creepy!**  
**(4.) During the squabble between Cogsworth and Lumiére, there was a show referenced through Sora's thoughts. Well, okay... it was about two or more shows. Still, see if you can identify at least one of them!**  
**(5.) That spat between Violet and Niccole... any thoughts on it? Based an a previous poll, it appears a _Riku&amp;Violet_ pairing is more popular than a _Riku&amp;Niccole_ one. Well... that only applies to my stories, of course! I do wonder... why is that?**  
**(6.) I am sure you can tell who it was that appeared at _The Mysterious Tower_. I shall not say any more about THAT!**  
**(7.) See if you can identify what Disney movie the last scene was inspired by! I shall give you a small Hint: The setting (the background around the characters) is the key to figuring it out! In the meantime, how about you take a guess at who the "unnamed" man in black was. If you'd like, you can post your answer(s) in the Reviews section for this chapter.**  
**(8.) Plus, Sora found an interesting trinket when the castle's dungeon was being torn apart. I will tell you, that item is a _SUMMON CHARM_! So, which summon is it? Take a guess, given the provided information (look at the poll on my profile, too!)!**

**Anyways, here is a HINT for the next Disney-based world in this story! Once again, it is a "'RIDDLE-HINT'"!**  
**HINT: "AN EMERGENCY MESSAGE HAS SORA AND HIS TEAM HEADING INTO A MOSTLY DESERT LAND! WILD ANIMALS AND HEARTLESS MAY BE LURKING THE SAND, ALONGSIDE MORE VILLAINS! EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE SMALLER THAN BLADES OF GRASS, SORA SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND A WAY TO RESCUE A BOY AND HIS BIRD FRIEND!"**  
**Please keep in mind, this world will show up in Chapter 29, even though Sora's team might not be going straight there. Either way, if you believe you know which world/movie the Hint is referring to, please post your answers in the Reviews section for This Chapter!**

**Until Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**So, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	29. Ch29 - Starting A Side-Quest

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE! LIKE THEY SAY, "'ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER CHAPTER!'"!**

**So, I know I have not been working on This Story very much. Still, I have NOT abandoned it! I intend to finish This Story - no matter how long it takes!**  
**Either way, I at least Hope to get through Chapter 35 by the End of 2016. So, I Hope I have enough time - and can concentrate long enough, too!**

**By the way, I decided to add a piece of TRIVIA today!**  
**DID YOU KNOW? The actress who played Miss Bianca in Disney's "_The Rescuers (1977)_" and Disney's "_The Rescuers Down Under (1990)_" was Eva Gabor? She was also Duchess in Disney's "_The Aristocats_ _(1970)_". She was probably best-known for her role as Mrs. Lisa Douglas on the classic television show, "_Green Acres_".**  
**Well, what else do you probably not know? Eva Gabor had a sister named Zsa Zsa Gabor. Zsa Zsa Gabor happens to be a well-known star, too - and she is age 99 now!**  
**Now, How about THAT?!**

**Well, anyway, for those of you who have been reading "_Kingdom Hearts - Friendship OR Duty?_", I have reached a dead end at the start of the Next Chapter. As soon as I get that Chapter done, I shall post it on here.**

**So, I think it is time to let you loose. Chapter 29 is calling - and you are allowed to READ IT!**

**GO AHEAD! READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! I have just One Request - PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO!**

**...If you are still here reading This Part, WELL, WHAT'RE YOU WAITING FOR?! GO! (I JUST HAD TO SAY THAT PART)!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 29**  
**Starting A Side-Quest**

**Somewhere in the **_**Realm of Light**_**, there was a distant world….**

An immense desert spread as far as then eye could see. An enormous mountain of sandy-looking rock towered over the surrounding landscape. Not far from this summit was a small house. It was old and worn. Even though the sun had already been shining for a few hours, one of the inhabitants was still sound asleep.

He was a young boy, about age eight. His blonde hair showed through his messy room. It almost looked as though his hair was moving thanks to the fan blowing air across it.

A sudden echo entered his ears. He rapidly opened his green eyes and sat up in his hammock. He clambered out of it and strolled to his open window. The echo occurred again. He knew exactly what it meant.

Someone out there was in trouble.

He immediately threw on a red shirt and brown shorts. He fastened them in place with a brown belt. He slipped his feet into a pair of brown hiking boots. His white socks could be seen sticking out a little.

After tying his shoelaces, he stepped up to his worktable and picked up his pocketknife. He grabbed his brown backpack and sped-walked out the door. He marched carefully down the stairs and glanced around the corner.

His mom was in the kitchen cleaning dishes. Her lime-green dress looked faded in the dim lighting. All that could be seen of her face was the ponytail her brown hair. The radio was on, "_…Thunderstorms are expected in the Crocodile Falls area and some the surrounding gullies, so take out your…_ "

Good! His mom was distracted. She would not notice if he slipped out the door. He softly hurried to the door and opened it without making it squeak. He carefully shut it so it would not slam. Good! Everything was going smoothly.

He started across the lawn, where the prairie met the desert sands. He had not gotten more than ten steps when a voice called out to him. "Cody!"

Cody winced, knowing he had been caught. "Yeah, Mom?"

"What about your breakfast?"

He had to come up with an excuse. "I've got some sandwiches in my pack."

His Mom sounded like she had just shrugged the issue aside. "Well, be home for supper."

Cody gave a speedy nod. "No worries, Mom."

He headed into the distance. Through a pair of rocky towers. The Summer Sun was blaring down. A slight wind had picked up. It did not matter. Cody was determined to get somewhere. He ran with a serious look written all over his face.

Someone was in trouble. This was not unusual around here. There were lots of people trying to capture the local animals. Still, poaching was a major crime — someone had been given life imprisonment for it. Some of the animals could not be found _anywhere else_ in the whole world.

He knew someone _**needed**_ to take action. That was why he did this every day… or, at least, whenever he was summoned.

He passed through a patch of bushes. A few hummingbirds and bluish birds started to urge him to follow. "I know, I'm coming," he told them.

He leaped over a hollow log. "Hustle up, Nelson, Faloo's sounding the call!"

A small porcupine crawled out of the log. He scurried along after the blonde-haired boy. Cody proceeded to slide through a long, tilted log. He came out the other end like it had been a slide. He grabbed a stick and banged it against the top of a small den. "C'mon, wombats, hurry!"

He continued into the forest. All the animals had heard the echo and trailed him. They raced down the length of a slow-moving river. Before long, they reached a fallen log. A tall, slender, lavender kangaroo was blowing into one of the branches like it was an instrument's mouthpiece.

The echo was coming from here.

Cody charged into the clearing and stopped before the kangaroo. "Who's caught this time?" he questioned.

The kangaroo gazed at the blonde-haired boy. "You don't know her, Cody," the animal said. "Her name is Marahute, the great golden eagle."

"Where is she?" Cody inquired.

The kangaroo pointed up at an angle towards the sky. "She's caught, high on a cliff in a poacher's trap. You're the only one who can reach her."

Cody frowned with determination. Even if he did not know this eagle, he knew he could not abandon anyone. "I'll get her loose."

The kangaroo gestured for him to climb onto her back. "Right-oh, hope on, no time to lose."

Cody hopped onto the kangaroo's back. She bounded away through the forest. The scent of the river filled his nose as they rushed along the bank. After a few minutes, they reached a tall, stone cliff. All the other animals were directly behind.

"She's up on top of that ridge," the kangaroo explained. She pointed at the cliff's summit. "Be careful, lit'l friend."

Cody climbed off his friend's back and gazed straight up at the cliff. The rock face seemed quite high. It was probably three or four or even five hundred feet tall. He shrugged it aside, knowing he had to ascend — no matter what it meant he had to endure.

* * *

The wall of rock now seemed higher than he had thought. For the past twenty minutes, he had been clambering up like a human spider. The familiar smells of the river and trees had disappeared and only the smell of rock remained. A gust of wind picked up.

He glanced back down. The heights would have looked downright dizzying to a lot of others — including his friends. He could see the river winding through the forest as though it was a snake. He had already climbed well over halfway, and he did not have any climbing equipment. No safety harness, no helmet, not even a rope.

He turned his eyes back to the summit. He knew he _needed_ to continue onward. He reached up and grabbed the next rock. Then he moved his other hand before using both his legs. Next, he grabbed the rocky ground at the top of the ridge. He pulled himself up enough to see what was on top.

A giant eagle was bound in place by a series of ropes. Her head contained white feathers, even though the rest of her feathers were a bright golden. The tips of her tail were brown. Her feet were also brown with black claws.

He stared in shock when he saw her. "Marahute!"

The eagle did not move. He realized she was sound asleep. He clambered up onto the level ground. He gradually took a step closer. Then another. And another. And another. As he was getting close, the eagle's large eyes opened, revealing their ruby red color. The instant the animal saw Cody approaching, she screeched in alarm. She tried to flap her wings, only to realize she was still pinned in place by the ropes.

Cody put his hands before him. "Calm down," he told her. "Calm down. I'm not gonna hurt you." He stroked her head. The eagle relaxed and gazed at him. "That's a girl. Stay still… it's okay."

He stepped over to the nearest rope. He reached into his pocket and took out his pocketknife. He flipped it open, its blade reflecting the sunlight from above.

The moment the eagle saw the knife, she panicked even more than the first time. Cody grabbed a rope and started to slice through it. "No wait! I'm here to help you… easy! Easy!"

The rope snapped. The eagle was still screeching something terrible. Cody proceeded to the next rope. He cut it apart. He then raced to the last rope and swiftly sliced it through. "You're _**free**_!" he declared with a cheerful smile.

The eagle opened its wings wide. One of the wings slammed straight into the young boy and shoved him clear off the cliff. Cody yelled in alarm. "_**Aaaiigh**_!"

The eagle continued to flap her wings. She was now airborne. Cody stared at the freed bird as he continued to fall. He could feel the wind rushing by as he flung his arms around. He flipped over and could see the ground far below coming up rapidly.

A tear slid down his face as he thought of his mother. Why hadn't he taken a little time to say goodbye? She would never know he had been knocked off the cliff. She would never see him again….

He slammed his eyes shut as the trees before him became larger and larger. Just as he was sure he was going to smash onto the dirt below, he landed against something soft… and feathery?

He opened his eyes. He was _flying_?! He glanced back to see the kangaroo and his other animal friends staring at him in awe. Before long they were well out of sight. Cody continued to look around, curious about what had just happened.

He quickly found himself soaring into the clouds. He finally decided to look down and see what had occurred. He was sitting upon the golden eagle's back. He reached over and looked into the animal's eye. He saw his reflection in it. When the eagle blinked, he smiled.

Marahute had saved his life. No surprise, he probably had saved hers. One good deed deserved another, and he knew it was true. He held onto her feathers. "Higher!" he called.

The eagle flapped them up a few hundred feet. They were now above the clouds. Suddenly, the eagle bounced, sending Cody into the air. The animal seized him with her talons. She screeched at him with excitement. Cody returned with a mock screech of his own. The eagle tickled him, so he laughed with glee.

The pair continued to cruise through the sky. The clouds finally ended. Far below, they could see the ground and the winding stream. The eagle folded her wings and began nose-diving towards the river. As they were just above the water, she re-spread her wings. She dashed along, allowing Cody to slide across the stream like he was water-skiing.

Cody beamed with delight. He had not had this much fun since the last time he had saved Faloo from a pair of hunters. A flock of birds up ahead grabbed his attention. The eagle released her grip on him. He went sliding straight into the flock. The birds squawked in surprise and scattered all around.

He started to lose his footing. "Whoa!"

The eagle raced down and used her beak to keep him upright. Taking this into account, Cody gave a determined grin and kept his eyes straight ahead. The stream ended and Cody opened his arms like he was flying himself. He started to fall, only to land onto the eagle's back. He cheered with glee as the animal screeched in return.

Marahute flew the two over to a cliff on the other side of the canyon. Behind them, the stream ran down in an enormous waterfall. They set down, causing a series of twigs and a few feathers to flutter around them.

Cody jumped off the eagle. As the eagle stepped by, her tail grazed his head, ruffling his hair. He moved the part covering his eyes and looked around. "Wow!"

They were at Marahute's nest. The eagle and Cody both exchanged smiles. When he saw the former was looking at him upside down, Cody chose to do the same. Only, he could not. Instead, he tumbled over and fell into a small ditch-like space in the area. In the middle was a well-woven nest.

The eagle moved some of the grass and feathers over the nest aside as Cody scrambled to his feet and looked at it. Three rather huge eggs could now be seen. Cody's eyes lit up. "You're a mom!"

He placed his ear over an egg. "They're very warm. Are they gonna hatch soon?"

The eagle simply ruffled her neck feathers as though shrugging. Cody had to smile. He stepped back a little as the eagle moved in to sit on her nest. She looked around every-which-way. It appeared she was keeping an eye out from trouble.

Cody had to smile. That was when it occurred to him how Marahute should have had a husband… or mate around the nest while she had been gone. He looked around. Seeing nothing, he turned back to the eagle. "Where's the daddy eagle?" he asked.

The eagle returned with a solemn look in her eyes. She slowly dropped her head. That was all Cody had to see. "Oh… my dad's gone, too."

He gently stroked her hair. The eagle remained in a solemn state for the next few minutes. Cody knew she was mourning her mate's disappearance… or loss, whichever one it was.

Then, the eagle rose up and scooped up some grass and feathers in her beak. She placed them over the eggs. Cody saw this and grabbed some more. He put them over the eggs, too. The wind blew over the nest and picked up a large, golden feather from the nest. Cody reached out and grabbed it.

He smiled, gazing at this feather. He slid it against his neck with a large smile. The eagle stared at him with total perplexity. After a few moments, Cody put the feather down alongside the eggs. The eagle sensed the feather meant quite a bit to the boy and picked it up. She held it out for him using her beak. Cody accepted the feather.

Knowing this was a gift from his friend, he gave the eagle a heartfelt hug. The eagle showed a hint of a smile.

* * *

Time had flown by. Marahute had flown Cody back to the spot where she had first found him. She set him back down gently. The two shared another heartfelt hug before the eagle spread her wings. She flapped them a handful of times and took flight.

Cody waved farewell to his friend. Marahute screeched joyfully in reply. Once the eagle had soared off into the wild, blue yonder, Cody ran around and spread out his arms. He began making flying noises as though he was an airplane. He started for home, knowing his mission was complete.

Marahute was once again living free and in the wild.

He had not gotten far when the sound of a jingle bell caught his attention. He looked into a nearby patch of leaves and saw some of them were moving. He strolled over and peered through. A small mouse was tied up to the bell. As the little animal struggled, the bell rang.

Cody smiled at the mouse. "Heh, heh… hey, little fella, what happened to you?"

The mouse saw the boy and its eyes filled with fear. "_**Oh no**_! _**No, no, no, **__**no**_! _**Get away, **__**get**__**away**_!"

Cody started to untie the mouse. "Don't worry, I'll get you loose."

The ground beneath him collapsed. He found himself falling straight down into a deep pit. An alarm starting to sound. He looked up and saw a gadget with a blinking red light. He immediately knew what had happened.

He had fallen into a trap. A poacher's trap, no doubt. The only question left was, how would he get out of here?

The mouse looked into the pit. "Are you alright?" it asked in its usual squeaky voice.

Cody rubbed his head. "Yeah, I think so."

"Okey-dokey."

The mouse sped off. Cody gasped. "Wait! Hey! Come back!"

He started to climb up. He was halfway out when he grabbed a tree root. The root snapped apart. He fell back down into the pit. That was when he saw the mouse had returned. The tiny animal started to lower a long vine down. "Here you go, grab on."

Cody grinned. "That's great! Just a little more, a little further," he reached out and grasped the vine. "There! I got it."

He started to climb out of the pit. The mouse smiled in turn. It seemed everything was going according to plan.

That's when it all ended. The ground began shaking and a not-too-distant rumbling could be heard. Cody and the mouse stopped and stared in astonishment. The latter gulped, "Uh-oh."

The ground continued to quake. It became more and more violent. The rumbling grew louder and louder. This meant the source of it was getting closer and closer. At once, an enormous truck rolled into view, flattening a few trees in the process.

It was not just any truck. It was a Bushwhacker — complete with a giant cage, grill, and crane. One look at it and the mouse screamed. "Yipe!" he rushed down the vine and into Cody's pack.

The truck slid to a stop. The tractor treads in the back ground over the vine, breaking it. Cody fell back into the pit. The rumbling stopped, as did the shaking. The sounds of doors opening and closing could be heard.

A large, blue Spencer's goanna popped its head into the pit from above. The animal's yellow eyeballs looked uninviting, as did their orange irises. Its snake tongue was a faded pink color. The animal growled. Cody let out a shriek of alarm.

"Well, Joanna," a deep voice said from above. "What'd we get today?"

"Hopefully something with _furs_," a feminine voice stated.

"Ha cha cha," a third voice laughed. "Maybe it's the Key-boy and his lackeys."

Three people gazed into the pit. Cody stared in surprise.

One of them was a tall, slender mouse wearing an orange, long-sleeved shirt in a similar design to Jiminy Cricket's jacket, a cream-colored shirt showing through the collar, very dark-tan trousers, and huge, flat-like dark-grey shoes. He had white gloves and black, round ears. His snout was very long and large.

Another was a slender woman with fair skin, red-polished fingernails, huge eyes that appeared to be bulging, and hair that was black on her right and white on the left. She was decked out in a short tank dress, red gloves, and a giant cream-colored fur coat with a red interior. Her appearance was similar to a skeleton.

The third one was in the middle. He was an older man with a careworn face, balding brown hair, a hooked-nose, black eyes, and brown eyebrows. He was wearing a gray riding jacket, dark gray bandanna facing backwards, cream long-sleeved shirt with two buttons running vertically to his neckline, a brown vest, brown boots, and dark-grey pants with brown suspenders attached. He had an Indiana Jones-like hat with a dark brown band around on its brim and white teeth on the front. He was also holding a large shotgun-like weapon.

"A dingo," the man with the shot-gun weapon said. "A fat ol' razorback, or a nice big…. "

He paused the instant he saw Cody in the pit. "…_Boy_?!"

Cody was startled. These were not ordinary people. They were poachers. He had landed in a poacher's trap. He could not believe it! People were still hunting down protected animals.

The man's eyes slid to the monitor lizard beside him. He kicked the animal hard in the side. "Joanna, you been diggin' holes out here _again_?!"

The tall mouse-like figure snorted. "Stupid lizards are always trying to bury stuff."

The woman kicked the lizard herself. "What a fool. She can't do a thing we tell her."

Cody knew better. "Unh-unh. It's a trap, and poachin's against the law."

The three people returned their gaze into the pit. They gave friendly grins. "'Trap'?" the man with the gun said. "Where'd you get an idea like that?! Boy, I think you've been down in that hole for too long."

The man lowered his gun into the hole. Cody felt sweat sliding down his face. Was this man about to shoot him? He winced, certain he was about to meet his end.

"Well, c'mon, grab ahold," the man said.

Cody looked up. It appeared the three people did not mean him any harm… did they? It sure did not look like they did. Then again, appearances could be deceiving… wasn't that true? Either way, there was still no other method of escape from this pit.

He grabbed onto the gun's end and felt himself being lifted out. The man gently set him on the ground outside the pit. "We'll get you out of this little ol' lizard hole," the man said.

"And then you can kindly run along home," the woman added.

Once he was on the same ground level as the others, Cody scowled at the three. "This _**is**_ a poacher's trap," he stated, pointing an accusing figure at them. "And _**you're**_ poachers!"

"No, we're not," the woman denied. "All I want is a lovely fur coat."

"Yeah," the mouse-like man added. He approached Cody and put his long arm around the latter's shoulders. "Take it from us, kid, we mean no harm to anyone in this world — I mean, forest."

Cody still had his doubts. Before he could ponder about it, the lizard suddenly jumped onto his back and knocked him down. The mouse-man jumped back in surprise. He bumped into the woman and knocked her and the man with the gun into the pit. All three of them landed with such force, the ground shook and the gun went off. A cloud of dust could be seen rising from the pit.

"Let go!" Cody shouted at the lizard. "Hey, get off of me!"

"I'll kill that stupid lizard!" a voice snarled from inside the pit.

"She'll wish she hadn't messed with us," another snapped.

"_I'm_ gonna kill her," a third barked. "I'm gonna kill that dumb, slimy, egg-sucking salamander."

The two men and woman clambered out of the pit. The man with the gun pointed it straight at the lizard. The mouse-man took out a pair of pistols and aimed them at the animal. The woman reached into her purse and held up a silver handgun.

The animal was so alarmed to see the guns, she tried to slither away. The group kept her in his sights. The lizard finally was forced to cover her eyes, knowing the end was near.

At once, the man with the shotgun paused. He lowered his gun. He gave a grin. The woman and mouse-man both lowered their weapons in perplexity. The first man grabbed Cody by his backpack. "Hmmm… good girl, Joanna."

The lizard looked up when its name was said. Taking into account how the three had lowered their weapons, she gave a grin and chuckled happily.

"What are you doing?" the woman asked. She looked completely unamused.

The mouse-man gave a nod. "Yeah?"

That was when the two realized the man's eye had been on the golden feather in Cody's backpack. He took it out and spent a quick minute observing it. "Say," he said to Cody. "Where'd you get this pretty feather, boy?"

Cody gulped. "It was a present."

The man gave a sinister grin. For a moment, the others thought they saw a flicker of a dark cloud shrouding his body. "Oh, that's real nice. Who gave it to ya?"

Cody hesitated in his answer. "It's a… s-secret."

The man shook his head. "That's no secret boy," he said, placing the feather into his hat's brim. "You see," he pulled out a ruffled, old gold feather from inside his shirt. "I already got the father."

Cody was shocked and angered. So _this_ was why Marahute's mate had never returned! He had been killed — by the _**same**_ poacher — poachers — who he was now face to face with. He glared and clenched his fists.

The man seemed to like this reaction. He gave a dark chuckle. "You just tell me where momma and those little eggs are."

The other two each gave sinister faces. Cody was not quite sure _why_ they wanted Marahute. He just knew he could not let them get their hands on her. He needed to warn her — and then alert his Mom and the authorities.

"_**NO**_!" He slipped out of his backpack and ran.

The man with the brown hat clenched his teeth. He pointed at Cody. "Joanna, sick 'em!"

The lizard charged after the golden-haired boy. The mouse-man raised his hand, causing a horde of black creatures possessing antennae and claws to appear and join the lizard in the chase.

Cody continued to run, knowing all too well he was being pursued. He charged through the forest and the little underbrush in his path. Before long, he ran out of trees and was now in the open.

He rushed down across a section of bare rock. Up ahead, he could see a narrow waterfall. The source of the water was a rock formation that strong-resembled a crocodile.

He came to a sudden stop at the edge of a cliff overlooking a large, wide river. Down below, a group of crocodiles were watching him, their mouths open in anticipation.

He looked back. The lizard was closing in. He was stuck between being captured by a lizard and strange monsters or being torn apart by hungry crocodiles. Unless he wanted to betray Marahute or get killed, he only had one alternative.

He needed to face the lizard and strange monsters. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocketknife. The item slipped from his hands and landed on the ground. He jumped onto the ground to retrieve it. A large boot stomped on his hand.

"You're comin' with us, boy," declared the man in the brown hat. The mouse-man and the woman were not far behind.

Cody glowered at them. "My Mom'll call the rangers!" he stubbornly countered.

Two of the villains looked a little worried. The man in the brown hat looked a little frantic, only Cody knew he was faking it. "Oh no," he proclaimed. "Not the rangers, what'll I _do_? What'll I _**do**_?! Don't let your mom call the rangers! _**Please**__ don't_!"

The lizard fell backwards onto the ground, laughing. The man laughed in turn. So did the other two evildoers.

The man tossed Cody's backpack into the river. It was immediately snatched by a hungry crocodile. "'My poor baby boy got eaten by the crocodiles, boo-hoo-hoo'!"

Cody was stunned. He could not believe his eyes. These three had just thrown his backpack into the river. It appeared no one would ever find him now. If the rangers _**did**_ pick up the trail, they would assume he had been killed by those crocodiles.

"Ha cha cha!" the mouse-man declared. "You're _**ours**_, kid!"

The woman came face to face with Cody. "You were a _**fool**_ to try to outrun us," she stated.

Cody coughed, wishing he could hold his nose. This woman's breath was _**terrible**_! What had she been doing? Smoking something stronger than what was allowed?

The man in the brown hat started to drag Cody away by the shoulder. "Let's go, boy!"

* * *

The weather was getting worse. The sun had been covered by a passing storm cloud. Thunder was starting to rumble and the wind was picking up. Leaves and bushes were moving throughout the forest. The scent of Darkness was in the air.

That was what it looked like when the gray-furred mouse peered out from the bushes. He could see the golden-haired boy from the trap locked in the gigantic cage on the back of the monstrous truck. "_**HELP**_! _**HELP**_!" the boy was shouting over and over and over again.

The mouse was appalled. He had managed to escape from that same boy's backpack after the lizard had begun the chase. Now, the boy had been kidnapped. He knew who was responsible. That truck was owned by one of the most-wanted poachers in the outback.

McLeach.

He needed to take action. As he watched the truck drive away, the mouse scampered deeper into the forest. He shortly came upon a small building that had been built from the inside of an old boot. A light was on inside. He barged in through the door of the telegraph office, startling the operator mouse inside.

"_**Help, help, help**_!" he panicked. "_Someone __**help**_! _McLeach_ _took the boy_. _He took the little boy_. _Send for_ _**help**_!"

The operator mouse did not waste any time. He rushed to the telegraph key and began typing a message in Morse Code. A beeping sound could be heard as he sent the message out.

Up above, there was a gigantic telegraph pole camouflaged as a tree. At the top, a few other mouse used a crank to turn a massive antennae.

* * *

Across the sea was a smaller island. In the middle of a dense jungle on this island was a wrecked airplane. The shape of it resembled a battle plane from the World War 2 era. Inside the ruined cockpit, the Morse Code message could be heard being transmitted. A small mouse wearing a pilot's uniform heard the message and twitched his nose.

A distress message. He needed to relay it forward.

He hurried around, turning dials, pushing and pulling levers, and then dashed over to his own telegraph key. He immediately sent a message of his own on. He hoped someone would receive it and know what to do.

* * *

A large group of islands were located in the middle of the ocean. It was here a military base had been established. A number of computer screens had been situated in the control room. At once, all the screens flashed and a message appeared.

"_**RAS… RAS… RAS**_," it read over and over.

The technician nearly jolted out of his seat when he saw the message. He adjusted his glasses. "What the—?!"

He typed ferociously to remove the message. Nothing happened. On a higher spot in the room, a pair of mice were watching through binoculars. The moment they saw the letters "_**RAS**_", they understood what it meant.

A distress message.

They started waving a pair of flags. Another mouse down below saw this and whistled to a few others. The other mice gathered around a phone dial. One punched in a series of numbers. He gave a thumbs-up to the others. That was their cue.

The remaining mice hopped over to the computer where the technician was still attempting to remove the message from the screen. In the background, his telephone started to ring. The technician tried to ignore it and concentrate all his attention on removing the mysterious message off his screen. He finally gave up and strolled away to answer the telephone.

Now was their chance. The mice hopped onto the keyboard and press a few keys. The full message appears on the screen.

**RAS… RAS… ATTENTION! BOY KIDNAPPED IN AUSTRALIA! IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED**

The mice exchanged looks of shock and surprise. This was a distress call. It was clearly intended for the Rescue Aid Society at the United Nations. They began hopping onto some other keys. A new message started to appear as they typed.

**RELAY TO NEW YORK**

* * *

The largest city in the United States was caught in the middle of a ferocious snowstorm. Gusts of wind blew all around. Wind-driven snow gathered on rooftops and along sidewalks. It might have appeared to be a blizzard had the snow been collecting on the streets. The constant cars and snowplows had managed to keep the roadways safe and secure for all forms of traffic.

Atop on particular building was a large satellite dish. Just below the dish, a small room was receiving emergency messages from around the world on a control panel.

At this precise moment, a flashing red light illuminated the room. The mouse stationed there was busy translating the coded message. He then lowered a microphone and spoke loud and clear into it. "Code red! Code red! Attention all Rescue Aid Society delegates! Please report immediately to the main assembly hall. This is an emergency meeting. I repeat, this is a code red emergency meeting!"

* * *

Downstairs, there was an enormous meeting hall. It was actually constructed within an abandoned, sideways trunk. A large American flag was hanging on the far side from where all the seats were situated. Mice representing each and every nation in the world were gathering at this very spot. Many of them were yawning or starting to doze the instant they took their seats.

On a stage near the middle of the hall was a large, brown mouse dressed in a nice, blue suit. He was banging a gavel against a podium (an empty spool of thread). "Order! Order!" the Chairmouse called. "Yes, yes, I know it's late, but I'm…. "

He stared in surprise at a nearby delegate. The mouse was yawning. "Oh, really! Sir Charles."

An older mouse took a seat next to the yawning one. The Chairmouse nodded at him. "Hello, hello, Frank, how are you, nice to see you!"

He chuckled for a moment. "Ha, ha… all right, quiet now, please. Everyone, pay attention."

He banged his gavel once more. The hall fell into complete silence. "There has been a kidnapping in Australia."

All the delegates gasped in alarm. The Chairmouse continued. "A young boy needs our help. This is a mission requiring our very finest, and I know we are all thinking of the same two mice."

The Chairmouse gestured towards a small table in the hall. Two seats were there — one for the _United States_ and the other for _Hungary_. Everyone took a second look or blinked when they saw the seats were empty. The Chairmouse squinted to take a better look. "What's this?" he declared. "_Gone_? We must find Bernard and Miss Bianca at once!"

One of the delegates raised their hand. "They aren't around here, sir!"

The Chairmouse was startled. His two best delegates were missing? That could not be true! He needed to find them — at once! "When was the last time someone saw them?"

"I heard a rumor," another delegate proclaimed. "A friend claimed to have seen them somewhere out _there_," he pointed towards the ceiling. It was clear he was referring to outer space. "They might be in another world."

The Chairmouse was shaken. Now Bernard and Miss Bianca were in another world? He needed them on this assignment.

Even if it meant relaying the message to this "other world".

* * *

The stars were shining brilliantly as _Herbie_ soared through space. His rockets and tires seemed to leave a thin trail of color in the airless abyss. As he looked down from the windshield, Sora held the torn page in his hand. He took a moment to examine it. The drawing on it resembled a house constructed within a tree. An expanse of vegetable fields was located beside it.

His eyes widened. He automatically knew what it was supposed to be. Rabbit's house… he had been there before, just once. Pooh had eaten all of Rabbit's honey and then he had remembered Rabbit and Eeyore.

He knew what this meant… or maybe not. He was still trying to figure out how the pages had been taken from the book. Was this one from a particular chapter? That did not sound correct. The book did not appear to be one written in chapters.

It did not make any sense, at least not to him.

With a sigh, Sora glanced to his right. Amemi was slouched in her seat. Her feet were on the dashboard. Her eyes were shut and she seemed to be smiling. Sora took a closer look and saw the small, red iPod in her hand. A pair of headphones connected the device to her ears.

He smiled himself. He had the feeling his sister was listening to one of her favorite songs. Probably the "_**WordGirl**_" theme song. Then again, probably not. She would have been dancing in her seat if it was _that_ song.

Sora looked past her. He could see Launchpad calmly using the steering wheel. Either he had given up trying to take control and was just relaxing out of pure boredom, or _Herbie_ had allowed him to have partial control.

"This is such a lovely sight!"

Sora looked back. Indigo was peering out the window to her right. Since she was sitting behind him, the brown-headed Keyblade wielder had to turn around to see her. Good thing the two were both sitting on the right side of the vehicle. If anyone had been beside them on that side, they would have been a little squished suddenly.

"Yeah," he admitted. "It's so cool, right?"

Indigo gave him a nod. She pointed out a passing star. It was glowing a bright, green color. "Look! It is a quasar!"

Sora was puzzled. What was the angel referring to? He was not sure. After all, he had failed Science class three years in a row. He would never understand classifications of stars, the Water Cycle, or even how sound travels around from place to place. It just wasn't his thing.

Fighting Heartless, Nobodies, and other enemies with his Keyblade — now _**that**_ was his thing!

Indigo was leaning up against the window so closely, the round ends of her antennae were bumping against it. She had both hands touching the glass as though she was about to push it open.

To Sora, she looked excited and fascinated.

"It can be so interesting to learn about the many different worlds out there," she commented. "They are all so different, yet still the same."

Sora had to admit, Indigo had a point. Every world was very different. He had been to so many places and met so many others. All those other places he had visited… _**Agrabah**_… _**Wonderland**_… _**The Deep Jungle**_… _**Halloween Town**_… _**Never Land**_… _**Olympus Coliseum**_… _**Atlantica**_… _**Hollow Bastion/The Radiant Garden**_… _**The Land of Dragons**_… _**The Beast's Castle**_… _**Port Royal**_… _**The Pride Lands**_… _**The 100-Acre Wood**_… _**Space Paranoids**_… _**Twilight Town**_… _**Traverse Town**_… _**Corona**_… _**Pixie Hollow**_… _**Rascal's Dreamland**_… _**The Grid**_… _**Camelot**_… _**The Symphony of Sorcery**_… _**The Country of The Musketeers**_… _**The World That Never Was**_… _**Ancient Empire**_… _**Jamestowne**_… _**Middleton**_… _**Disney Castle**_… _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_… _**The Beast's Castle**_… among others.

Of course, that did not mean there was something wrong with them. They were special — each in their own way.

"True," Sora admitted. "And that's why we have to protect them."

Indigo did not seem to hear him. Sora was perplexed. Was her mind _that_ preoccupied by what she saw outside? "It is such a lovely view," she marveled.

Sora sighed. He still had not informed the angel about what was going on. He had agreed to find her, hoping she would join them in their fight against Xehanort and Maleficent. He needed to fill her in. "So, Indigo, have you seen—?"

"There are so many stories out there," Indigo blurted.

"Really?" Donald asked. He had been drawn away from the show he and Goofy had been watching on the monitor.

"Yes," Indigo confirmed.

"What kinda stories?" Goofy asked, pausing the show.

The angel turned around to face the two. "Well, I once heard one about a 'Lost Engine'."

Amemi whirled around in her seat. She switched off her iPod and removed her headphones. "How does it go?"

Sora gave another sigh. He decided just to listen and take things in stride, which was not exactly his strongest point. He listened as Indigo began telling them the story.

"Once upon a time," Indigo started. "There were three trains who lived on their own railroad line in the mountains. Their names were Duke, Stuart, and Falcon."

As Indigo spoke, an image appeared in Sora's head. Three trains happily working on a railroad line. They were smiling and seemed to have a lot of fun.

He wondered if the angel was making this happen….

"Duke was the oldest," Indigo went on. "He was named after his owner, the 'Duke of Sodor'. He was proud of his name and enjoyed keeping the other engines in line. Whenever Duke saw Stuart and Falcon doing something he thought was wrong, he would say, 'That would never suit his Grace!'"

In a heartbeat, Donald and Goofy burst out laughing. A moment later, they stopped. "I don't get it," Goofy muttered. "But it sure sounded funny."

Amemi turned to the knight. "How about we let Indigo finish the story. Alright?"

Goofy nodded. Sora had to shake his head, knowing Goofy was just being Goofy. All eyes returned to Indigo. The angel hesitated for a moment before she continued.

"While many engines came and went, Duke remained on the railroad. Stuart and Falcon used to call him, 'Granpuff'. They liked him, but easily grew tired of always hearing about 'His Grace'. Sometimes, they teased him; 'Engines come, engines go, but Granpuff goes on forever!'"

Sora folded his arms. This story sounded somewhat… familiar… he just could not place it.

"You imprudent scallywags!' Duke said one day. 'Whatever are you engines coming to?' In turn, Stuart and Falcon both replied, 'Never mind, Granpuff! We are only young once!' Duke was not happy about this, and so he told the two engines about another engine from long ago."

"What 'engine' was that?" Goofy enquired.

"Duke called him 'Smudger'. He had used to race around the tracks, spilling his freight cars, and sliding off the rails. Duke had warned him to be careful, only Smudger did not listen. A few days later, the railroad manager got so upset with Smudger, it was said he changed him into a generator so he _would_ be useful."

"That's terrible!" Donald remarked.

Indigo nodded. "After that, Stuart and Falcon were better behaved engines, and all three were happy together for many years."

Goofy started to applaud. "A-Hyuck! I like this story!"

Indigo crossed her arms. She looked up at the ceiling. "I was not finished telling it."

Goofy covered his mouth. Sora shook his head and smiled.

"Then, hard times came," the angel informed the group. "All of the mines along the railroad closed down. The railroad lost so much money, it was closed down, too."

Sora's eyes widened. He _had_ heard this story some place before! He just… just wished he could remember where.

"What became of the engines?" Donald asked, eager to know the story's ending.

"People came from all over to buy the engines," Indigo continued. Sora noticed her voice sounded much more somber. Now, he was wondering if this story had a happy ending. "They chose Stuart and Falcon. No one wanted Duke."

"Why not?" Amemi asked.

Indigo shrugged. "They all must have thought he was too old. Before Stuart and Falcon left, they smiled at Duke. 'Cheer up, Granpuff,' Stuart had said. 'We will find you a nice, new railway, and then you can come and keep us in order!' They tried to be brave and cheerful, yet no one believed their dreams would come true."

"What a minute," Sora spoke up. All eyes turned to him. "I thought you said Duke's owner was a Duke. Why didn't _he_ come and get him?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you that part!" Indigo realized. "Duke's owner never came for his engine. No one on the railroad knew this, yet he had been killed in a war a few days before."

Amemi gasped. Donald and Goofy exchanged looks of surprise. Sora was startled, too. "So, what happened next?" the Keyblader questioned.

Indigo took a deep breath before she continued. Her voice sounded all the more somber. "Duke's driver and fireman fixed him up one last time. They covered him with a canvas, said goodbye, and locked him inside a shed. Then, they left to find work somewhere else."

Sora caught a glimpse of Amemi. For a moment, it appeared the young woman might be about ready to shed a tear or two.

"Duke was all alone," Indigo went on. "'Oh well,' he sighed. He chose to go to sleep, knowing it would help to pass the time."

"He was all alone?" Goofy asked.

"Yes," Indigo nodded. "The railroad was like a ghost town. Several months went by. Heavy mountain rains washed dirt and mud all over the tracks. The old buildings crumbled and some collapsed. The steel pipes and other metal things rusted and fell apart. All this rain caused trees and bushes to grow all around. The forest became so thick, you could not tell there was shed there, let alone an engine sleeping inside it."

Goofy pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose. He had tears running down the sides of his face. He handed the used handkerchief to Donald. The duck took it, saw what it was, and dropped it in an instant.

Amemi was wiping tears out of her eyes. "That story was so sad," she remarked.

"No kidding," Sora admitted. Any story about someone being left alone and then forgotten by his or her friends would be tragic. He wondered why it had to have a sad ending. "But… surely _someone_ found him eventually, right?"

Indigo raised her left hand. "Actually, that was not the _end_ of the story. Yet, it was a good stopping point for now."

Sora had to turn back and shake his head. He had had the feeling there was more to the story than that. Apparently, Indigo was withholding the ending. Why? He was not sure and probably would never know. After all, people have the right to hold back things if they want to. It does not make it much fun when it comes to stories… or does it? Maybe… Indigo wanted to keep the group in suspense?

Indigo gazed out the window. Through the rearview mirror, Sora saw her. She did not look very happy now. She was calmly looking out the window, sighing every now and then. He wondered if the story had lowered her spirits. After all, it had not had a happy ending and she was the Angel of Hope.

Either way, now was the time to inform her about what was happening. If he did not seize the chance now, he probably would have to wait a long while before he would get another.

He turned to face her. "Indigo, you know what's been going on, right?"

Indigo swung her attention to him. "Now that you mention it, I… I really do not understand what is happening. All those Heartless keep showing up, and they are becoming a threat to the safety of the worlds."

Her eyes lit up. "Do _you_ know what is happening?"

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah! You see, there's this guy, Xehanort, who's been causing trouble for a long time. He's tried to—"

"_**Xehanort**_?!" Indigo's shriek sounded louder than a thunderclap. Her eyes grew large in alarm. She nearly leapt out of her seat. The seatbelt held her back and she tucked her arms and legs in. She looked around and started taking shallow breaths. "_**Where**_ is he?!"

Sora was startled. He had not expected this reaction. Was Indigo afraid of Xehanort? According to Riku, Violet hated the villainous Keyblade Master. So, why did her sister fear him? Had something happened to the two of them? Something Xehanort had done? Maybe Indigo was worried about Organization XIII. That group of Nobodies had proved to be quite the fearsome team.

Then again, the angel probably had simply heard of Xehanort and the stories she had heard about him had traumatized her.

"He's not here," Donald said.

"Yup," Goofy affirmed. "Nobody's seen him for months. He jest… disappeared."

Sora was confused. "Huh? What're you two talking about?"

For the next few minutes, Donald and Goofy explained to Sora about how they had seen Master Xehanort himself when they had saved King Mickey, Riku, Violet, Lea, and Niccole from the villain's deception. It had been during this time they'd rescued Sora from Xehanort's new Organization XIII.

Sora was stunned. He had no idea about what had taken place when he'd been unconscious. No one had said anything about it — not even Violet, and she had stayed at his house for a few months!

Indigo looked relieved. "Thank goodness!" she gave a small smile. She was still shaking a little. "I hope I _**never**_ have to see him again! He… he is… is…. "

Her voice trailed off.

Sora pondered for a moment. He was not sure what the angel was getting at. Did she actually know Xehanort? He was totally mystified. He shrugged it off.

"The thing is, he's trying to do something terrible," the young man explained.

"Somethin' to all the worlds," Goofy indicated.

"Right," Donald approved. He nudged the tall dog. "What Goofy said."

Sora stared for a moment. Did Donald just _agree_ with Goofy? Things were changing so suddenly, he had the feeling he would never be ready for all of it.

"Well, anyway," he went on. "He's missing right now."

Indigo gave a deep sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! For a second, you had me very, very, very nervous. I hope I never have to look into his amber eyes ever again."

'_Well, _that_ explains it_', Sora thought. The angel had most-likely had a traumatizing experience, and it involved Xehanort. He decided not to ask her for more detail. Chances are, she had tried to forget what had happened. He knew he would have done the same thing.

"But there's something else going on," Sora spoke up. "You see, there's this witch named 'Maleficent', and she's…. "

"'_Maleficent_'?" Indigo blurted. She pounded her left fist into her right hand. She paused for a moment to wince at the pain. "I know her. Yet, she is a fairy — not a 'witch'."

"Huh?!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy were taken by surprise. Maleficent was not a witch after all? She sure seemed to be a witch, with all the dark magic and evil spells. Not to mention, she could also transform into a fire-breathing dragon. What kind of fairy could do _**that**_?!

"She can't be a fairy!" Donald stated.

"Yeah!" Goofy nodded. "She ain't got any wings."

Indigo crossed her arms. She looked unamused. "_I_ have wings! I am not a fairy. Not all fairies have wings."

Donald and Goofy gave each other puzzled looks. All Sora could do was show a grin. At least his cheeks did not turn red. Not like when Kairi had — never mind!

"Anyway," Sora cleared his throat (which he did not normally have to do) and continued. "Maleficent's working with a lot of villains. They are trying to take over all the worlds with the Heartless."

"Yup!" Goofy gave a nod. "And Pete, thuh Beagle Boys, Donald Karnage, that there judge, and thuh fairy Thistle are among 'em."

"'_Don_ Karnage'!" Donald corrected. "And Frollo's gone. We stopped him, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" Goofy chuckled. "A-Hyuck!"

"So that's why we've gotta stop them," Sora added. "Or no one's gonna be safe for Christmas."

Amemi turned around in her seat. "My brother's right," she confirmed. "You won't believe how dangerous this quest has been so far."

"And it's _not_ over yet," Donald stated in a very firm voice.

Indigo gave a nod. She turned back to looked out the window. After a minute or two, she turned back to the group. She gave another nod. "If Christmas is on the line, then count me in!"

"Well, _that_ was fast," Donald whispered to the others.

"I know it was," Indigo said. "Being the Angel of Hope, I easily overhear other conversations. I have no clue why I can. It simply happens," she shrugged.

Donald rolled his eyes and shook his head. This made Sora want to laugh.

_**BEEP! BEEP! BLIP! BLIP!**_

Everyone whirled their attention to the front of the vehicle. "What's going on?" Sora inquired.

Launchpad removed the headphones from over his ears. Sora and Amemi could now see the pilot had been listening to a CD player. The electronic machine was nestled neatly in his lap.

"Hey, guys," the muscular duck declared. "We got a strange message coming in!"

At once, a series of monitors appeared from out of the dashboard. They flickered on. A set of words came into focus.

**RAS… RAS… ATTENTION! BOY KIDNAPPED IN AUSTRALIA! IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!**

**RELAY TO NEW YORK**

Everyone stared at it. Sora was bewildered. What did this message mean? He had never seen such a thing before. Then again, he had never known _Herbie_ had such screens inside his dashboard either. Apparently, the modified racecar/Gummi Ship still held a number of surprises.

"It's a call for help," Amemi realized.

"Yeah," Goofy agreed. "But… where's it from?"

"Where's 'New York'?" Donald asked.

"Well… it's not some '_Old_ York'," Launchpad suggested.

Donald slapped himself in the face.

"It came from another world," Indigo pin-pointed. She reached between Sora and Amemi and pointed at the words. "It is being sent to someone named 'RAS'."

She paused. "That sounds like a company or organization."

"What could it mean?" Amemi wondered.

"'_Restored Apple Sauce_?" Goofy offered.

"Let's not worry about it," Sora spoke up. "It's supposed to be for someone in another world. Unless the Heartless, Maleficent, or the Organization's involved, we need to continue on our quest."

He turned back in his seat. He calmly slouched and looked out the windshield. Silence followed as everyone returned to what they had been doing in the first place.

Deep down, he had the feeling someone out there needed his help… whoever they were.

* * *

The blue sky had never been clearer. The sun was shining. There were no clouds in the sky. Even so, the town was still under heavy construction. Lots of noise and clouds of dust were coming from the heavy machinery. Workers milled about. Hammers banged, screw turned, and cement was poured.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo hardly took note of it all. They raced up the steps to the castle. Like Sora had expected, the entrance was guarded. Dilan and Aeleus were standing on either side of the doorway like soldiers patrolling the front gate of a military base. There were no Heartless in sight.

"Sora," Donald started to say.

Goofy beat him to the punch. "Don't forget what happened thuh last time."

Sora nodded. He recalled how the two guards had refused to allow the group to enter without passes. If a horde of Heartless had not happened to show up at that time, they might never have made it inside the castle.

Fortunately, this time, they were ready. Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out a total of six cards. Each one was a red color and contained a picture of the castle surrounded by fountains.

He handed one to Donald, another to Goofy, and a third to Launchpad. When he turned to Amemi and Indigo, the two were perplexed.

"What is this?" Amemi asked when her brother handed her a card.

Indigo held it up to the sun. "It looks shiny and covered with sparkles," she smiled. "I like things that sparkle and shine! It reminds me of pure Light."

"They're VIP cards," Sora explained. "We need them to get inside the castle."

"VIPs?" Amemi asked. Her eyes grew. "Sora, are you a member of a club here?"

Sora placed his hands behind his head. "I guess you could say that…. "

Indigo lowered the card to read it. "'_**Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee **_**Very Important Person**_** Member**_'!"

She turned to the spikey-haired Keyblade wielder. "Why do you have so many cards?"

Sora only gave his signature grin. He knew Cid had created two extra cards — just in case. Good thing, too. There were two more members in his party now.

He turned to the door. Clutching his own card in hand, Sora gave a quick nod. "Okay. Let's get going."

* * *

The others all nodded, except for Amemi. When everyone else headed for the entrance, she stood in place. She was deep in thought, wondering what "committee" Sora had joined in this world. She only hoped it was good — like "_**The International WordGirl Fan Club**_". She was a member of _that_ one.

She shrugged it off and headed after the others. They were already gathered at the doorway. The two guards were awaiting her arrival.

"Amy, what's wrong?" Sora asked her.

Amemi shook her head rapidly. "Nothing."

"Nothin'?" Goofy questioned.

"Right," Amemi nodded. "Nothing."

The knight crossed his arms and placed one hand against his chin. "Hmm…. "

Sora turned to the guards. He held up his card. One of the guards had long, black hair and sideburns. He was wielding a lance, which made Amemi anxious. She hated looking at such weapons up close. They always made her nervous.

The other guard sported reddish hair (from Amemi's perspective) and was holding a giant axe.

When they asked to see her card, Amemi handed to them in a flash. They handed it back. She raced through the open doorway. She hurried so fast, she went straight past the others and slammed into something.

_**BONK! CRASH!**_

She slowly sat up from the floor and rubbed her head. "Ow…. "

Her vision came into focus. She stared straight ahead. In front of her were two young women.

One looked around twenty-four years old; that was ten years older that Amemi herself. She had long, brown hair styled in a braid with curls on either side of her face, and green eyes. She was decked out in a pink dress, a red skirt underneath, a short, faded-blue overcoat, coiled-wire wristbands, and brown boots. Amemi also note the pink ribbon in her hair.

The other had pale skin and gold hair that flowed gently down to her shoulders. She was wearing a long, white dress with long sleeves that had a red First-Aid cross on the left side of her chest and the right sleeve. There were blue boots slipped onto her feet, and she had a green ribbon in her hair. The shadowing on the upper part of her green eyes made her eyelids look a little closed. A pair of sparkly something-or-others were situated on either side of her face.

Amemi stared at them, unsure who these two were. Then again, they were probably members of the committee — just like Sora. Hopefully, they were friendly.

"Amy!" Sora rushed over to his sister. "Are you okay?"

Amemi rubbed the back of her head. "Yes."

Sora showed a relieved smile. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo came strolling over in a hurry. Goofy slipped on a piece of gauze lying around and slid across the floor. He slammed into the stone wall beside a set of steps.

"A-Hyuck!" was all he said.

Donald rushed over to the knight. Sora helped his sister to her feet. Launchpad and Indigo helped the two women to their feet. That was when everyone realized the floor was littered with spilled medical supplies. At least four cases of stuff had been knocked all over. Fortunately, nothing appeared to have broken.

"Thank you, Launchpad," the golden-haired girl said.

Launchpad seemed to be blushing, a little.

"Sora, who are they?" Amemi asked, pointing to the girls.

Sora sighed, knowing more introductions needed to be made. After all, this _was_ his sister's first time at the _**Radiant Garden**_. Over the next few minutes, everyone cleaned up the mess from the collision.

Sora turned to the two women. "Everything alright now?"

The two girls smiled and nodded. Sora grabbed his sister and pulled her over. "Amy, this is Aerith and Myrna."

Amemi glanced at each woman as Sora introduced them. She smiled and gave a small wave. "Hi."

Aerith beamed. "It's nice to meet you, Amy."

"'Amemi'," Amemi corrected. "Sora calls me 'Amy'."

Myrna smiled at the young man. "I thought you said you didn't have a girlfriend."

Sora and Amemi nearly jumped. They waved their hands wildly around. "You got it wrong," Sora stated.

"Yes," Amemi affirmed. "I'm his sister."

Myrna stared for a moment. She glanced back and forth between the two. "Oh! Okay, I see a little resemblance," she said. Her cheeks started turning pink. The sparkles on her cheeks shone brightly. "Sorry, it was my mistake."

Sora shook his head. "So, where were you going with all this stuff?"

"To the Medical Wing," Aerith explained. "It's finished, so we're moving in."

"It's really nice," Myrna added. "Do you want to see it?"

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah!"

He froze. "Oh! I just remembered," he reached into his pocket and took out the torn page Amemi had found. He held it up. "We found one of the torn pages."

"You did?" Myrna asked.

Aerith held out her hand. Sora handed it to her. She took a moment to examine the piece of paper. "Yes, this is one of the missing pages," she confirmed.

Amemi was confused. "How do you know?"

"The Light's telling me this is one," Aerith explained.

Amemi folded her arms. She was not sure what the young woman meant. She sounded like Riku, talking about the hearts of worlds and what lay beyond. Just like riddles, it was not her thing.

She looked around the room. There was no sign of Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, or Indigo.

"Where did everyone else go?" she asked.

Everyone looked around. Myrna gazed up at a doorway up a flight of stairs and to the left. "I think I saw them go into the library."

"They're ahead of us," Sora commented. He started up the stairs. "Wait up!"

"Sora! You forgot the page!" Aerith called after him. When the brown-haired seventeen-year-old did not turn back, she ran after him. Amemi was second behind.

Myrna glanced at the four cases of medical supplies on the floor. She looked up at the stairs. "What about the supplies?"

There was no answer. With a sigh, she scooped up the supplies and trailed the others.

* * *

Sora raced into the room. Once inside the library, he rounded a few bookshelves and found the staircase. He slid to a stop. He could not believe his eyes.

Goofy and Launchpad were sliding down the steps on a pair of cloths. Indigo was hovering up above, smiling and laughing. Donald was at the bottom, holding a checkered flag.

Sora was astounded. What were they doing? Playing a game on the stairs? Wasn't that dangerous? His Mom never allowed him to play on the steps back home.

"What in the world?" he muttered to himself.

He was about to take a step when someone slammed into him from behind. Someone else ran directly into them. A total of three individuals fell to the floor. Sora quickly realized he was on the bottom, and Amemi was on top of him. When he saw coiled-wire wristbands around the third person's arms, he knew it was Aerith.

"Get off," he groaned.

It took a few seconds for Aerith and Amemi to clamber to their feet. The two then helped Sora to his feet. "You okay?" Aerith asked.

"Yeah," Sora replied, rubbing his jaw. "I'm alright."

"That was quite a collision," Amemi indicated.

Sora grinned and put his hands behind his head. "Yeah, you're right."

That was when Myrna rounded the corner and saw the group. She saw Sora's smile and felt like smiling herself. When she saw Indigo hovering above the stairs, she stared in complete surprise. "An angel?"

The cases of medical supplies slipped from her hands. They clattered onto the floor. The noise seized the attention of everyone else in the room. Even Goofy and Launchpad stopped short of the bottom of the steps.

"Myrna?" Donald asked.

"What is it?" Sora inquired.

The young woman pointed into the air. "Look! There's an angel!"

Everyone whirled around to see Indigo above the stairs. Aerith was taken by complete astonishment. "It _is_ an angel!"

Indigo was shocked. She looked around the room. "Where? I do not see an angel."

"She means you," Donald stated.

Indigo stared at the duck. "_Me_?" she looked at the group. Aerith was clutching the page tightly in her hands. She gave a smile and laughed. "So sorry about making trouble," the angel said. "I did not know who you were talking about."

"Yeah, you know how it is," Sora beamed.

Aerith gazed at the young man. "You know her?"

Sora gave a nod. "Of course! She's our friend."

Indigo slowly descended to the floor. She set down before Sora, Amemi, and Aerith. Her landing was so graceful, it reminded Sora of Violet. She turned to face the group. "My name is Indigo — The Angel of Hope."

Myrna rushed past the others and speedily shook Indigo's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Indigo!" she smiled. "I've _**always**_ wanted to meet an angel!"

Indigo nearly looked away. She covered her mouth with her left hand. All Sora could do was shake his head.

With all the introductions out of the way, Sora's team joined Aerith and Myrna at a table on the second floor of the library. Resting on the table was a book. The cover of it was brown and contained an illustration of a young man with brown, spikey hair relaxing on a hillside at night. A golden-furred bear wearing a red shirt was sitting beside him. Twinkling stars and a crescent moon could be seen up above. Written above the colorful drawing was the book's title.

**WINNIE THE POOH**

Indigo took a moment to observe the cover. "I like this drawing," she remarked. She turned to Sora. "Is that you on there?"

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah. That's me and Pooh."

"Who?"

"Pooh who?" Launchpad shrugged. "Sounds like a riddle. Ya sure this isn't an ancient Incan poker table?"

"Shh!" Donald shushed the pilot.

Sora approached the table. The book started to glow.

"Is it supposed to do that?" Myrna asked.

Aerith shrugged. Indigo's antennae remained stable, telling Sora everything was fine. He calmly reached the table and opened the book. He flipped through the pages and found the first one that had been torn out. As he carefully inserted it, the page slid from his hand and clicked right into place.

"It worked!" Sora announced. Without warning, the glow increased. A brilliant display of Light occurred. As it became a replica of the Sun's light, Sora was dragged into the book by an unknown force.

"_**Sora**_!" Amemi exclaimed, alarmed at the sight of her brother being sucked into a piece of literature like a crumb going into a roaring vacuum cleaner.

She scurried across the room and grabbed her brother's ankles. She pulled as hard as she could. The suction grew stronger. Before she could have counted to five, Amemi found herself being dragged into the book after Sora.

The book slammed shut. The glow faded. When Aerith, Myrna, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo looked again, they were the only ones in the library.

"Where are they?!" Myrna cried, shocked at the many possible things that could have happened.

Launchpad gave a worried grin. "I hope they have helmets," he murmured to himself.

Indigo walked up to the table and picked up the book. She shook it a little. Then, she tilted it sideways. Nothing fell out from the pages inside. "This is a little strange," she remarked. "It is almost like they simply vanished into thin air."

Myrna looked around the room. Launchpad searched the walls. Indigo examined the book. Aerith, Donald, and Goofy did nothing. They knew what had _**really**_ happened.

Sora and Amemi had gotten magically transported into the world inside the book's pages.

* * *

**A/N: WELL, THERE YOU HAVE IT! SORA AND AMEMI HAVE ENTERED THE 100-ACRE WOOD STORYBOOK WORLD!**

**Still, another world is calling! We shall see more of it coming up!**  
**So, YUP! I think you can tell what MAJOR Disney-based world is just around the corner! Chances are, Sora and his teammates shall be heading there sometime around Chapter 30 to Chapter 31.**

**Did anyone notice Indigo's story about "'_The Lost Engine_'"? Do you know what it was from?**

**Just for the record, I particularly enjoyed writing one of This Chapter's latter scenes from Amemi's Point-Of-View. I Hope You Liked How I Did That!**

**So, in case you were interested, here is a "'RIDDLE HINT'" for what Disney Movie is going to come to life in the Storybook!**  
**HINT: "THREE STORIES COME TO LIFE AS SORA AND AMEMI WITNESS SEASONS COMING AND GOING! TWO HOLIDAYS FLY BY - ONE MIGHT BE A MISTAKE! AS FOR THE THIRD, A NEW FRIEND MAY AWAIT! EVERY SEASON BRINGS A REASON TO BE CHEERFUL, AND FOR SORA, AMEMI, AND THEIR FRIENDS TO BE GLAD!"**  
**You think you know what Disney movie is hinted in there? Please post your answers in the REVIEWS section for This Chapter!  
****Please keep in mind, the overall story will contain Three Separate Parts - and they might not be one straight-through story arc!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	30. Ch30 - Ground-Piglet Day?

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: ALRIGHT-Y! CHAPTER 30 IS HERE, SO THIS STORY IS FINALLY MOVING ALONG - FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME!**

**As it is, This Chapter may not seem as detailed as the one before it. "'Why not?'," you ask? Well, I just had to keep the story going. That, and this is somewhat of a transitional part of the story. It takes place between two particular Disney-based worlds.**  
**That, and I wanted to keep the story's flow moving smoothly.**

**Yet, that does NOT mean it's not worth reading!**  
**EVERY Chapter of This Story is important! I made sure of that Before I started writing it! I even created an entire "_Storyline Summary_" so I could plan it out accordingly.**

**So, like with Chapter 18, I want to go over a few things about Sora's team to help you focus on their characters in This Story. I said would do this again later, and I am!**  
**Of course, most of this might seem like a duplicate from before. Still, there are some notable differences. I might even do this again - at another later Chapter, too.**

**SORA SKY HIKARI \- Age 17. The Keyblade wielder credited with saving the worlds on more than one occasion. He is a little naïve, but still possesses a strong sense of justice. He is very protective of his sister, Amemi. Once again, Sora is determined to keep the worlds from permanently falling to Darkness, even if it means taking down Maleficent and her entire Council along the way. He seems to be struggling to keep his cool lately...**

**AMEMI HIKARI \- Age 14. Sora's younger sister. She wields a slingshot. She is typically happy-go-lucky and enjoys spending time with her brother, although this is not always the case. She tries to encourage others to do the right thing, but doesn't always succeed. She wishes to see other worlds and is excited about exploring the unknown. Sora calls her "Amy" for short, even though she would rather be referred to by her real name. She also is a huge fan of "_WordGirl_", whom she wishes to meet someday.**

**DONALD DUCK \- Age Unknown. The Royal Court Magician of Disney Castle. He means well, but can be greedy and a little self-centered. He is easily irritated by random stuff, which can cause conflict with Goofy and Launchpad. He fights with a magical wand. He has a VERY bad temper, and he has taken his anger out on others - besides the Heartless.**

**GOOFY \- Age Unknown. The Captain of The Royal Knights of Disney Castle. He dislikes weapons and wields a shield. He is very clumsy and easily mispronounces words. Yet, he also notices things others miss. He can be smart and tends to reassure others. His intelligence is not always plain to see, yet it is known he has graduated from college.**

**LAUNCHPAD MCQUACK \- Age Unknown. The Leader of The Disney Royal Air Force of Disney Castle. He is absent-minded and clumsy. He LOVES to crash things. Despite such setbacks, he cares about others and does his best to help. He is friendly and sometimes carefree. He Loves to give the same introduction over and over and over again.**

**INDIGO \- Age Unknown. The Angel OF Hope. She is Violet's sister, even though their personalities are nearly opposites. She can be shy and anxious. Deep down, she is friendly and cares about others. She gets excited and easily gets her hopes up. She is determined to put a stop to the threat of Darkness in the worlds.**

**...Yes, I really do not have THAT much to say today. I feel sort of tired, mainly since classes have finished for This Week.**

**So, without further ado, it's TIME TO READ!**  
**PLEASE REVIEW, TOO! THE MORE REVIEWS, THE MERRIER! (Launchpad McQuack asked me to say that!)**

* * *

**CHAPTER 30**  
**Ground-Piglet Day?**

**"Every**_** season brings a reason to be happy (happy)**__**  
**__**Every season brings a reason to be glad (glad)**__**  
**__**When the sun is shining up above you**__**  
**__**And honey bees are in the hive**__**  
**__**Oh, what a happy reason to be glad that you're alive! (ooh)**__**  
**__**So, every season brings a reason to be giving (every season)**__**  
**__**Giving thanks for the good things that appear**__**  
**__**When you hear that birds are singing**__**  
**__**Be it winter, fall or spring**__**  
**__**What a beautiful gift the seasons bring!**_**"**

The song seemed to fade out. She felt the glow dying down. As she opened her eyes, Amemi looked around. Her feet landed gently on something… soft? It felt a little like a cloud. Then again, she had never touched a cloud before.

She looked around some more. She was standing on something white. Black shapes were all over the place, mostly in neat lines. Up above, she could see a blurry view of a greenish ceiling.

"Where am I?" she wondered aloud. None of this looked familiar. It did not even look like something out of an episode of "_**WordGirl**_"… unless this was part of Sparkletopia. Yet, even that was impossible, considering that was a place within a show the main character watched. This was too weird….

She took a moment to recall what had happened. When Sora had started to get pulled into the book, she had grabbed him. Somehow, the two of them had been sucked inside and the cover had slammed shut behind them.

Her eyes grew wide with surprise. Was she _**really**_ inside a book?! She looked down at the white ground. If she was inside a book, then she was more-than-likely standing on a page. The black shapes were written letters and words. It felt like something straight out of that Scholastic-made, science show.

What was it called? She remembered it had something to do with a magical school bus and a memorable teacher.

"Wow," she marveled as the realization hit her. "This is the inside of a book. I wonder how you get out of it?"

"Amy!"

Amemi turned to the right. She saw someone rushing over to her. When she saw his spikey, brown hair, she relaxed. It was her brother, Sora. '_At least, it isn't a Heartless_,' she thought to herself.

Sora stopped a few feet from her. She saw shock and puzzlement inscribed upon his face. "How'd _you_ get in here?" he asked.

"I tried to grab you," she told him. "As you were being sucked into this thing. I think we were both pulled in."

Sora gave a deep sigh. He grabbed the sides of his head for a few seconds. "Great! Now we're _both_ stuck in here until the page is restored!"

Amemi looked perplexed. "What do you mean?"

Sora turned to her right and pointed. She looked in said direction and stared in surprise. A glowing illustration could be seen up ahead. It appeared to be a tree surrounded by an expanse of field.

"_That's_ where we need to go," he said. "C'mon!"

He raced to the drawing. Not wanting to be left behind, the sandy-haired girl shrugged all her confusion to the side (for now, at least) and joined him. The two reached the illustration at the same time. They simultaneously stepped through.

Sora and Amemi were in **The 100-Acre Wood**.

* * *

There was a slight breeze blowing through the air. The trees along the path were leafless. To Amemi, this could only mean this was either late Fall or in the middle of the Winter. Due to the lack of snow, she had the feeling it was the former.

As she followed her brother down the road, Amemi started to shiver. The breeze seemed to growing colder and colder. In fact, she thought she saw a few dead leaves drifting through the sky. Up above, a handful of ducks were flying in a V-shape formation into the distance.

At last, Sora came to a stop. He pointed up ahead. "Look!"

Amemi gazed into the distance. Up ahead, the path reached a large area of fields. No plants were growing through the soil. No signs could be seen either. A small brook flowing through the garden. A small, wooden bridge crossed the stream. On the other side was a large tree with a small, circular window in the side. A clothesline was located on the other side with a bucket and a few other odds and ends.

Amemi's head was spinning. Was this tree someone's house? When she saw the door near the clothesline, she realized she was correct. She also noticed a mailbox near the tree. She could not make out the name on it; it was too far away.

However, what Sora was pointing at were a trio of figures approaching the door. One was a small, round bear wearing a bluish coat, green gloves, and a red hat with green stripes on its tail. He had golden fur.

Another was a tiny piglet sporting pink ears and wearing a magenta jumpsuit underneath a brownish jacket with white sleeves and green scarf. He also had a violet winter hat that was slowly slipping over his eyes.

The third was a tiger with a springy-looking tail. He was wearing a dark-green sweatshirt with a white, capital letter "T", a red scarf, and ski goggles on his forehead.

"I see them," Amemi admitted, even though she was unsure who it was. "What about them?"

"It's Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger!" he declared. He headed for the tree when the three stuffed animals headed into the tree through the doorway. "Wait up!"

"Sora!" she called. His sister hurried after him.

The two dashed down the road and across the bridge. Amemi thought she felt the bridge start to give way as she stepped on it. She wondered if this bridge had been destroyed before and then rebuilt using the same pieces.

Sora hurried through the door in a flash. Amemi was seconds behind him. What she saw on the other side startled her so much, her mouth nearly dropped open. Instead, her eyes grew big.

The inside of the tree was a wreck. Pieces of sticks, fallen leaves, and lots of other odds and ends from outside lay strewn about. A set of muddy footprints led through the room. It looked like an enormous gust of wind had blown clear through the space and brought a mass of debris along. To top it off, furniture had been toppled, pictures had been knocked off the walls, and a bowlful of carrots had been blown clear onto the floor.

The sight reminded Amemi of Sora's room. Thank goodness she had _**never**_ had to go in there! She only knew about its condition from overhearing their Mom lecturing him about it.

Sora greeted the three stuffed animals. Due to the loud wind rushing through her ears, Amemi was unable to tell what he was saying. When he gestured at her, the three animals shifted their gaze accordingly.

All she could think of doing was waving. "Hi!" she said, loud enough to be heard over the wind.

"Nice to meet ya," the tiger declared.

He hopped onto his tail and bounced over to her. His tail folded like an accordion with each bounce. He bounced so fast, he knocked straight into her. Amemi fell to the floor and landed on her back. The tiger grabbed her hand and shook it rapidly. "Name's Tigger! 'T-I-double-guh-err'! That spells 'Tigger'!"

Amemi gave a nervous smile. This tiger — Tigger, that is — certainly had a ton of energy. She wondered if he was just overly-excited about meeting her.

The bear came over. "I'm Pooh," he introduced in a rather pleasant sort of way.

"I'm P-P-Piglet," the small piglet declared from across the room.

"They're my friends," Sora called against the gale.

Amemi gave a nod. As Tigger hopped off her, she rolled over. "I can see that," she commented. Her brother tended to make friends with just about anybody — even total strangers.

The door slammed shut. Everyone swerved their eyes to it. A tall, slender bunny sporting yellow fur, thin arms, and a white cottontail was standing there. He scowled at the group. "What are you _doing_?!" he demanded to know.

The bunny was so focused on Pooh, Piglet, and Tigger, he failed to notice Amemi was still lying on the floor. He marched across the room so ferociously, one of his feet got caught on the young woman and he fell over.

"Hello?" the bunny asked in surprise. "Have we met?"

Amemi rose to her feet. "No," she shook her head. "I'm Amemi."

"She's my sister, Rabbit," Sora announced. His voice was softer, probably because the door was closed and the wind was no longer howling through the room.

Rabbit gazed at Amemi. "Why, it's a pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Sora's is welcome anytime."

Piglet turned to Sora. "Is _she_ one of the 'friends' you were looking for?"

Sora shook his head. He then paused and gave a small grin. "Well… maybe. She was missing, too. But, I was looking for Riku and Kairi then."

Rabbit turned to the others. "Just, what are you doing?" he enquired.

Tigger grinned. "Well, we're just tryin' to find out when Winter is, 'Long-Ears'."

"And, uh, _you're_ the only one with a calendar, Rabbit," Piglet added.

Rabbit stopped and stared in surprise. "Why," he quickly regained his composure. "Why, yes! So I am."

As Rabbit marched across the room to the calendar on the wall, Amemi strolled up to Sora. "Why do they want to know when Winter is?" she asked.

Sora shrugged. "Just… go along with it. That's what I always do."

Amemi folded her arms. She had to admit, sometimes her older brother had a point. Although there were many times when his statements did not make any sense… or did they?

Rabbit stopped before his calendar and cleared his throat. "As of first thing this morning, today is…. "

He placed his finger against the calendar page and read what was inscribed beneath the number. "…'_Groundhog Day_'."

He took a double-take and gasped. "'Groundhog Day'?!"

Tigger tossed his skis into the air in alarm. "'Groundhog Day'?!"

"'Groundhog Day'?" Piglet asked, perplexity written on his face.

Pooh chuckled. "Oh, it's 'Groundhog Day'," he paused. A confused look formed on his face. "What is that?"

Rabbit tore the page off the calendar and waved in front of the bear's face. "Why, it's the day a groundhog comes out of his hole," he stated.

"Oh," Pooh nodded. He gave a chuckle. "_That_ 'Groundhog Day'."

Amemi had to roll her eyes. What _other_ Groundhog Day was there? Last she had checked, there was only _one_ such holiday marked on the calendar.

"It's really quite simple," Rabbit explained in a "matter-of-fact" way. "A groundhog comes out of his hole and looks around. If he sees his shadow, then there's six more weeks of Winter."

"Oh, my," Piglet gulped.

"But," Rabbit went on. "If the groundhog _doesn't_ see his shadow, then that means Spring starts tomorrow."

"Wait, _what_?" Tigger exclaimed. "'_**Spring**_'?! Wha… what happened to _Winter_?!"

Rabbit threw his hands up into the air. "It's gone — over! We missed it!"

"Christmas, too?" Piglet enquired.

Rabbit headed to the door. He grabbed a silky scarf from his hat rack and wrapped it around his neck. "According to the calendar, Christmas, too. But the only way to be sure Winter's over is to find a groundhog and… uh, check with him."

Now Amemi was ready to slap her face. How could Christmas be over _already_? Less than two hours ago, she had been with Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo at a Christmas party in the _**Beast's Castle**_. Back home, it was not even December 21ST, yet. It just did not make any sense for this place to have missed such an _important_ holiday.

Something _really_ felt off….

"I guess it's worth a try," she heard Sora say.

* * *

Next thing she knew, Amemi was following Sora, who was following Tigger, who was following Piglet, who was following Pooh, who was following Rabbit down a path in the forest. She shivered, feeling the cold air blowing all around. A number of leaves fell from the trees and drifted on by.

The group stopped when they reached a rather large hole in the ground. Beside it was a mailbox bearing the name "**GoFUR**". A short, stick ladder led up to the mailbox from the hole.

After gathering around the hole, Pooh leaned over and called into it. "Gopher? Gopher?"

"A-are you there?" Piglet called in.

"Come on out, Gopher!" Tigger shouted.

"No, no, no, no!" Rabbit stated, shaking his head. "That's no way to get Gopher out of his hole."

"Wait," Sora said. "Look."

At that moment, a small, gray animal poked its head out of the hole. He was wearing a tan nightcap and matching nightshirt. "Hey," he complained. "What'-_s_ the big idea? Can't anyone get _s_-ome rest to _s_-tart hibernation?"

Amemi was a bit surprised. Every time Gopher spoke a word with the letter "S", he whistled. She had never know anybody else who spoke like that.

"We came to find a groundhog," Pooh told Gopher.

"Yes," Piglet nodded. "It's 'Groundhog Day'."

Gopher frowned, and then he scowled. "'_Groundhog_'?! Who're you callin' a 'Groundhog'? What're you tryin' ta do? _In-sult_ my ance-stor?!"

He shrank back into his hole. A loud shout could be heard as he fell down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down, down… to the very bottom. A _**THUD**_ could be heard when he landed.

Amemi looked into the hole. She wondered how deep it _really_ was. It sure sounded deep. Plus, the ladder leading down into it led into complete darkness.

"Oh, dear," Piglet gulped. "W-what now?"

Rabbit, Pooh, and Tigger all turned to him. Sora did the same. Amemi thought she saw anxiety evident in the very, very small animal's eyes.

Piglet gulped again. "Oh…. "

* * *

Within a matter of minutes, Pooh, Tigger, and Rabbit had Piglet dressed as a groundhog. A pair of large teeth were strung around his face. "Oh, d-d-d-dear," Piglet muttered.

Sora and Amemi both looked a little surprised. From Amemi's perspective, it almost looked as though Sora was just going along with everything the others were doing.

"Don't worry, Piglet Ol' Pal!" Tigger declared. He scooped the little piglet into his hands. "Just go down there and be a groun-hog!"

"We're counting on you, Piglet," Rabbit added.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Amemi said to herself. She had the feeling something bad was about to happen. She just did not know what.

Tigger dropped Piglet down into the hole. After a few moments, the very, very small animal hit the bottom. "I-I-I am okay," he announced from far below in the darkness.

"Do you see your shadow, Piglet?" Pooh called in.

Tigger was practically pleading. "Please! _Please_, see you shadow! I wanna go skiin'!"

Amemi and Sora also peered into the darkness. After a few seconds (it felt like a few minutes), Piglet emerged from the hole. His hat had somehow slipped over his eyes. "Actually, I don't see anything," Piglet remarked.

Amemi felt like slapping her face, again. No wonder Piglet could not see his shadow. He eyes were covered. He could not see a thing!

That did not seem to bother the others. "No shadow?" Rabbit declared. He gave a yelp of excitement. "Winter is over!"

Tigger frowned for a moment. "Aw, I wanted to go skiin'!" His face quickly turned into a grin. "Oh, well!"

Pooh, Tigger, and Rabbit all grabbed Piglet and started tossing him up and down with glee. "Hooray for Piglet!" Rabbit proclaimed. "For telling us Spring is here!"

"Hip-hip," Tigger cheered.

"Hooray!" the others added. Sora did the same; his famous smile was showing on his face.

Amemi had to smile. She had never seen her brother so happy since his birthday. With all those Heartless and villains out there, the spikey-haired seventeen-year-old had taken the quest very seriously. In fact, he had outright fought and defeated many monsters and evildoers one after another.

She wondered if he had done the same during his earlier quests. She looked down at the ground in thought. Her shadow appeared to be staring back at her, almost like it was living.

The group headed back to Rabbit's house. No sooner had they arrived did Pooh and Tigger head off. Rabbit grabbed some gardening tools and headed for the fields outside his home.

"What are you doing, Rabbit?" Sora asked. Amemi and Piglet both listened.

"Now that Spring is here," he answered. "There's much to do. Things like airing out our houses, and Spring cleaning, and most importantly, my garden."

He started to plant some seeds in the soil. "The most-important thing about growing vegetables is knowing _when_ to plant."

He turned to Piglet. "And, thanks to you, I know that time is now."

Piglet beamed with delight. He spun around to face Sora and Amemi. "Everyone's so happy," he said. "After all, I told them Winter was over."

"Yeah," Sora gave a nod. "Looks like everything's going well."

Amemi had to admit, Spring _might_ be on the way in this world. Even so, her feelings of doubt still lingered….

* * *

A few hours flew by. The wind had picked up and clouds had rolled in. Snowflake after snowflake had descended upon the woods. In such a short time, deep snow had piled all over the landscape. The forest now appeared to be in the middle of a Winter Wonderland.

From all accounts, everything was going wrong. Tigger's house was covered in snow and all his belongings were buried outside; he had been doing his Spring-cleaning. Pooh's house was snowed in — both ways. Large snow drifts had piled indoors since he had been airing out his home; the doors had been open and his windows had been removed. Rabbit's garden was completely swamped in snow; the only indication of its presence was the top of the fence and his scarecrow.

Sora and Amemi were shocked. How could all this have happened within a matter of hours? Amemi wondered if Piglet had made a mistake.

Rabbit had had the exact same idea. At the moment, he had brought Piglet to his house. Sora and Amemi were there, too.

"Piglet," Rabbit scolded in a stern voice. "You said you didn't see your shadow. You said Winter was over."

Piglet gulped. He shifted his gaze to the window. The drifts were so high, they reached to the windowsill. "Oh, dear," he sighed deeply. "I did, didn't I?"

To Amemi, it seemed as though Rabbit was being a little harsh. Piglet looked a little frightened in the face of such a heated interrogation. "It's not _his_ fault," Amemi spoke up. "The weather can change at any time."

"But, we prepared for _Spring_," Rabbit stated. "There should be fields full of flowers — _not_ six feet of snow!"

He clenched his fists. "_**Ruined**_! _**Ruined**_!" he declared. He pointed straight at Piglet. "And it's all _**your**__ fault_!"

Piglet's head and ears drooped. He headed for the door and grabbed his scarf and hat. He put them on and opened the door. He proceeded through the snow and into the distance.

Amemi had listened in the background long enough. "That's not fair," she told Rabbit. "How do _you_ know who's responsible?"

Instead of speaking, a scowling Rabbit marched to the door and grabbed a scarf and pair of earmuffs. He headed into the snow. Once he was gone, Sora turned to his sister. "Amy," Sora stated. "Just go along with it!"

Amemi was shocked and bewildered. What was Sora saying? That she should go with the flow? She did not approve of such. It never made sense to her.

At once, an enormous gust of wind blew through the house. "_**Get**_ _**down**_!" Amemi hollered.

The two hunkered down as the wind rushed around them. A chill filled the room. The sounds of paper blowing through the air could be heard. One smacked straight into Amemi's hair.

"Ow!" she yelped. She snatched the paper and held it in her hand. "Hey!"

When she saw a large, red number on it, she stared in surprise. The name "December" was inscribed above the number. "A _calendar_ page?"

"Well, it looks like one," Sora added.

The two swept their eyes around the immediate space. The whole floor was littered with such pages. At once, Rabbit came storming back inside. When he saw the papers scattered all over the room. He stared in astonishment.

"What's this?" he questioned, scooping a page up. "Calendar pages?"

With Sora and Amemi's help, the bunny speedily gathered the pages and organized them. He then placed them back onto the calendar. To everyone's amazement, the calendar _now_ read,

**NOVEMBER 13****TH**

Rabbit was nearly speechless. "Why, it's only _**November**_! It's nowhere _near_ Groundhog Day!"

"Wow!" Sora declared, now knowing what the actual date was.

Amemi had to shake her head. She had known all along it was not past Christmas Day, let alone New Year's Eve. She folded her arms and gave Rabbit a smirked smile. "Well, Rabbit?" she said. "It seems Piglet wasn't wrong after all. It was all a _huge_ misunderstanding."

Rabbit gasped suddenly. "Oh my! _Piglet_! I'd better apologize to him!"

He raced to the door and grabbed his scarf off the hat rack in the process. He opened the door. Thanks to a path he had (somehow) shoveled (in such a short time), he was able to hurry away in no time.

"Wait up!" Sora called as he gave chase.

"Wait for me!" Amemi yelled. She followed her brother out the door. They continued past the towering walls of snow and into the forest.

* * *

It took a few minutes to scurry through the forest. At last, the group arrived in a clearing. Sora pointed out a tall tree at the center of the space. A wooden doorway was positioned in the middle of the trunk, though it was smaller in comparison to Rabbit's house. Around ten feet from the door stood a medium-height sign bearing the words, "_**Trespassers Will…**_"

"Piglet?" Rabbit called as he hurried to the door. To his surprise (and Sora and Amemi's astonishment), there was a small note taped to the door.

Amemi took it off and started to read it. "'_I've gone to find a-a __**real**__ groundhog, who can tell me when Spring __**really**__ is_.'"

Rabbit tugged on his ears. "He must be _kidding_!"

Sora gazed at the message. "There's more," he said. "'_P.S. – I-I-I'm n-n-not kidding._'"

Sweeping their eyes around, the group quickly spotted a set of tracks leading away from the house. They each nodded to one another. Before long, the three were heading down the trail.

Round and round the tracks went. Up and down hills. Back and forth to avoid trees. At one point, it looped around in a full circle. The whole time, Rabbit kept calling, "Piglet?"

Finally, the cold began creeping in all the more. Amemi shivered and felt her teeth might be starting to chatter. She gave a violent sneeze and fell backwards into a snowbank. She felt her forehead. It felt warmer than usual.

Sora stopped and turned back. "Amy, are you okay?"

Amemi did not answer. She gave a yawn. She knew what this probably meant. She was getting sick, maybe catching a cold. After all, the weather _never_ got _**this**_ chilly back home on the islands. It was always so wet and rainy during the Holiday Season.

Sora bent down and scooped his sister up into his arms. He grunted as he returned to his feet. He looked ahead. Rabbit was still winding his away along the trail.

"I'm fine, Sora," Amemi said in a rather weak voice. She closed her eyes and started to doze.

Sora gave a nod. "You'll be fine," he told her. "We'll be back at Rabbit's house once we find Piglet."

He carefully carried her down the trail. Despite the extra weight, he was able to move rather swiftly along. Either it was because of the ice lying underneath the snow, or it was because he was not from this world.

Before long, Rabbit came to a halt. Sora quickly caught up with him, Amemi still in his arms. "Hey, what is it?" he asked.

Rabbit pointed to the top of the next hill. "Look!"

Sora shifted his eyes up to the summit. He saw a snowy object standing at the top — wearing Piglet's hat! In fact, the object's shape strongly-resembled Piglet. "Piglet!" he declared.

Amemi started to wake up. When she stretched and yawned, Sora lost his balance and fell into the snow. The sandy-headed teenager landed in his lap. The two looked at one another and smiled. "That actually was fun," she admitted.

Sora had to nod. The two rose to their feet and saw Rabbit marching up the hill. They were seconds behind him.

"Piglet," Rabbit said to the snowy object. "You shouldn't have come out here all alone."

"It's slippery," Sora said. "Are you okay?"

The object did not say anything in return. Rabbit shook it. The object fell over. Rabbit gasped. "Oh no! You're… _frozen_ _**solid**_!"

He grabbed the object in his hands. "I _have_ to get you home! _Quickly_! I _have_ to get you warmed up!"

Within a second, Rabbit was rushing back down the hill headed for Piglet's house. Sora and Amemi both looked at one another, shrugged, and followed suit.

* * *

When they returned to Piglet's house, Rabbit rushed inside. Pooh and Tigger were already there. Rabbit set the snowy object down on the floor. "He's so cold, he can't even speak!" he declared.

Before Amemi or Sora could say anything, Tigger darted over with a cup of hot chocolate. "Here's some hot chocolate-y!"

The tiger poured the cup's contents onto the object. Pooh dashed away and returned with a hot water bottle. All the combined heat from the bottle and hot chocolate made the snowy object start to turn into a puddle of water.

"He's sweating up a storm," Tigger commented. "He's… he's… sweating away to nothin'!"

"He's _**melting**_!" Rabbit shouted in alarm. "Get a bucket! We have to save him!"

Tigger and Pooh both started running around in circles. Tigger nearly slipped when he stepped in the puddle.

"Tigger!" Rabbit cried. "You're stepping in _**Piglet**_!"

Sora rushed to the door and grabbed a mop and bucket. He gave Rabbit the mop. The bunny hastily mopped up the water and dumped it into the bucket.

Pooh gasped. "Oh…! Poor Piglet…. "

The bear started walking sideways as though he was now in a complete daze. Amemi had to step to the side to avoid him. Tigger saw all this and gasped. "He's gonna _faint_!"

He grabbed the bucket and tossed its contents into the air, aimed at Pooh. At the same time, Amemi rushed over to catch the bear. Rabbit raced across the room and grabbed a bowl. He caught the water in it. He slid across the floor for a moment before he came to a stop. "_**Piglet**_!" he called into the bowl. "_**How do you feel**_?!"

"Well," Piglet's voice came from what appeared to be the bowl. "I-I-I feel bad for saying it was Spring in the middle of Winter."

Amemi was startled. Was Piglet's voice _**really**_ coming from the water in the bowl?! _**Now**_, she had seen everything!

"_What_?! _**That**_?!" Rabbit exclaimed. "Oh, don't worry about that! It was all _**my**_ fault!"

Piglet's voice spoke again. "But… but, _I_ was the groundhog."

"But my _calendar_!" Rabbit wept loudly. "_**Snow**_! _**Spring**_! _**Winter**_! _The_ _**pages**_! I _**never**_ should have asked you to be a groundhog in the first place! Do you understand?!"

"I think," Piglet's voice said.

"Can you _**ever**_ forgive me?!" Rabbit pleaded.

"Of course, Rabbit," Piglet said. Amemi looked to the left and saw a very familiar, very, very small animal standing beside the bunny.

"Do you hear that, Piglet?" Rabbit said to the animal. "Piglet forgives me!"

Rabbit took a double-take. Realizing the _real_ Piglet had been in the room the whole time, he jumped into the air and landed against the wall — _**hard**_! The bowl with the water went flying. It landed in Pooh's hands.

"Piglet!" Sora and Pooh declared.

"You're un-melted!" Tigger cheered.

"Piglet! You're alright!" Rabbit added in.

Both Rabbit and Tigger did not waste any time embracing their friend. This sight made Sora and Amemi smile.

Pooh looked into the bowl. He felt concerned. "Oh no!" he proclaimed. "If that's Piglet, then who is _this_?!"

Tigger strolled up to the bowl. "Kinda resembles Eeyore, around the eyes…. "

Piglet chuckled. "That was just a pile of snow."

Pooh chuckled himself. "I see."

Sora had to laugh. It was great to be spending time with his friends in this world. He had not seen them since he had defeated Organization XIII and returned home from his earlier quests. Back then, he had promised Pooh he would never leave him.

He was glad to know nothing here had changed.

Amemi laughed at the whole idea of Piglet being transformed into a pile of snow. She had seen a _lot_ of nonsense in this world. Not a single bit of the logic here made any real sense.

Then again, she probably had not met _everyone_ Sora had in this world.

Piglet approached Rabbit. "Um, excuse me, Rabbit, but there is something I've been wondering. If it isn't Spring, and it isn't Winter, and it isn't 'Groundhog Day'… what day _is_ today?"

Rabbit glanced at the calendar. "It's… November 13TH, Piglet."

At the very mentioning of the date, Tigger gasped. "_November __**Thirteenth**_?! Do you realize what this _means_?!"

Everyone gave him blank looks. Tigger grinned. "Why, it's almost Thanksgiving! I've gotta start makin' chocolate-y icey-cream!"

Amemi shook her head. She turned to Sora and asked, "Is it _always_ like this here?"

Sora shrugged. "Sometimes," he admitted. "When I first came here, Pooh was thinking of a way to say 'goodbye' to himself."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Well… it's like this. I first met Pooh when he was all alone in this world. Some of the pages had fallen out, so I had to gather them up. Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Gopher, Kanga, and Roo returned when I returned the pages."

Amemi gave a nod, even though she had the feeling Sora's story would probably be a _lot_ more complex than that. It was a good thing her brother was good at summarizing, even if he did not know the meaning of the word.

She wondered if WordGirl could have been a great help to him….

"That's not all," Sora went on, removing Amemi from her thought process. "When I came here about a year later, the Heartless stole the pages and Pooh lost his memory. I had to find the pages and put them all back. I helped Pooh get his memories back," he smiled brightly. "Another happy ending."

Amemi nodded, again. "It sure sounds like you have had a lot of adventures here."

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "Even in my sleep! _That's_ when I met Christopher Robin!"

Amemi had heard enough. Her mind was now focused on this world — the land within the pages of a book. One thing was for certain. Here, voices could clearly come together in joyful celebration, and the seasons could gently turn like… like the pages of a book!

She gazed at Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Rabbit. She smiled, seeing the four friends together. They were all very different. Yet, they were still very close and cared about each other. _**True**_ _Friends_ — _**that**_ was what she had been wanting to call it!

"I hope we can come back here," she confessed. "This is such an innocent place!"

"Well, we are coming back," Sora told her.

"Really?"

"Yeah! We've still got four more pages to find!"

Amemi was amazed. So, she _could_ come back! And she would.

It was not long before Sora and Amemi headed out of the house and through the snow to the path out of the forest. From there, they walked down some rather long sentences and reached a glowing compass rose. As they stepped onto the glowing drawing, they found themselves magically being transported away.

They had restored a page to **The 100-Acre Wood**.

* * *

The library was in eerie silence. Launchpad had grabbed the book from the table and shaken it several times. Still, nothing had fallen out. "Aw, gee…. "

Indigo kept her eyes and antennae tuned in for any reaction from the piece of literature. After a while, she sighed. "I have no clue where they could have gone."

"This is quite the mystery," Myrna added. She was seated on the curved staircase, gazing at the windows. The sunlight streaming in always helped her feel calm. She did not know why. Only that is what a coping skill she had discovered by accident.

Aerith, Donald, and Goofy said nothing. They were gathered by the table, awaiting Sora and Amemi's return. To help pass the time, Goofy had taken out his card deck and they were playing a round of "Go Fish!"

At once, the book glowed. Launchpad yelped. "Yeow!"

The book flew from his hands. Indigo leapt into the air and caught it. "I caught it!" she declared, drawing the attention of everyone else.

"Good job!" Myrna called from the stairs.

The book's locked cover opened. Indigo was so startled, she nearly dropped the book as it flipped itself to a particular page. A brilliant flash of Light occurred. Sora and Amemi magically popped out of the pages and fell to the floor. Sora landed upside-down on a bookshelf while Amemi landed on top of Launchpad.

"Nice crash," was all the pilot could mutter.

"Sorry," the nearly-fourteen-year-old girl apologized.

Aerith rushed over. Donald dropped his cards and did the same. "Wait, fellers!" Goofy said. "Who's gonna help me clean up thuh cards?"

When neither one of them returned, the knight sighed. He began the slow process of picking each and every one of the fifty-four cards his deck contained. For some reason, he had found two extra cards lying around his house and had added them to the standard deck. That was why he had fifty-four instead of fifty-two.

Donald helped Amemi get off of Launchpad. Aerith strolled up to the bookshelf. "Let me help," she told the young man. She reached out her hand to him.

Sora rolled over. When he saw her below, he nodded. He grabbed her hand. Aerith pulled as much as she could. She tumbled off the shelf and fell to the floor. He ended up landing directly on the young woman. A few books fell from the shelf and crashed onto the floor — inches from them. "Oops," Sora smirked. "Sorry about that."

Aerith sat up and smiled. "It's okay," she replied.

Sora had to smile in return. He hopped off her lap and rose to his feet. He then helped the young woman stand up.

Myrna hurried over. She checked Sora and Amemi for any sign of injuries. After a minute or three, she stepped back. "Nothing's broken or bruised," she concluded. Everyone gave a sigh of relief. It appeared the two siblings were alright.

Indigo came for a landing. "What took place? You had us worried!"

"They came out of the book," Myrna informed the angel. "It was a beautiful display."

"What was it like in there?" Launchpad inquired. "Were there lots of letters and numbers and other things I don't know?"

"Kinda," Sora admitted. "It's a long story."

"Yes," Amemi approved.

Goofy approached the group. He had just finished putting his cards away. "I thought that there book was Pooh—"

Donald slapped his hand against the knight's mouth. "We're not supposed to meddle in other worlds' affairs," he whispered in a strict, stern voice.

Goofy both nodded. He and Donald knew all about Pooh since Sora had filled them in on everything about that world. Timid Piglet… Bouncy Tigger… Hard-working Rabbit… Wise Owl… Tunneling Gopher… Helpful Kanga… Fun Roo… and Gloomy Eeyore. Yup! He knew them all!

While Indigo placed the book back on the table, Aerith then turned to Sora. "Was there anything else that brought you back here?"

"What do you mean?" Sora enquired. Last he had checked, the only thing he needed to do was return the missing page to Pooh's Storybook.

"I sensed something troubling a world out there," Aerith explained. "The Light is fading… but you don't know where it is. You came here for help."

Sora crossed his arms. He was not sure what Aerith was getting at. The young woman always seemed to be aware of something beyond her home world. It was like she was connected with the outside world in more ways than one. Did she have a strange power that allowed her to communicate with **_Kingdom Hearts_**? Maybe.

Or, perhaps the chilly air from inside the book's pages was still on his mind. Yes — that _**had**_ to be the case!

He unfolded his arms. Before he could speak, the door leading out opened. In stepped a pair of men in dark suits. One was a tall, bald man with a small goatee and wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. The other was a young man sporting shabby, red hair in a ponytail, two symmetrical red marks on his cheeks, and a set of goggles pushed up onto his forehead.

Sora relaxed, knowing who these two were.

Rude and Reno — members of "_The Underground Radiant Klass_"; the "_TURK_(s)".

"Well, well," Reno declared with a large grin. "Look who decided to show up."

"We heard you were here," Rude added.

Amemi followed the two's eyes and realized they were looking straight at her brother. Sora simply gave a nod.

"Yeah," he said. "What's up?"

"Since you're our _leader_," Reno started to say.

"You need to come with us," Rude finished.

Amemi nearly gawked as the words registered in her mind. _**Leader**_?! Did these two _**really**_ believe Sora was their leader?! What else had he _**not**_ told her?! The very idea of Sora being the leader in any world failed to make sense in her mind.

Out of the blue, a young man jumped through the doorway. He began waving his fists all around. "**OH YEAH**!" he shouted in an obnoxiously loud voice. It was so loud, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo covered their ears. "**I'M HERE AND READY TO ROLL**!"

"Zell," Aerith said. She turned to Sora and Amemi. "He's a friend of ours."

Sora gave a quick nod. "Yeah, I met him already."

Reno and Rude gazed at Zell. "This is no time for your stupid behavior," Reno stated.

"Take your excitement out on the Heartless outside," Rude added.

Zell looked appalled. He snorted and placed his hands in his pockets. "I _never_ get to do _**anything**_ worthwhile!" he complained.

Once the young man left, Reno and Rude turned their attention back to Sora and the others. "Let's go," Reno said. "Time is running out as we speak."

Sora was puzzled. What did Reno mean? Was he trying to be as confusing as Lea? Well, they _were_ twins! Either that, or something mysterious was afoot. Whatever the case, he was not about to let anything bad happen. It was his duty as a Keyblade wielder to make sure no harm came to the worlds.

He headed for the door. Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo were not far behind. Myrna and Aerith stayed behind in the library.

Just after the group left, Aerith sat down at a desk. She placed her left hand over her chest and looked up at the ceiling.

Myrna leaned against the desk. "Is something _really_ amiss out there?" she asked.

Aerith did not respond. She could tell a powerful Darkness was starting to bloom. Somewhere… far, far, far, far away….

* * *

When Rude opened the door to the study downstairs, Sora led Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo through. He followed Reno and Rude through the study and to a bluish passage.

Sora knew this area all too well. This was the former study of Ansem The Wise, the former leader of this world. Back then, this place had been a mess. Books had been strewn about, glass had been broken on the floor, and dust had been all over. Now, the study was clean and neatly organized.

He glanced at a monitor. The camera showed a view of the town's suburban neighborhoods. Merlin's house was visible in the middle of it. When a handful of Heartless streaked across the way, Sora had to sigh.

This world was still a long way from peaceful.

After heading down the bluish corridor, the group arrived in a rather large room. The floor was about a mile down. The walls were lined with lots of laser-like gizmos. Fortunately, all of this could be seen through the transparent walkway they were on.

A few more steps and a turn or two, and they were in the computer room. Sora looked around, recognizing all the various monitors and screens. His eyes landed upon the large, circular device on the far wall. He smiled, recalling how he had first met Tron through that very gadget.

Three people were already in the room awaiting them. One was Leon, his gunblade in hand. Another was Even, one of the former members of Organization XIII who had returned a little while back. The last one was Ienzo, another former member of Organization XIII.

Sora's mind began whirling. If Even, Ienzo, Dilan, Aeleus, and Lea were back in their original human forms,… did that mean Xehanort was back in his original human form, too? He had never seen the corrupt Keyblade Master himself — only the villain's Heartless and Nobody.

Only Riku and Violet had seen him. Based on what the angel had said during the last few weeks, Xehanort did not sound like a pleasant-looking individual. Of course, there was no way to know for sure unless he were to see an actual photograph of him in this day and age.

When Leon saw Amemi and Indigo, he turned to Sora. "Sora, who are they?" he asked. "Friends of yours."

"Oh yeah!" Sora declared, realizing he had forgotten to introduce his sister and the angel. "That's my sister, Amy, and Indigo."

Indigo shyly waved. "Hi. My name is Indigo — The Angel OF Hope."

Launchpad took a step up. "The name's Launchpad McQuack! If it's got wings, I can _crash_ it!"

Donald slammed his face and fell over. Sora had to give a funny grin and roll his eyes. Goofy chuckled. Amemi's hands flew to the sides of her head. Indigo could only smile. Jiminy hopped out of Sora's hoodie and shook his head.

Launchpad had given his introduction for the first time in ages…. Well, it _felt_ like ages since he had said it last.

Leon smiled. He crossed his arms and slowly gave a shake of his head. Even stepped forward and eyed the angel closely. Indigo slipped behind Amemi when the scientist gave a grin.

"Quite fascinating," Even remarked. "I presume she's the 'angel' you were looking for?"

Sora calmly placed his hands behind his head. "Yeah! Indigo's gonna be a _big_ help to us. She said so."

Amemi shook her head. "She said she's coming along for the ride," she stated.

Sora's hands flew to his sides. His grin remained, although he felt slightly humiliated. He did not like it when someone corrected him — especially when it was his little sister.

Sora shook it all off. "So, what's up?" he asked.

Leon, Even, and Ienzo all turned their gaze to the computer. "Take a look," Ienzo said.

Sora spun to face the Hi-Tech machinery. The keyboard looked exactly the same as when he had pounded on it about a year ago. He remembered that time. He had banged his fists on the keys mainly since the computer's data was all corrupt and non-reachable. The result had been an image of some old guy showing up on the screen.

This time, something new was on the screen. It was a set of text written in thick, green letters. Sora took a moment to read what it said.

**RAS… RAS… ATTENTION! BOY KIDNAPPED IN AUSTRALIA! IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!**

**RELAY TO NEW YORK**

Sora froze, recognizing the message. Those very words had shown up inside _Herbie_ when his team and he had been on their way to this world. Recalling what Aerith had said, the brown-haired youth wondered if she had sensed something amiss and this message had to do with it.

He turned to Leon. "When did this come in?"

Leon looked away. "We don't know."

"I thought it was fairly recently," Ienzo explained.

Sora crossed his arms in thought. If this message was recent, then this kidnapping mentioned in it must have just happened. The only question left was, who was it addressed to? Where was this "New York"?

He uncrossed his arms. Before he could speak a word, there was a scuffling from behind. He spun around to find a pair of large mice strolling into the room. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all had to step to the side to let them through.

One of the mice Sora recognized. He was the one who had given the charm Sora had used to summon Joy. He was large and gray and wearing a red sweater and brown cap. "Hi," he waved with a friendly smile. "I'm Bernard."

The other mice came up next. Sora saw she was slender and white. Her outfit consisted of a purple or pink cap and kerchief with bow. Bernard gestured to her. "And this is Miss Bianca."

Sora gave a nod. "Nice to meet you."

"We've been stuck here for a long time," Bianca said. "Ever since the worlds got separated."

"Y-yes," Bernard approved. "W-we're members of the 'Rescue Aid Society' in New York."

He pointed to the message. "I think that's for us."

Sora gazed at the computer screen and then back at the mice. He looked back at the screen and then back to Bernard and Bianca. He was taken aback. That message was meant for them? No wonder it was so confusing! Perhaps _they_ could help make sense of it!

Bernard and Bianca approached the computer. Over the next minute or two, they examined the message. In the end, they turned back to the others.

"W-we gotta head to another world," Bernard announced. "D-does anyone know w-when the next flight leaves?"

Leon shifted his gaze to Sora. "He's your best bet right now," he grinned. "He'll take you where you need to go."

"_**Huh**_?!" Sora was now even more startled. Had he just become the president of a taxi service? Like in that older television show? He hoped not. _That_ guy was short, rude, and stubborn. He kind of reminded the seventeen-year-old Keyblader of Phil from _**Olympus Coliseum**_.

Sora glanced at his teammates. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all shrugged. Amemi nodded. Indigo just smiled. He turned back to see Bernard and Bianca looking at him.

"Please, take us to Australia!" Bianca pleaded. "That boy is in terrible trouble!"

Sora had heard plenty. He did not know why he was doing this, yet he really did not have much choice in the matter. Unless he took the two mice, there would be one world still not at peace when Christmas finally came along.

He was not about to let _that_ happen!

"Okay," he sighed, giving in. "Let's get going."

Bernard and Bianca smiled. "Oh, thank you," the latter said.

"Don't mention it," Sora answered. "I was going to let you come along anyway." He turned to his party. "So, how about it?"

Everyone else nodded. Donald turned to Amemi. "He makes promises so easily," he whispered to her.

Amemi had to admit, the duck magician had a point. Her brother _did_ tend to make promises rather easily. It was so like him to get in over his head rather quickly.

Before anyone could have counted to three, Goofy took a black, box-like remote out from his pocket. He pushed a button. In a flash, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Amemi, Launchpad, Indigo, Bernard, and Bianca had vanished from sight. Ienzo and Even were taken by surprise. Reno and Rude glanced around the immediate area, only to see no trace of the group.

Leon had to smile. He knew they had teleported back to the Gummi Ship and were on their way to the next world. They had already departed from **The Radiant Garden** once again.

* * *

**A/N: ONCE MORE, SORA'S TEAM IS OFF ON ANOTHER MISSION! ANOTHER WORLD IS CALLING, AND THEY ARE ON THEIR WAY THERE NOW!**

**Anyway, I think it's time to go over a few things.**

**So, I imagine you are wondering what provided the inspiration for _THE 100-ACRE WOOD_'s storyline, am I correct?**  
**Well, it happens to be Disney's "_Winnie The Pooh: Seasons of Giving (1999)_". That movie is split into three separate stories. That is why I chose to include it in This Story!**  
**That, and I wanted to include it in at least One of my stories! To add to the fun, I also added the first part of a song from said movie in there.**

**By the way, I know there was a lot of focus on Piglet in there. I just wanted to say that he happens to be my favorite character in _Winnie-The-Pooh_. It was not too difficult to picture the late actor, John Fiedler, still voicing him there. I just wanted to tell you that.**  
**I'll have more to say about those characters later on.**

**Yes, yes - I Had to add Zell in there. For those of you who have played "_Final Fantasy VIII_", you know how he can get at times. I wanted to show more of his "comical-side" there, in case you were wondering.**

**Well now, it appears Sora and the others are on their way to another world. In fact, it seems it's going to be the SAME World shown at the start of the previous Chapter!**

**I know many of you most-likely are REALLY looking forward to what lies ahead! Am I correct?**  
**In that case, you'll just have to wait for the next Chapter! I know, yet I Have to keep the suspense going. Without cliff-hangers, would you want to come back and see what happens next? Probably... not.**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	31. Ch31 - Down Into The Outback

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: IT'S HERE! IT'S FINALLY HERE! CHAPTER 31! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! YES!**

**So, I know it has been a little while since I last showed up. Still, I have absolutely NO INTENTION OF ABANDONING THIS STORY ANY TIME SOON!**  
**Therefore, you can DEFINITELY expect to see More Chapters Coming Your Way!**

**As it is, I have been in a "'_Slump_'" lately. That is one of the reasons why Chapter 30 might have seemed like something straight out of one of the official "_Kingdom Hearts_" Novels. At one point, I nearly lost all my vigor to write...**  
**...Then, I remembered what This Story is all about - HOPE!**

**Before I let you go on your own, I wanted to state this: THROUGHOUT THIS STORY - AND THE ONE BEFORE IT - I HID THINGS THAT COULD VERY LIKELY CONNECT STRAIGHT TO THIS STORY'S [POSSIBLE] SEQUEL - GIVEN ENOUGH REVIEWS ARE POSTED BY THE END OF THIS STORY!**

**So, I have the feeling you have heard enough from me for now.**  
**To that end, IT'S TIME TO READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! PLEASE REVIEW, TOO! _PLEASE_!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 31  
Down Into The Outback**

Almost like a comet shooting across the night sky, _Herbie_ soared through space. The modified racecar enjoyed the flight. It had not been out in space for quite some time before now. The last time _Herbie_ had been travelling between worlds like this was when King Mickey and Launchpad had fought against the Heartless a few years ago.

Even now with Launchpad McQuack at the steering wheel, _Herbie_ continued to glide with ease.

Inside the cockpit, Sora kept his eyes trained to the windshield. His vision was clear and focused. He was eager to be the first one to see their next destination… whatever it was.

His mind, on the other hand, was not as attentive. He was thinking back over what Miss Bianca and Bernard had said. They had both claimed to be from this still-unknown world the group was now headed for. He was not sure what to expect. The two mice had been all hush-hush about their homeland. He wondered….

Was this new place full of dangers? Or was it safe? Were the Heartless out-of-control there? Or not? Were there wide-open spaces like the desert surrounding the city of _**Agrabah**_? Or was their destination full of forests and animals similar to the village and fortress back in _**Jamestowne**_?

Whatever the world was like, Sora knew he and the others needed to be prepared for the worst. After all, this _was_ an unexplored land. He recalled how excited he'd been upon first seeing the lost city of Atlantis. He had even snapped a picture of it so he could show Amemi.

His mind stopped. The picture! He had _completely_ forgotten about it! He looked to the seat beside him. Amemi was curled up. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing at a slow pace. He leaned a little closer and saw a smile forming on her face. This made the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder grin. Whenever his sister smiled in her sleep, it meant she was having a happy dream. Chances are, WordGirl was probably in it.

When the question of what _exactly_ she was dreaming about crossed his mind, Sora thought back to all the struggles he had been faced with in the _Realm of Sleep_. All the illusions and memories had been thrown together like some sort of crazy soup mixture. He remembered how confused he'd been when Tinker Bell had not recognized him. Jiminy had initially told him off when he'd raced into the amusement park at Pleasure Island. He had been forced to fight against Tron in order to break CLU's control over his friend. He had defended Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, and Eeyore from hordes of Nightmares at the mysterious "Upside-Down Rock". He had re-introduced himself to the Musketeer-versions of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. The same with Mickey, The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Rapunzel and the others from _**Corona**_ had been complete strangers to him. Same with the Cybersquad in _**Traverse Town**_.

Well, at least Merlin had recognized his name! Then again, it probably had something to do with the fact Merlin already knew the future. Oh well!

He glanced into the back. Donald and Goofy were watching another episode of "_The Odd Couple_". Sora could hear Oscar Madison demanding Felix Unger leave the apartment the two of them shared. He saw Indigo eyeing the show with a curious smile.

He now wondered… had the angel seen a television show before? He shook the unnecessary contemplation aside.

He glanced at the pilot's seat. Launchpad was steering the ship, even though _Herbie_ was doing everything he could to keep them both on course.

Sora turned back in his seat and placed his arms behind his head. He gazed out into space. Countless stars could be seen. A few glowing nebulae caught his eye for a moment. One of them reminded him of a pelican. Another beside it resembled the Eastern coastline of the North American continent.

As he continued to look out at the stars passing by, Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of torn paper. He took a look at it, recalling when Master Yen Sid had given him this piece of a letter.

"_I am not where I used to stay._

_Yet, I am not where I need to be._

_My current location is secret, by the way,_

_In a place where no one can find me._

"_I can sense trouble is on the way,_

_Even in this world's spooky streets._

_I should be safe, that much I can certainly say,_

_For here, the Light and Darkness peacefully meets._

"_This land is one I'd only heard about,_

_One that probably shouldn't exist today._

_Their memories are gone and no one stays out,_

_Even time itself seems to have stopped, no delay._"

He sighed, knowing he was yet to find the missing pieces of this letter. He looked up at the ceiling. _When_ and _where_ would he find the rest of this paper? To top it off, he was also wondering what location the letter was referring to.

"Sora? What's that your reading?"

Sora whirled his eyes to the left. "Huh?"

Amemi had awakened from her nap and was looking at him. Her eyes were filled with curiosity. Sora knew that look. It was the same look Curious George got whenever he saw something he wanted to know more about.

"It's… nothing important," he hastily said. He gave his largest smile.

Amemi folded her arms. "You're hiding something," she said. "I _know_ you are. That look on your face — _I_ invented it, remember?"

Sora wanted to slap himself in the face. His sister had a point. She had used this same tactic over and over and over and… repeatedly. It had mainly been used as an excuse for a bad report card or failed tests and quizzes.

He shifted his eyes to the dashboard. There were Bernard and Miss Bianca. The two mice were busy giving Launchpad and _Herbie_ directions on where to go and how to get there.

"Sora? Are you going to answer me?"

Sora jerked his attention back to his sister. She was still looking straight at him. He sighed and handed her the letter. Amemi took it and looked at her brother. "Thank you," she said in a polite voice.

She swept her eyes across the writing. She did it so fast, Sora felt a little surprised. He had no idea his own sister was such a swift reader. Then again, he had never seen her read things. Well… at least not _that_ often.

Amemi stopped when she reached the end of the letter. She turned her eyes back to her brother. "It's written in '_Riddlish_'!" she declared.

The seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder had to admit, his sister was correct. The letter had been inscribed in the form of a riddle. He still was not quite sure what it meant, let alone _who_ wrote it. All Master Yen Sid had said was it had been written by "someone he knew". He was not sure who the retired Keyblade Master had been referring to, only that it was a mystery that needed to be solved.

Amemi looked perplexed. "What does it mean?"

Sora shrugged in return. "I dunno. Master Yen Sid asked me to find the missing pieces," he glanced out the window and then turned back. "But I haven't found any yet."

The sandy-haired teenage girl had to smile. "You'll find them," she told her brother. "You always find what you're looking for."

Sora was a bit startled. Typically, his Mom was the one who reassured him. Same with Kairi and…. Well, Riku did not _always_ encourage him. His specialty was taunting the young man. Sometimes, Donald came across that way, too. Still, there were those times when the duck magician and Goofy helped him see the bright side of things — no matter how bad things would get.

However, Amemi had never been that way. That is, until now. She had always remained silent in such situations. Maybe… it was because she was older now?

All Sora could do was grin. "Yeah, you're right, Amy!"

Amemi smiled back, only she did not show her teeth. The look on her face reminded Sora of Kairi when she was about to giggle at him for one thing or another. One such time had been during the time when Riku and him had performed a "mock" duel during the performance of "_The Nutcracker_" years ago. Kairi had laughed about the incident for weeks!

Amemi leaned in close and wrapped her arms around her brother's shoulders. Sora nearly jerked back in alarm. The last time someone had embraced him so unexpectedly was when he had finally found Kairi in _**The Castle That Never Was**_. Kairi had practically thrown herself on him, which _still_ felt a little discomforting for him. Even now.

"Thank you for trusting me, Sora!" Amemi said.

Sora relaxed. His sister was simply doing what any sister would. Showing her appreciation to him for trusting her. Wait a second. Trusting her for what? He had been a promise to their Mom a long time ago that nothing terrible would happen to Amemi. Had she been referring to that promise?

Then again, she _had_ been in the room when he'd made the promise. In fact, she had just been born. In that hospital. Back on the islands. His Mom had let him hold his sister — with the nurse's help, of course! As he had looked upon his sister's face for the first time, Sora had had no clue he would one day be exploring other worlds in the universe with her. He had only known he was a big brother and had a little sister.

When his Mom had asked him if he loved his sister, his answer had instantly been a "Yeah!". When his Mom had then asked him… the question, he had looked upon his sister once more. After gazing into her playful, curious, and shiny blue eyes, he had given a nod and answered.

"_Sora, do you love your new little sister?"_

"_**Yeah! Of course, I do!"**_

"_Tell me! Will you keep her safe?"_

"_**Yeah, nothing will happen to her. I promise."**_

"Look! Up ahead!" Miss Bianca suddenly called.

All eyes turned to the front windshield; Amemi released Sora and handed him back the letter. Goofy paused the monitor in the back and switched the screen off. Through the window, a bright, glowing star could be seen up ahead. As they entered the world's atmosphere, the view of a rather large ocean could be seen. To the side was a large landmass.

Launchpad steered _Herbie_ in the direction of the landmass. It was not long before the Gummi Ship was soaring over an enormous desert. As they neared an immense landform in the otherwise flat plain, Launchpad grabbed the ship's radio.

"Hey! Buddy! You there?" he said into it. "This is Launchpad McQuack. _Herbie_ and I are requesting permission to land!"

A few seconds later, a voice with a thick Australian accent could be heard over the radio. "_Negative! You'll have to turn back. Our runway isn't long enough for a bird your size._"

This was not good enough for Launchpad. He frowned. "_**Not long enough**_?! Look, buddy! I can _crash_ this thing into your airport faster than a perfect landing!"

Sora gulped. Was the pilot _really_ considering such a landing? He hoped not. _That_ might be disastrous! "Launchpad," he said. "If their runway isn't long enough, maybe we should just teleport down?"

Launchpad turned to the brown-haired youth. "Not this time, buddy! It's time for _me_ to take over! I've never needed a radar jockey to let me in before, but in some worlds, it's different."

He gestured to himself. "Leave it to me!"

Sora sighed and looked down. He was getting nowhere. The head of the _Disney Royal Air Force_ was about to go in for a crash-landing. He just knew it. After all, Launchpad had _already_ crashed _Herbie_ down into the shopping area at the _**Radiant Garden**_, splashed the Gummi Ship over a waterfall in _**Jamestowne**_, and even nose-dived into a snowdrift back at _**The Beast's Castle**_. The pilot had even claimed to have been through a few _thousand_ crash-landings. No wonder he was known for such mistakes!

The voice on the radio spoke again. "_I say again, mate, our runway is too short._"

Launchpad held the radio firmly in his free hand. "And I say it again, we're _comin' __**in**_!"

He shoved the steering wheel in so suddenly, _Herbie_ lurched downwards. Sora felt Amemi grab him as the ship started to roll around. In the back, Goofy bounced around. Donald finally grabbed the knight and forced him to buckle up. Indigo had strapped herself in so tightly, it looked like her wings were being pinched by the straps.

Sora kept his eyes trained ahead. Launchpad guided _Herbie_ at such a rapid descent, the Gummi Ship dived towards the desert's sands far below.

At the last second, the steering wheel veered to the left. Launchpad grasped it, yet he was unable to regain control. Sora knew this meant _Herbie_ was taking control.

An airport came into view. It was a small airfield, consisting of only a handful of planes. Most of them possessed propeller-driven engines. There were two or three Bi-planes included. One was a red Tri-plane bearing a black-like symbol on the wings and the tail. This plane looked as though it had come straight from a battle in World War 1 — or maybe an older animated show involving a dog who slept on the roof of his own doghouse and flew in while in battle against the pilot of this particular plane?

On the roof of the main terminal, _Herbie_ came in for a landing. As the Gummi Ship started to touch down, a sheet of metal rose from the side of the building and leveled out beneath it. _Herbie_ set down upon the metal sheet. The landing was so bumpy, everything inside the cabin shook violently.

"_**Whoa**_!" Sora exclaimed. The turbulence was so rough, he saw Donald leaning into a paper bag through his peripheral vision. Amemi held onto her seat's armrests as the ride got a little bouncier. Goofy was looking a little faint. Indigo held on so tightly, it appeared her seat's armrests were going to be torn apart by her razor-sharp fingernails.

At last, the jerkiness came to an end. As _Herbie_ slid to a halt, the ship turned slightly. The vibrations caused the ship to starting to list to the side. Just as it looked like _Herbie_ was going to land sideways onto the rooftop, the modified racecar righted itself.

Everyone gave a sigh of relief. Launchpad gave his signature hand signal. "No problem-o!" he remarked.

"Phew!" Donald and Goofy said in unison.

Sora unbuckled himself and opened the door to his right. He stepped out and quickly found himself wobbling. He suddenly tumbled over and fell flat onto his face.

"Man!" he said as he rose back to his feet. "What a rough landing."

"You're not kidding," Amemi said as she struggling to keep her balance. Sora was on his feet, so he helped her stand up straight. She smiled at him. "Thanks."

"No worries," he told her.

Indigo, Donald, and Goofy clambered out. To Sora's surprise, the former did not look very sick, let alone dizzy. In fact, Indigo seemed rather calm and as healthy as ever. Sora was puzzled. How come the angel was not suffering from the unsteadiness everybody else was? She seemed right as rain. How was this possible? He decided that was a question for another day.

A figure strolled up to the group. To Sora's surprise, it was a slender kangaroo mouse. He was decked out in a dark-tan sport coat and matching hat. There was a notch in one ear. From the young man's perspective, he was about the height of King Mickey. Beside the mouse, a firefly buzzed along.

Launchpad climbed out of the Gummi Ship. "'Thank you for flying with _Disney Royal Airlines_'!" he called. His voice sounded a little like a flight attendant with a sore throat.

"Block oughtta have his wings clipped," the mouse muttered to himself. "Crazy yanks! They think they can do any fool thing, without regard for…. "

The mouse stopped speaking when he reached the group. Sora and Amemi both took note of this and followed his eyesight. Bianca and Bernard were just hopping out of _Herbie_'s passenger side. Donald, Goofy, and Indigo also noticed this.

The mouse grinned very politely. "Welcome to Australia," he said to the group in a rather suave voice. "My name's Jake and if there's any way I can make your stay more pleasant, don't hesitate to ask."

"Oh," Bianca remarked with a friendly smile. "How kind."

Sora shook his head. To him, Jake was acting a little like a ladies' man. Similar to Lumiére and that one guy from the show, "_Happy Days_". …What was his name, again?

Then again, he probably had just developed a crush on her. He thoughts were confirmed when Jake offered to carry Bianca's bag for her.

Bernard was struggling back at the ship's doorway. His hands were full of bags and cases. The sight surprised Sora and his teammates. Indigo stared in complete surprise. "Wow! Do you need some help?" she asked the mouse.

"Please," Bernard struggled. "I've a… I've got a lot of… luggage here…. "

Launchpad proudly strode over. "Here, let me give you a hand, buddy!"

The pilot grabbed two of the boxes. At once, all the bags and containers fell from the pair's hands. They clattered upon the roof. Sora shook his head and smiled. Launchpad had not changed in the last several worlds. He knew this could only mean one thing.

Some things would _**never **_change!

The heat from the sun seemed awfully harsh and a little overwhelming. It felt a lot stronger than it had back home on the islands. Sora paid it no mind and gazed into the distance. The desert loomed wide and open. In the distance, he could make out a few towers of sandy rock. Most of the landscape appeared to be barren desert.

Sora was puzzled. What world had they ended up in?

After picking up and organizing the luggage from the Gummi Ship, Bernard took out a paper map and unfolded it. "Now we just… gotta figure out how to get there."

Sora approached the mouse looked at the map himself. There were lots of lines drawn across it. Very little of the map was labelled with landmarks. It also had very few names marked on it.

Jake turned to the group. "So, ah… you and your group here on a little outback excursion?"

"Oh no, no," Bianca hastily giggled, assuming Jake had asked if she and Bernard were married. "We're not married."

Jake gave a friendly grin at the girl mouse. Seeing this, Sora had the feeling now was the time to introduce everyone. "I'm Sora," he said. He gestured to each of his companions. "These are my friends, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo."

He put his hand on Amemi's shoulder. "And my sister, Amy."

"Amemi," the sandy-headed girl corrected.

"We're here on important business," Sora explained. He saw Jiminy Cricket hop onto his shoulder and whisper something into his ear.

"Remember," Jiminy whispered. "'_Maintain the World Order_._ Don't tell __**anyone**__ there are other worlds_'!"

Sora had to admit, Jiminy had a point. Here they were, in another world, and he could not let anyone know that other worlds really _did_ exist. Walls divided the worlds. The only way to travel between them was to unlock special lanes with the Keyblade.

That was just the way it was.

"In fact," Bernard added. "We're, we're here on a, a top ah… _secret_ mission. Very… _very_ hush, hush."

Jake's eyes lit up. He had an even larger grin showing on his face. "Oh! Gotta rescue that kid McLeach nabbed, eh?"

"Yes," Amemi approved. She stopped and looked surprised. "How did _you_ know about that?"

Jake leaned in close to the teenager. "You'll find it's tough to keep secrets in the outback, miss," he whispered to her.

Amemi had to nod, even if she was a little confused. Were there no secrets in this world? What type of world did not possess secrets? Such a place sounded like a world full of complete chaos.

Indigo's antennae wobbled, grabbing Sora's attention. She looked around and gasped. Sora stepped over to her. Recalling how Violet's antennae had the ability to sense Darkness, he wondered if the same was true of the angel's sister.

"What's up?" he asked.

Indigo turned to the spikey, brown-haired young man. "Danger," she said. "Three very, _dark_ hearts are somewhere in this world. I can sense their presence."

"Really?" Bianca asked, now noticing the angel's antennae. It was not long before the sight had grabbed everyone's focus.

"A-Hyuck! Wobbly!" Goofy chuckled.

"You're like a bee," Launchpad commented.

Donald was so shocked by these words, he simply collapsed onto the roof.

"Do you know the way?" Amemi asked.

Indigo paused. She shrugged. That was more than enough for Sora to reach a conclusion. The angel was unable to determine the exact location of the apparent kidnappers.

"Well, at least we know there are _three_ people involved," Sora mentioned. He had the feeling these suspects were using the Heartless. Why else would Indigo had sensed their presence?

Jake strode over to Bernard. "So ah… which way ya takin'?" he enquired, looking at the map. "Suicide trail through Nightmare Canyon, or the shortcut at Satan's Ridge?"

Bernard looked startled and worried. "Su… Suicide Trail?"

Jake gave him a grin. "Good choice. More snakes, less quicksand. Then once you cross Bloodworm Creek, you're scot free. This is until ummm… Dead Dingo Pass."

Bernard looked up in total bafflement. "Wait, wait, wait a minute!" he gestured to the map. "I don't… I don't see any, any of that, that stuff on the map."

Sora had to nod. That map looked like something Curious George had drawn in a hurry. Sloppy, yet still neat. At least it was not drawn in crayon.

Jake snatched the map from Bernard and started to fold it up in a messy fashion. "A map's _no good_ in the outback! What you really need is someone," he turned to Bianca. "Someone who _knows_ the territory."

Sora had to shake his head. He saw Donald rolling his eyes. Goofy was snickering with Launchpad; their eyes were on the firefly. The insect was rolling its eyes. Indigo's antennae were still vibrating, so she was trying to place a silver-colored headband to keep them in place. Amemi was helping her.

"Oh, Mister Jake, will you guide us?" Bianca inquired.

Jake bowed and shoved the map back into Bernard's hands. "At your service!" he extended his arm. "Here, better take my arm, miss. It's gonna be a treacherous hike. I remember the time, Miss B., it was just me and a four hundred of these big, giant…. "

Jake escorted Bianca towards a nearby set of stairs leading down to the ground. The whole way, he continued to tell his tale.

Bernard shook his head and carefully unfolded the map in his hands. "Doesn't even know how to fold a map…. "

Sora was not sure how to react at this statement. He had the feeling these stories Jake was telling Bianca were just a few of his many adventures. He seemed a little like that world-renowned archaeologist from the movies. The one who was always using a bull-whip and his wits to get himself out of any predicament. He always seemed to know how to do anything.

Sora looked once more into the distance. The desert felt much larger and consuming than before. He saw the dust of a convoy of jeeps racing across the sandy ground. He had the feeling this was just the start of this journey through this world. A venture that would take up to three chapters of his story.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, Indigo, and Jiminy had arrived in **The Outback**. Their mission? To help Bernard and Bianca save a young boy who'd been kidnapped.

For all Sora knew, someone from the Council of Maleficent was involved in all this trouble.

* * *

The lair was hidden under the ground. Well… not exactly _under_ the ground. Rather, it was constructed carefully in a gigantic rock tower in the middle of a barren landscape. All around were many odd-shaped openings.

At the front of the rock tower was a makeshift doorway crafted from scraps of metal and wood. A flock of birds flew above, keeping an eye on the entrance. These were not ordinary birds. The lack of water and the heat of the sun would have been too much for such creatures.

No. These birds sported dark-yellow beaks and dark-purple bodies. These were Heartless, guarding the hideout.

Inside was the ruins of an old mining company's headquarters. The company had been forced to shut down nearly a hundred years before, so for a long time, the place had been deserted. Left to gather sand, dust, and rock.

Only now, it had residents once more. However, they were troublemakers. One of them was Percival C. McLeach, a noted poacher in this land. Another was Cruella De Vil, a former fashion designer who had once been charged with the theft of 99 Dalmatian puppies. The last one was Mortimer Mouse, a known rival of King Mickey Mouse, the ruler of _**Disney Castle**_ and a member of Maleficent's "'Inner Circle'".

Currently, everything seemed rather quiet in the hideout. Cruella was sitting in a chair near the fireplace. A pot of boiling water was sizzling over the flames. Mortimer was standing beside her. The pair's attention was across the room. McLeach was standing before a table, sharpening a set of sharp knives.

The poacher shifted his eyes to the far wall behind him. The boy the group had kidnapped was standing against the wall, his hands tied behind his back. A large map of the area was behind his head. Three locations were marked on it; one of the left, one in the middle, and one on the right.

Mortimer groaned in annoyance. So far, this boy had refused to tell them the whereabouts of this "eagle" McLeach was after. Once they _finally_ got this stupid errand over with, they could focus on conquering this world before Sora and his pathetic allies showed up and spoiled everything.

McLeach grinned. "Well boy, let's see if we can do something to refresh that rusty, old memory of your."

Mortimer crossed his arms. _**Finally**_! A bit of action.

"Is she on Satan's Ridge?" McLeach declared. He threw a knife at the landmark on the left side of the map. He threw another knife at the right side of the map. "Or Nightmare Canyon?"

His aim was so accurate, Mortimer was taken by surprise. The poacher could have easily struck the boy if he had been aiming for him.

McLeach looked at a nearby wooden barrel. His salamander, Joanna, was soaking in it and eating animal crackers. "Whadda you think, Joanna?"

The salamander snapped an animal cracker in half, straight down the middle. McLeach grinned and slapped against the handle of the knife still on the table. The weapon spun a few times before the villain caught it by the handle. "Yeah, that's it," he grinned. "Right smack dab in the middle at Croc Falls!"

He hurled the knife straight at the boy. The latter ducked at the last second. The knife struck the middle of the map, inches from the boy's blonde hair. McLeach's grin grew. "Am I gettin' warm?"

"I told you," the boy stated. "I don't remember."

Mortimer frowned all the more. Here they were, back at Square One again. The boy just refused to reveal the location of his eagle's nest. He yawned and stretched a little.

Even tormenting King Mickey was better than _this_!

McLeach clutched a fourth knife in his hand and approached the boy. He looked like a hunter about to kill his prey. "Don't you realize a bird that size is worth a fortune?"

"Yes," Cruella spoke up. "And I would _love_ to turn its feathers into a lovely, _golden_ coat."

McLeach leaned into the boy's face. He stabbed the knife into the side of the map, a few inches from the boy's glaring eyes. "We'll split the money with you fifty-fifty. You can't get a better offer than _that_, boy."

The boy remained stubborn. "You won't have _any_ money after the rangers get through with you."

McLeach was so angered by this statement, he marched over to the fireplace. Mortimer watched in surprise as the poacher clutched his fists as tightly as he could. With a yell of outrage, the villain kicked the pot of water over. A surge of steam rose from the mantle and filled the room.

A few hot coals landed in Joanna's tub, startling the salamander.

Mortimer scowled more than ever. Here he was, stuck in this wilderness of a world, wasting his time with birds, boys, and money. All he wanted to do was show King Mickey a thing or two. Maleficent had promised him. They had made a deal.

Was she backing out of it? If she was, there was about to be an uprising.

McLeach snorted his disapproval. He grabbed the boy and dragged him down a flight of stairs. Joanna quickly followed.

* * *

The oasis was a rather calm, uneventful place. To Sora, this was the life. Already, he had been forced to battle a few strong Heartless every other mile or so. The trek was taking a very long time, which only meant one thing.

Sora knew the group was smaller than he had expected. It almost felt like someone had poured magical stuff over them and caused them to shrink down in size. Yet, this was not _**Wonderland**_. Maybe… this world was larger than it had first appeared? Or perhaps that classic song about the world being such a small place was not so accurate after all?

At the moment, everything seemed peaceful. As he gazed across the water, Sora's mind was going back over the last few events following the landing. Jake had led the team through the sands to a riverside. It was there they had witnessed a team of people searching the water for any sign of the missing boy. Sora knew this had been the case; he'd seen a poster of the boy in the ranger-leader's hands.

The group had clambered aboard a flying squirrel. Yet, Bernard had seemingly fallen behind. Sora had had to stifle a laugh when he saw the large mouse clinging to the squirrel's bushy tail. After a swift descent to the ground, the animal's tail had swung back, sending Bernard crashing into a nearby patch of burrs.

Bianca was still pulling those spikey seeds off Bernard. Since Jake had left to look for a ride through the oasis and across the river, things had _really_ dwindled in the sense of action.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were busy with a game of cards. From the looks on their faces, Donald was losing. Amemi and Indigo were talking softly to one another. Their voices were so muffled, Sora could not tell a thing his sister and the angel were saying. '_It's probably for the best_,' he thought to himself.

He casually leaned against the trunk of the tree they were on. The roots extended over the water and then down into it. Sora had heard of mangroves, yet never seen them himself. He was not sure if that's what these plants were called… so he decided not to worry about it.

He did his best to relax, but it was not easy. He could overhear Amemi giggling, Goofy chuckling, and Bernard groaning every time Bianca got a burr loose.

"Jake's been gone… _**ow**_… been gone a long time," Bernard said. He winced as the burr came free. "Maybe I should go, _**oh**_! Maybe I should go look for him."

Bianca tossed the seed into the water below. "Oh, don't you worry about Jake," she assured in a calm voice. "He can handle himself."

Bernard gave a slight nod and sighed deeply. "Yeah, I… I noticed."

Bianca smiled. "I am just sure he'll be back in no time."

Bernard smiled in turn. To Sora, the grin seemed a little… strange. Before he could ponder about it, Jiminy appeared on his shoulder. "Hmm," the cricket said in a thoughtfully way. "Have you ever considered _why_ Bernard's smiling like that?"

Sora nearly felt his cheeks starting to turn a shade of red. This was no different than how he sometimes reacted around Kairi. He often would smile at the young woman, even if she was not looking at him. He was not quite sure why. He just did.

Then again, Riku _always_ had done that, too. Maybe it was because the two were admiring Kairi's beauty? No, that couldn't be it. There was something else that had always caused it.

Sora gave a slight sigh in his mind. It was on the tip of his tongue…. What _was_ it? Her Light? Maybe. Her fun personality? Perhaps so. Her status as a _Princess of Heart_? No, that didn't make sense. He had never known Kairi was a princess until he'd travelled to _**Hollow Bastion**_ to save her from Maleficent.

As far as Sora was concerned, a _lot_ of things would _**never**_ make sense! Now… he was overthinking it!

Bernard reached into a pocket on his sweater and pulled out a tiny, black container. He opened it, revealing a golden ring with a shiny diamond.

Jiminy gave a nod. "Yes. That's _just_ what I meant," he turned to Sora. "You should do something like _that_ with her, you know, before it's too late."

The cricket leapt back into the seventeen-year-old's hoodie. Sora was astounded and startled alike. Was Jiminy claiming he should propose to marry Kairi? They were too young! Besides, she was a princess — and he was just an ordinary islander who happened to possess a Keyblade.

Then again, he had recalled Aladdin giving that same excuse. Still, the former thief had ended up winning the heart of the royal princess of Agrabah. Maybe, just maybe, Sora could do the same with Kairi? He was not sure, and he had no clue how he would ever be sure.

Bernard turned to Bianca. "You know… now that we're alone," he said in a rather nervous voice. "There's… there's something that I've, I've been wanting to uh… to… to ask you."

Bianca smiled all the brighter at Bernard. "Yes? What is it?"

Bernard stepped a little closer to Bianca. "Well, it's uh… it's like this… Miss Bianca, I…. "

When the mouse got down on one knee, Sora covered his face with his hands. He shifted his fingers and peeked through, a little. He knew what was coming.

Bernard held Bianca's hand. "I would be… most honored… if… if…. "

'_C'mon! Just get it over with!_' Sora was thinking to himself.

A loud splash of water occurred. Without warning, Jake emerged from the water and shoved his way through the two mice. "_**Look out**_!" he yelled.

Bernard was knocked into the water. Sora was so startled by the event, he slipped off the root and landed in the water himself. When he resurfaced, he looked straight up. To his alarm, a giant water snake was about to strike down upon the others. When he saw the creature sported yellow stripes, a dark-purple glow in its eyes, and reddish, glowing teeth, Sora immediately knew this was a Heartless.

The creature lunged at everyone still on the root. Amemi and Indigo were so startled by the attack, the two of them fell off the root and splashed into the water beside Sora and Bernard. Donald and Launchpad grabbed their cards and hid behind Goofy. The knight took out his shield and managed to avoid a sudden strike from the snake-shaped Heartless.

"Gawrsh," was all Goofy could think of saying.

Amemi saw Indigo was struggling to stay afloat. The angel was thrashing about like she had never swam before in her life. "Can't you swim?" the sandy-haired girl inquired.

"I cannot swim!" Indigo replied. "My wings are too heavy to float!"

She started to go under. Amemi hastily swam over and grabbed the angel's arm. She pulled her along under they reached a nearby root. She helped Indigo clamber on. The angel refused to let go.

Bernard emerged from the water. "_**Miss Bianca**_!" he cried.

Observing all this, Sora scowled at the Heartless. He swam to another root and pulled himself out of the water. In a flash of Light, his Keyblade was ready to go. He jumped and swung his weapon at the Heartless. The creature was struck and instantly recoiled. Sora barely dodged a swipe of the creature's fangs a moment later. He threw his Keyblade at the monster. The blade smashed straight into the enemy's face.

A sudden flash of Darkness followed. Before Sora could question what had just happened, he saw what had taken place. The water snake was still there. The only difference was its eyes, teeth, and skin were no longer the color scheme of a Heartless.

He knew what this meant. The creature had been possessed by the Heartless the whole time. And now, it was free.

Bianca screamed when the snake lurched forward to bite down on her. At the last second, Jake lassoed a rope in his hands and swung it at the snake. "No mice for you, Twister! _Not_ today!"

The lasso seized the snake's mouth. Jake pulled it tight. "_**There**_!"

Sora gave a sigh of relief. The battle was over. The snake had been freed from the control of the Heartless. At least, for now.

The snake struggled to break free of Jake's rope. "I've been looking all over for you," the mouse stated in a very assertive voice. "Now _look_! We got a long way to go, and _you're_ gonna take us there, and you're _not_ gonna give us any trouble about it.

He scowled directly into the snake's eyes. "_**Right**_?!"

To Sora's astonishment, the snake shook its head very rapidly. It seemed the animal had been frightened by Jake's stern look. That, and the mouse appeared to be in complete control of the snake. Had he tamed the creature?

Through the corner of his eye, the brown, spikey-haired youth noticed Amemi helping Indigo clamber out of the water. The two were drenched. Amemi's sandy hair was dripping like a washcloth left dangling after a shower. Indigo's wings were dragging along behind her. Her antennae were drooping down over her eyes.

This sight reminded Sora of how he had watched Violet get soaked by the downpour in Merlin's study back in _**Camelot**_. The angel had complained about her wings being wet. Sora placed his hands over his mouth to stifle an outburst of laughter.

The two girls saw him and frowned. "It's not funny," Amemi stated. "She could've drowned."

Indigo seemed a little livid (although, it was not as intense as Violet had seemed when _she_ was upset). "How can I fly _now_?" she complained. "My wings are _**soaked**_! My antennae are wet, and my dress is _**cold**_!"

When he saw the angel was shivering, Sora knew Indigo had a point. Being in water like that was a chilling experience.

Jake helped Bianca onto the snake's head. "They're perfectly harmless once you look 'em in the eye and let 'em know who's boss," he told her. He turned to Sora. "Ain't that right, mate?"

Sora paused for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I guess so," he responded. He was not quite sure what Jake meant. Then again, he had never been through an experience like this one before. …Or had he?

Jake hopped onto the snake's head beside Bianca. He used the rope as a rein and started to lead the animal like it was a horse. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all climbed aboard. Sora was the last one onto the water snake.

The skin seemed rather slimy to him….

Once everyone was on board, Jake tugged onto the rope. "Now git."

Bianca glanced towards the tail. Sora noticed that was where Bernard had gotten aboard the "water snake-line express". "It's alright, Bernard," she called. "Jake has everything under control."

Bernard gave a deep, deep sigh. "Yeah, I noticed," he said in a tone of voice flooded with disappointment and sarcasm.

Sora watched as Bernard checked his ring. As the sunlight glinted against the diamond, he gave a deep sigh. Sora could tell the mouse was discouraged. All he wanted was to ask Bianca to marry him — _**that**_ much was as plain as the sunrise!

Sora looked to the front. Jake was telling Bianca another story. He was unable to make out what they were saying. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were back to playing cards. Amemi had reached into her purse and taken out a small hand-towel. She was using it to help Indigo dry off.

As he gazed into the distance, Sora began wondering what was up ahead. Who had kidnapped the boy they were searching for? Were the Heartless _really_ involved? What if this was all part of Maleficent's plan, let alone… Xehanort's doing? He had the feeling this was only the start of a very dangerous trek.

* * *

**A/N: ...And THERE YOU HAVE IT!**

**So, now that this world has been OFFICIALLY introduced into the story... here is what it is based on.**  
**THE OUTBACK is based on Disney's "_The Rescuers Down Under (1990)_".**  
**This means we have now entered This Story's INTERLUDE (ACT III)!**

**Okay, I admit it! Amemi's mentioning of "'_RIDDLISH_'" is an indirect reference to "_Ever After High_"! If you are wondering why it is in there...**  
**PLEASE! DON'T ASK! I am not quite sure myself.**

**Anyway, my favorite part of This Chapter was where I revealed the story about Sora and Amemi. I felt a LOT of Emotion in my mind while I was writing THAT part! I could also picture just how close those two are. It made it easier to describe since I could easily visualize all of it.**  
**Now THAT is what I call "'Well-Done Storytelling'"!**

**Well... I am not sure what to say. Yes! Yes! I Know! I Have NOT Had Much To Say About This Particular Chapter!**  
**...And I Have No Clue Why. It Might Have Something To Do With The Lack Of Sleep I Have Gotten Lately...**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	32. Ch32 - The Golden Feather

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HEY THERE! HI THERE! HO THERE! YOU'RE AS WELCOME AS CAN BE! K-I-N-G-D-O-M H-E-A-R-T-S!**

**HELLO THERE! WELCOME TO CHAPTER 32 OF "_KINGDOM HEARTS - SEASON OF LIGHT_"!**  
**Since this is a particularly LONG Chapter, I am going to let you go ahead and read - IN A SECOND!**

**First, I wanted to share with you a piece of TRIVIA!**  
**DID YOU KNOW? The Voice-Actor for Bernard in Disney's "_The Rescuers (1977)_" and Disney's "_The Rescuer's Down Under (1990)_" was Bob Newhart.**  
**Yes! THE Bob Newhart from the Classic Show, "_The Bob Newhart Show_". In case you did not know, Bob Newhart is friends with Don Rickles \- the actor who voices Mr. Potato Head in the Disney-Pixar "_Toy Story_" Series.**

**So, with THAT piece of information aside... I actually have nothing else really to say, today.**  
**IT IS TIME TO READ! PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO! YET, PLEASE READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 32**  
**The Golden Feather**

"…_Those particular areas. In other news, authorities in Mugwomp Flats have called off the search for the missing boy_."

McLeach leaned in a little close to the speaker. His radio was crafted out of an old turtle shell. He wanted to hear what the announcer had to say. After all, it was about the search for the boy he, Cruella, and Mortimer had abducted.

"_His backpack was found near Crocodile Falls, and local rangers believe he was yet another victim of crocodile attack. Authorities once again warn residents to use extreme caution when they are…. _"

"Ha, heh!" McLeach gave a sinister chuckle as he scooped up the radio in one hand. "Think you're pretty smart, don't you, eh?" he said to the device. "Who outsmarted who? _Who_? _Who_ outsmarted _who_?"

"Ah, shuddup!" Mortimer complained.

McLeach shifted his gaze across the room. Mortimer was sitting on a wooden crate. The tall mouse's eyes were on the gadget in his hands. Sound effects were coming from the gizmo. It looked a little like a telephone, only without a cord and no obvious buttons. Plus, it resembled a black box.

He looked to the left. There was Cruella, slouched on the couch. A long, thin item was in her hand. She casually held it up to her mouth, breathed in a little, and then lowered it again. A puff of smoke exited her mouth and nostrils.

McLeach shook his head. For _experienced_ members of Maleficent's team, they were very lazy. Maybe they were just impatient? Maleficent _did_ want them to conquer this world as soon as possible. Still, in order to get anywhere close to doing so would require them to first take care of that pesky boy.

McLeach grunted. There _had_ to be a way to trick the boy into revealing the whereabouts of the eagle he was hiding. "We still gotta get that boy to talking, huh?" he muttered to himself.

A completely unrelated thought struck his mind. He sat up straight in his chair. He stood up and turned to the other two. "How about some lunch?"

Mortimer looked up from his game. "_What_?"

Cruella rose from the couch. "We're_ supposed_ to be catching an eagle and taking over this world — _**not**_ chowing down to waste time."

McLeach headed for his refrigerator. "Can't think on an empty stomach," he stated.

Mortimer switched off the gizmo in his hands. He stood up as straight as he could. "Yeah, I'll go along with that."

McLeach paused for a moment at the refrigerator door. "Gotta have protein… gotta have… eggs."

At the mentioning of the word "eggs", Joanna scrambled over to the kitchen.

Mortimer marched over to the kitchen and opened a cupboard. He took out a few bowls and some rusty silverware. He snorted at the condition of the utensils. Had these been left here by the old mining company?

McLeach carried an old toolbox to the counter. He set it down and opened the cover. Inside were a bunch of eggs. He dragged over a small, metal device, and something that reminded Mortimer of a sprinkler, only with a fiery touch to it.

Cruella strode over to the other two. "Why is this golden bird so important?" she questioned. "If you're not going to turn it into a fur coat, what good _is_ it?"

McLeach gave a sinister grin. "It's the rarest bird in the world. It's worth a fortune. Anybody would buy it off the black market, once I have it."

Mortimer elbowed the poacher. "Ya mean, 'Once _we_ have it'."

McLeach chuckled. "Yes," he frowned again. "We won't find her unless we get that boy talkin'."

Mortimer grabbed some potatoes and a knife. "Ha cha cha!" he said, peeling away two potatoes at once. "Why don't ya just find his 'weak spot'? _Then_ we can finish our job here."

McLeach paused in thought. "Good point. Everyone's got his price. All I gotta do is offer him whatever he wants… and then not give it to him."

"False promises," Cruella grinned. "You would have done well in politics, or so I hear. I like it."

McLeach took a minute to think aloud. "Let's see ummm… the boy's got the eagle… I want the eagle… the boy won't give me the eagle… if I could just find the boy's weak spot, I could get him to tell me where the eagle is. But the boy's only got _one_ weak spot, and that _**is**_ the eagle."

He stopped there. "Or is it?"

Mortimer rolled his eyes. Was this what the poacher did when nobody was around? Talk to himself? The tall mouse would _**never**_ be caught dead doing something like _that_! Of course, he would also have been with Queen Minnie if she had fallen for him — instead of that stupid King Mouse!

"Why don't ya trick him into telling ya where that bird is?" the mouse complained.

McLeach was still deep in pondering. "Maybe if I stuck him in a giant anthill, that would loosen his tongue and then…. "

The sound of a toolbox lid being opened seized the three's attention. McLeach hastily slammed the lid shut. "_**I got it**_!" he declared.

Joanna yelped from beside the counter. The salamander clutched her arm tightly.

McLeach laughed. "Got your hand caught in the cookie jar, didn't ya? Eh?" he glowered at Joanna. "These are _**not**_ Joanna's eggs! Who do you think you're messin' with, you dumb animal? _My_ mental facilities are _**twice**_ what yours are, you _peabrain_!"

Joanna scampered off in a hurry. McLeach opened the toolbox. His mouth fell open. Mortimer turned his eyes to the container. It was empty.

All eyes whirled to Joanna. The animal was trying to hide behind the couch. McLeach stormed over to the couch and grabbed it with one hand. The piece of furniture flipped over and crashed onto the floor. Joanna yelped in alarm. "Joanna," the villain stated in a significantly serious tone of voice. "I give you platypus eggs. I give you snake eggs. Why, I'll even give you eagle eggs, but I want you to _**stay away**_ from my… !"

He stopped suddenly. His face lit up with a rather dark shade. "The eagle's eggs! That's _**it**_! _That's_ the boy's weak spot!"

Mortimer and Cruella exchanged looks of puzzlement. What did the poacher have in mind _**now**_? They silently decided (amongst themselves) to just play along with it. Humor him. Then, sooner or later, McLeach would give up on this whole "golden eagle" business and they could all use the Heartless to conquer this world.

* * *

The desert sands seemed endless. The sun was bearing down. The wind was swirling gracefully across the landscape. If there had been an ocean, you might have surmised this was somewhere on the beach. Otherwise, you could have gotten away with stating this was the Egyptian desert, only without pyramids.

Noise was in the air. "Yah!" Sora shouted as he slashed his Keyblade through a large Shadow Heartless. The creature hastily exploded and vanished into Darkness.

Donald sent a few chunks of ice flying at a flying Air Soldier Heartless. "Take _**that**_!"

"Let's go!" Goofy called as he threw his shield at a giant snake-like Heartless. The creature possessed red eyes, blue scales, and an orange rattle. The creature also had sharp fangs and was zipping through the sands at lightning speed.

It was moving so quickly, Amemi and Launchpad had to be careful which way they aimed. Indigo was up in the air, using her mystical wand to clobber a few Air Soldier Heartless aside. Jake had lassoed the Heartless and was using his rope to keep the creature's fangs at bay. Bernard and Bianca had ducked down to avoid getting hit.

Sora gave a deep groan. After dealing with an enormous water snake earlier, he had been certain he would not have to deal with another such creature again. Boy! Was he wrong!

After Jake had led the water snake across the river, the group had disembarked and let the animal go about its merry way. Next, they had hitched a ride aboard some fireflies and flown some ways through the oasis; Sora and Amemi had ridden together, and Indigo had soared using her own wing power. Once they had reached the other side of the oasis, the group had finally reached the desert.

Over the last few hours, they had travelled through the sand, following a set of tire tracks Jake had identified as belonging to a truck. Some Heartless had shown up along the way at regular intervals. _That_ was expected. Heartless tended to show up in miscellaneous points in the worlds. One minute, you would feel fine and see your destination just up ahead. The next, a monster or two or three or four or more has crossed your path and you are forced to take them out before they do the same to you.

Just as the wind had started to pick up, a gigantic snake-shaped Heartless had appeared from the ground. That was what Sora and his team had been doing for the last several minutes.

Sora sliced his way through the Heartless's tail. The creature swung its rattle at him. The force of the swing was plenty to shove the Keyblade wielder back. Donald rushed over to him and tossed a potion. Sora quickly drank it and returned to his feet.

He looked up. Indigo was swooping low to attack the main Heartless. The sheer determination in her eyes made him smile. He had seen this same look in Violet's eyes back in the Sleeping Worlds. Both angels seemed to have the same strong Light, and they were equally determined to eliminate whatever threatened the safety of the worlds, as well as the Light in general.

He wondered if they were two of the so-called "Angels of Light" Violet had told him about.

"Sora!" Amemi called. Sora swung his eyes to his sister. She pointed at the Heartless. The monster was stunned. Sora looked up and stared in surprise. Indigo had somehow made the creature unable to move.

"You need to hurry," the angel called from above. "This spell is very short-lived."

Sora gave a nod. He knew what he needed to do. Clutching his Keyblade tightly, he raced up to the enemy. He jumped into the air. With a yell of determination, he slashed his weapon clear through the Heartless. He landed onto the sand before the creature. In a flash of Darkness, the Heartless shriveled and collapsed. A large, captive heart emerged from its head and drifted away. The creature then disappeared into Darkness.

Sora turned around to see Jake rounding his rope and putting it away. He smiled, knowing the Heartless was no more. The other crowded around him. Donald and Goofy jumped onto his shoulders. Their embrace nearly knocked the seventeen-year-old over.

"You did it!" Goofy cheered.

"Hooray!" Donald congratulated.

Launchpad approached the three and threw his muscular arms around them all. "Way to go, buddy!"

Sora tried to squirm around, but his friends' grips were too tight. He gasped for air. "Guys," he tried to say. "You're squeezing me too much!"

In a heartbeat, the pilot, knight, and magician released their arms. Sora fell to the ground, gasping for breath. He thought he saw a tiny scorpion pass by. He rose to his feet and allowed his Keyblade to disappear. He wiped some sweat off his forehead.

"Good job!" Amemi declared. She threw herself around her brother's torso so suddenly, the two were knocked onto the ground.

Sora gave a deep sigh. As the sandy-haired girl let go of him and scrambled to her feet, she held out her hand. Sora nodded and took it. Amemi helped him to his feet.

Indigo stepped over. Recalling what had just happened in the last few moments, Sora braced for another embraced. With a large smile, Indigo held out her left hand. "You are a swell soldier, Sora," she told him.

Sora was a bit surprised. The angel did not want to hug him like the others had? That was when he remembered how many times Violet had reminded him _**not**_ to hug her. He wondered if Indigo did not like hugs, either. He shrugged it all aside and shook the angel's hand.

"Yeah," he nodded to her. "But, I wouldn't call it a 'soldier'."

Indigo seemed a little confused. "How would _you_ describe yourself, Sora?"

Sora pounded his right fist against the side of his chest. "I am a Keyblade wielder!"

Indigo's hands flew to just above her chest. She positioned them in a triangle-like shape and held it over her face. She peered through the opening. "No," she shook her head. "You look like a 'Keyblader' to me."

Sora paused in thought. Indigo had a point. He had been referred to by various titles over his adventures. "Chosen Wielder of the Keyblade" was what Master Yen Sid had named him. King Triton had referred to him as "The Keybearer". Leon and Yuffie had called him the "Keyblade's Chosen One", even though they should have been telling that to Riku. The Keyblade had only stayed with Sora ever since that incident in _**Hollow Bastion**_. After Donald and Goofy had decided to stick by the spikey-haired youth, Sora had regained the Keyblade. He still had it because of the countless connections he had with others. Well… that was the way Xigbar had made it seem.

Sometimes, it just felt as though the whole universe was dependent upon him — and him alone. Having such an important job to do was something he tended to dread. Yet, here he was, saving the worlds once again. It often appeared the problems in this universe were endless.

He wondered if there were as many problems happening in other universes, given they really _**did**_ exist. Well… maybe _one_ existed — _Cyberspace_. Then again, all those characters he had encountered in the Sleeping Traverse Town could have just been part of the dreams. Although, Violet had initially shown up there, too. Maybe… it was not a dream?

His concentration got interrupted when a sharp static sound filled the air. All eyes turned to Jake. The mouse held up a finger. "Hold a moment," he told them.

He reached into her belt a took out a miniature radio. He listened to it for a few minutes. For Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad, it seemed more like a few days. Amemi and Indigo both waited as patiently until Jake lowered his radio and put it away. "That was the ranger station," Jake explained.

Bianca and Bernard approached the group. "What did they want?" the former asked.

"They gave up the search for the missin' boy. Word has it, they found his pack in a croc's mouth."

"_**What**_?!" Donald exclaimed.

Amemi covered her mouth. Sora gave a deep sigh. "Are you saying, we went all this way for nothing?" he groaned.

"This can't be right," Bianca pinpointed.

"She's right," Bernard approved. "He's still out there."

Indigo's removed her headband. Her antennae started to wobble again. "He is out there," she confirmed. "I can sense his Light. He is surrounded by three _very_ strong Darknesses."

"Well, that means we've gotta find him," Sora concluded. "He might be danger."

"Or worse," Launchpad added. Amemi felt a twitch of concern. If this boy really _was_ in terrible trouble, they needed to find him — and fast!

Sora turned into the distance. "C'mon! We're wasting time standing here."

The group headed further into the desert. As the sun continued to beat down, Sora reached for the canteen around his shoulders. He remembered how Milo and the others had let the group keep their gear from the expedition to Atlantis. As he drank some of the water inside, he was grateful he still had it — especially after Kida had poured some out while examining it.

Before long, the team found themselves strolling through a rather flat plain with an occasional hill or two. On either side of them were dozens of odd-shaped openings. To Sora, they seemed haunted. Well, not as much as Jack Skellington, Zero, and Sally's hometown.

Goofy pointed to one of them. "What're those things?"

Donald smacked the knight's arm. "I told you! It's not nice to point!"

Goofy was puzzled. "But I wasn't pointin' at nobody."

Donald smacked himself in the face. This sight made Amemi cover her mouth to keep from laughing. Indigo did the same, except she used both hands.

"Abandoned opal mines, mate," Jake explained. "The miners left this region decades ago. There ain't anything valuable left in there."

Launchpad gulped at the sight of the ominous-looking entrances. "Yeesh! They seem really creepy."

Amemi shuddered at the thought of a ghost emerged from the mines to strike them. Then again, maybe all those underground tunnels were flooded to the ceilings with Heartless. The very idea of going into such a place made her uncomfortable.

Sora glanced at Indigo. The angel's antennae were still wobbling around. Judging from the alert eyes and zig-zaggish mouth, he concluded the angel was also a little nervous. He shrugged all this aside and led the way with Jake, Bernard, and Bianca. A boy's life was at stake, and they needed to find and rescue him from whoever had abducted him and then pretended he had been killed by crocodiles.

Chances were, if the kidnapper(s) had gone as far as to fake his death in such a tragic way, they were also armed with Heartless. It was possible one of them might even be linked with Maleficent and her Council.

"…_Very stupidly_…. "

Sora looked to his left. Donald was muttering lots of hushed garble in a very soft voice. He wondered if this had anything to do with the duck losing too many card games in a row. The mage had yelled in anger each time he had lost a game during the snake ride.

The tire tracks came to an end. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Amemi, Indigo, Jake, Bernard, and Bianca all came to a halt and shifted their eyes upward. Towering before them was a massive doorway crafted from various pieces of metal and wood. At one spot was a door, although it was fused completely into the doorway. Above the entrance was more rock.

As Sora looked higher and higher, he realized they had arrived at the base of a humungous rocky tower. Yet, this particular spot was covered by something man-made.

Launchpad kept marching up to the doorway. Before anyone could speak, the pilot slammed straight into the doorway. "Yeow!" he yelped, rubbing his beak. He glowered up at the door. "Who put _that_ there?!"

Sora shrugged. "Maybe, this is the place?"

Indigo strode closer. She leaned against the door. "I can hear something from the other side," she revealed. "Four voices."

Bianca looked worried. "This is no time to waste. We _must_ try to get in."

Bernard handed everyone some small sticks. "Here, here everyone. Start digging."

As he held the stick in his hand, Sora noticed it was about the size of the shovel his dad kept in their garage. He shrugged and started to dig. On either side of him, the others did the same. Donald stood beside Goofy. The latter was next to Launchpad. Amemi separated Donald from Sora. To his right, the Keyblade wielder saw Indigo, followed by Bernard, Jake, and Bianca.

Sora gave a short nod and began digging into the sand. The sound of something rising from the ground caught his attention. Sora swung his head back. A Neoshadow Heartless had risen from the ground. It was a large one, about five times his height. It was quickly joined by a few others.

Sora stared at them in surprise. "Uh, guys? I think we have a problem."

The others stopped digging. As they looked back to see the enemies, everyone froze. "These monsters are _**Titanic**__-sized_!" Amemi declared.

"We need to get inside — now!" Donald stated.

"But… this here job'll take hours," Goofy indicated.

Launchpad yawned and leaned against his stick. There was a snap, and the pilot landed into the dusty sand. "Aw gee…. Can't we just say, 'Open Sesame'?"

All eyes whirled to the pilot. Sora found himself staring in complete bewilderment. Indigo seemed equally astounded. Jake grinned. Bernard and Bianca gave one another looks of "Huh?!". Goofy and Amemi both shrugged.

"Are you kidding?" an impatient Donald scolded. "That _never_ works!"

The ground started to vibrate. In a matter of seconds, the Heartless were stepping back a few paces. The doorway jerked loose from the ground. As it opened like a garage door on a hinge, Sora's team, Jake, Bernard, and Bianca all grabbed ahold of the edge. They clung on as it rose high into the air.

All of a sudden, Donald's hands slipped. He started to fall. Indigo let go of the door and swooped low to catch the falling duck. The Royal Court Magician landed in the angel's open arms. Indigo gave him a serious smile. "Did I hear you say ''Open Sesame' never works'?"

Instead of answering, Donald gave a large grin. Sora shook his head at this display. Well… at least the duck's cheeks had not turned red!

The door came to a stop. After a few more vibrations, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all clambered on top. Indigo flew over the edge and set Donald down. She landed on the door so gracefully, it looked unreal to Sora.

"Wow," Donald marveled.

"Not even a mistake," Goofy remarked.

Indigo had to smile. "It is something I always do without trying. You can call it 'Angel Instinct', if you want."

Sora gave a nod. He was not sure what "Instinct" meant, yet he would probably use that term the way Indigo had just used it.

"Get out of here! Go on! Git!"

The stern voice drew the group's attention. They peered over the edge and saw a few figures emerging from the interior of the rocky structure. One was a young boy, about age eight sporting messy, blonde hair. He was wearing a red shirt, brown shorts, a brown belt, white socks, and brown hiking boots.

Bianca gasped. "Look, Bernard! It's the boy!"

Another figure came into view. It was an older man with a careworn face, brown hair, black eyes, and brown eyebrows. He was wearing a gray riding jacket, dark gray bandanna facing backwards, cream long-sleeved shirt with two buttons running vertically to his neckline, a brown vest, brown boots, and dark-grey pants with brown suspenders attached. He had an Indiana Jones-like hat with a dark brown band around on its brim and white teeth on the front. A golden feather was stuck into it's brim.

Jake scowled. "And McLeach."

Sora's eyes widened. Here was the boy they had been looking for. And he was in the hands of the poacher Jake had told them about. He found himself frowning, knowing this villain was a wanted criminal and probably using the Heartless.

Two others stepped into view. One of them was a tall, slender mouse wearing an orange, long-sleeved shirt in a similar design to Jiminy Cricket's jacket, a cream-colored shirt showing through the collar, very dark-tan trousers, and huge, flat-like dark-grey shoes. He had white gloves and black, round ears. His snout was very long and large.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad's eyes nearly fell out. "_**Mortimer Mouse**_!" they declared in unison.

"Who?" Amemi asked.

"He's thuh King's rival," Goofy replied.

"He's a no-good too-timer," Donald added.

"He tried to overthrow His Majesty a _long_ time ago," Launchpad elaborated. "And kidnap the Queen for himself."

"Yup," Goofy affirmed. "If thuh King hadn't finished his trainin' we'd be under Mortimer's rule."

"And I wouldn't be with Daisy," Donald blurted. He speedily held his bill closed. Sora found himself fighting back the urge to laugh.

Amemi smiled brightly. "Is 'Daisy' your girlfriend, Donald?"

Donald did not respond. "Daisy is Donald's very special sweetheart," Goofy explained.

Donald glared at the knight. Amemi giggled. Sora laughed. This made the duck start to blush (at last).

Indigo's eyes were on the last person. It was a slender woman with fair skin, red-polished fingernails, huge eyes that appeared to be bulging, and hair that was black on her right and white on the left. She was decked out in a short tank dress, red gloves, and a giant cream-colored fur coat with a red interior. Her appearance was similar to that of a skeleton.

"Cruella De Vil?" she exclaimed.

* * *

_The city was a loud, wet place. If it had not been raining, a decent-sized mist would have shrouded the entire place. As she strolled down the street, Indigo held the umbrella as steadily as she could. Since she was in a world she was not as familiar with, she had magically put her wings away._

_As she stepped down the sidewalk, she glanced into the front windows of stores. In the distance, she could see a gigantic clock-tower rising above the rest of the city. People were walking about this way and that. They passed by, having nothing to say. It did not matter. Indigo wanted to remain as inconspicuous as she could. …Or at least she thought that was the appropriate way to use the word "inconspicuous". She was not sure. The last person who had used that word was her mother._

_To put it simple, she just wanted to avoid drawing others' attention to herself. She was an angel. She did not want anyone noticing this and then doing strange stuff. It was a challenge being a mystical creature…._

_She stopped in her tracks. Her eyes were focused on a single storefront window. A dummy was situated in sight. It was decked out in a shiny, silver dress with a large, matching hat. One look at the outfit and Indigo felt amazed. And curious. She began wondering who designed such clothes. Her mind quickly grew more curious and more curious for the answer. This was not unusual. She tended to linger on one question for a while at a time._

_She approached the store's doorway and marched up to the revolving door. After she pushed her way inside, Indigo closed her umbrella. She looked up in awe. The room was massive and contained a luxurious stairwell. The railings were a bright shade of brown. The steps were also brown, with red carpet lining the middle. Marble pillars supporting the ceiling, each done in an Ionic design. The tiled floor was also made of marble with marble lines forming designs on each tile. The walls were pure white, giving the sense of purity._

_Indigo nearly froze on the spot. This place looked more like a mansion than a store. Yet, people milled about all around. Hundreds of conversations flooded the air. Employees were stationed at the numerous tables about the space. People were lined up, packages in hand._

_Indigo strolled around. She nearly ran into a man carrying a stack of boxes as he trailed his wife around. The angel looked this way and that. Everything just felt so… busy and cluttered._

_"What a strange place," she told herself._

_She looked up at the staircase and came to a screeching halt in her tracks. Stepping down the flight one step at a time was a young woman whose appearance resembled a skeleton. She was __slender with fair skin, red-polished fingernails, huge eyes, and white hair. Her outfit consisted of a short tank dress under a giant cream-colored fur coat with a red interior, red gloves, and a feathered purse._

_As this woman drew closer, Indigo thought she heard a song playing over the store's speakers._

**"Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil…. If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will. To see her is to take a sudden chill. Cruella, Cruella De Vil!"**

_For the first time she could remember, Indigo felt so nervous, she wanted to unleash her wings and fly away. Instead, she remained where she was and took some steps back. She turned around and raced out the door._

_She failed to notice the woman had seen her leave._

* * *

Indigo's eyes remained fixated on the former fashion designer. "How? How did she get here?"

Sora and the others whirled their eyes to the angel. "How do _you_ know her?" Sora asked.

"It was years ago," Indigo explained. She looked up into the sky like she was recalling what had happened. "Cruella was a the owner of a company that made clothes. One day, I stopped in, and…. "

Her voice trailed off. Sora gave the angel a curious look. He had the feeling there was a _lot_ more to this story than what Indigo had said so far. Just like when she had told them the story about those three train engines.

From their vantage point up above, the group could see everything taking place down below. McLeach took out a pocketknife-like item and held it over the boy like he was going to stab him to death. At the last second, he threw it down into the sand. The boy looked completely surprised.

"It's all over, boy," the poacher stated. "Your bird's dead."

The boy seized his pocketknife. A large, blue Spencer's goanna rushed over and growled at the boy. The animal's yellow eyeballs looked uninviting, as did their orange irises. The creature sent its snake-like tongue aimed at the boy's face. The boy nearly jumped back. He scooted back a little when the Neoshadow Heartless (from earlier) rose back up from the ground and surrounded him on three sides in a semi-circle.

"Someone shot her," McLeach went on. "Shot her… right outta the sky — _**BANG**_!"

"_**No**_!" the boy declared, not willing to accept this was true.

McLeach's scowl grew darker. "Whaddya mean 'no'? You callin' me a liar? I heard it on the radio this morning," he waved his right fist. "And she could have been _mine_ if it weren't for you."

He pointed into the distance. "Now you better _git_ outta here, before I change my mind. _Go_ on, _**git**_!"

The boy rose to his feet. He took one look at the Heartless and turned away. He started into the desert. It would be a long, long journey home….

As he watched from above, Sora was perplexed. What was going on here? What did that poacher have in mind by letting the boy go? It did not make any sense. There had to be something else afoot. He knew for sure from encountering lots of evildoers on his past quests; any villain would never do something like this without having a motive. That's just the way things were done.

"Gawrsh," Goofy spoke up. "Why's he lettin' him go?"

Sora nearly stared at the knight. It felt like Goofy had just read his mind.

Jake continued to scowl at McLeach. "It's gotta be a trick."

Indigo gave a nod. "His Darkness is too great to not have something hidden up his sleeve."

"But he doesn't really _have_ sleeves," Launchpad pointed out.

Donald shoved the pilot's scarf into his mouth. Launchpad groaned, but it was muffled. The group continued to listen.

* * *

McLeach glanced at Mortimer and Cruella. He knew the boy was within hearing distance. Now was their chance. "Too bad about those eggs, eh?" he said in a loud voice. "They'll never survive without their mother."

"Yeah," Mortimer agreed, just playing along with the poacher. He was _still_ not sure what the villain had in mind. Whatever the case, he was still going to humor him.

Cruella gave a nod. "Yes," she said in rather dismayed tone of voice. She slouched backwards and placed one hand on her forehead. It was the sort of pose you might see an actress do to symbolize they're in a state of shock and depression. "_Too bad_!"

McLeach shrugged. "Oh well! Survival of the fittest, I guess."

The three watched as the boy took one last look back. After a few seconds, he continued through the sand in a right hurry. McLeach's grin grew even darker. All was going according to plan. "Bingo!" he chuckled in his sinister style.

Joanna laughed from beside the poacher. The group of villains strode back into the garage. Joanna followed them.

* * *

Sora was more confused than ever before. What had McLeach, Mortimer, and Cruella meant? Did the boy have a pet eagle who had been killed? What "eggs" had they been talking about? None of this made any sense. It felt completely unrelated.

The villains he had dealt with in the past had all possessed easy-to-understand motives and plots. _This_ one was different. It did not involve using the Heartless to take over the world. It was something that would have _shocked_ Dr. Drakken. Judge Frollo would _**never**_ have approved of such! Those two had _both_ been linked to Maleficent as it is.

He wondered if Mortimer, Cruella, and McLeach were on their own. Or _were_ they also part of _Maleficent's Council_?

"Bird?" Bianca asked aloud.

"Eggs?" Bernard added in turn.

"Sounds like a recipe for an uncooked omelet," Launchpad remarked, having gotten the scarf out of his mouth.

Jake held up his hand. "Shh! Listen."

Sora and the others peered down over the edge. An enormous vehicle rode into view from inside the rocky tower. The seventeen-year-old could not believe his eyes. It was an old Bushwhacker truck. It was equipped with a giant cage, grill, and a crane. There were only two tires, located beneath the cab. Caterpillar treads were positioned onto the back. The cage was on the back, with the crane dangling above it.

Sora was taken by surprise. He had never seen such a strange-looking contraption. Then again, he _had_ been travelling around in a racecar that had been converted into a spaceship. He had also seen various trucks aboard a ship before the group had joined the expedition to Atlantis. He had even witnessed — well… not exactly "witnessed", more like "rode" — a motorized scooter outrun some gigantic robots.

* * *

From inside the cab of the truck, McLeach, Mortimer, and Cruella sat in the seats. McLeach was the only one buckled in, mainly since it was _his_ truck and the driver's seat was the only one equipped with a working seatbelt. Joanna squeezed in between the three.

McLeach gave a sinister grin as he raised a pair of binoculars up to his eyes. He peered into the distance. Spotting the boy up ahead, he gave an evil laugh. "I didn't make it all the way through Third Grade for nothing!"

Cruella crossed her arms. "Yes," she commented, rolling her eyes. "And I'd like a nice, golden coat." The former fashion designer pointed up ahead. "Now, get _going_, you fool!"

Mortimer found himself snickering. "Ha cha cha!" he declared. He elbowed McLeach. "She got you there!"

McLeach's grin faded. He grumbled to himself as he put the vehicle into gear. It was not long before they were on their way. Joanna watched with delight as the group headed into the distance.

* * *

As the immense truck drove out from below, Sora's mind raced. They had to keep track of these guys. Whatever dastardly deeds they had up their sleeves (…he changed his mind about this word choice later)… or rather, whatever they were planning.

"I don't know where he's going," Jake called out. "But we _can't_ let him get away."

Sora gave a quick nod. "C'mon! We gotta _stop_ them!"

The two hopped down from the door and landed onto the crane's arm. Sora gazed back up. "You can do it!" he called.

Donald and Goofy were next in line. They landed a few inches from the other two. Launchpad grabbed Amemi and jumped. The two missed the crane and bounced against the cage. Sora watched in alarm as they fell to the moving treads down below. Bernard and Bianca also jumped, only to have the same thing happen to them. Indigo leapt into the air and zoomed down low.

Sora was appalled. His sister, Launchpad, and Bernard and Bianca had all jumped too late. For all _he_ knew, they were in quite the pickle. …Even though there were _no_ pickles in sight.

Great! Now he was thinking like Launchpad!

"_**Bernard**_!" Jake yelled. "_**Bianca**_!"

There was no answer. The mouse took out his rope and swung it around and around. "_**Here**_! _**Catch**_!"

The rope flew down below the group's eyes. It suddenly became taunt. Jake pulled his rope in. To everyone's relief, Bernard and Bianca were on it.

Everyone's relief, except Sora's. He continued to peer down, wondering what had become of Amemi, Launchpad, and Indigo. Had they been crushed? Or worse?

He saw a flicker of Light. Sora stared in astonishment. There was Indigo, soaring into view. In her arms was Launchpad; the pilot was still clutching Amemi in his arms. From the look on Indigo's face, she was struggling to fly. Apparently, Launchpad and Amemi were a little too heavy for her.

Sora summoned his Keyblade and waved it around. "Over here, Indigo!"

Indigo saw the young man and nodded. She flew over and set down upon the crane. Launchpad and Amemi hopped down. In a flash, Amemi threw her arms around Sora, catching the young man by surprise.

"That was _**sooo**_ scary!" she told him. Sora could tell his sister was scared. She was shaking violently. After several moments, she broke free and turned to Indigo. With a few tears in her eyes (and a massive smile), she ran up to the angel and threw her arms around the latter.

Indigo was so startled, she nearly stumbled back and fell over the edge of the crane's arm. "What are you—?!"

"_**Thank**_ _**you**_!" the sandy-haired girl said. "I thought I was going to be killed."

Launchpad shrugged and gave a shy grin. "Heh, heh," he chuckled nervously. "It was all an accident."

Donald tapped his foot with his arms crossed. He glowered at the duck-pilot. "What's wrong you, ya _big_, _**fat**_ _**palooka**_?!" he shouted. "You almost killed Sora's sister!"

Launchpad folded his arms. "I was just trying to get us on this monster truck. Yeesh! Talk about no gratitude!"

Sora shook his head and looked up into the sky. He knew one thing for certain. Wherever McLeach and the others were heading, he and his team would be there to stop them. They needed to warn the boy of the villains' plot… whatever it was.

For some reason, he had the feeling it was not world-domination (for a change).

The truck came to a stop. Sora and the others looked around. To their surprise, the vehicle had come to a halt at the edge of a cliff. Jake lassoed his rope to a nearby bolt and dropped it like a line. He slid down the rope to the ground. Sora was next in line. He was followed by Goofy, Launchpad, Bianca, Amemi, Donald, and Bernard. Indigo calmly floated down, using her wings to slow her descent into a graceful fall and smooth landing.

Sora was a bit surprised. So, _that_ was how she did it? The graceful landing? All Indigo had to do was tilt her wings slightly? He wondered if this was same trick Violet used. After all, they were sisters. Recalling what Indigo had claimed about a third angel named "Teal", he wondered if she used the same technique.

Jake headed to the edge. He looked over the cliff and signaled the others over. "He's going down the cliff!" he informed them. "C'mon, we gotta warn him!"

Sora's team, Bernard, and Bianca all hurried to the cliff's edge. They stopped short, noticing the size of the canyon stretched out before them.

"Whoa!" Sora awed in complete marvel. The canyon was so deep, it seemed to rival that of the Grand Canyon. It was not as well, however, and there was a waterfall on the other side. The size _did_ appear to be larger than the gorge back at the _**Radiant Garden**_ — the one just outside of town.

"Wow!" Donald declared.

"Gee," Goofy muttered out loud. His voice echoed about the walls of solid rock.

"I ain't seen nothin' like this," Launchpad remarked. "It's gotta be two thousand miles deep!"

Indigo stepped up to the edge and continued as though she were walking on air. Sora knew she wasn't. He could see her fan-shaped wings flapping. She was simply hovering over the chasm.

Amemi nudged the spikey-haired youth. "What do you think Indigo sees down there?"

Sora shrugged. "Who knows?"

The angel suddenly gasped and spun around to face the group. "I see him," Indigo called. "He is nearing a ledge about halfway down the side of this cliff."

"We must go quickly," Bianca announced. "There is no time to lose."

Sora gave a nod. He, Jake, and Bianca led the way over the cliff's edge. Down, down, down they went into the canyon. As he looked around, Sora felt relieved. There were no Heartless in sight. Back in the desert, there had been tons of them. He wondered if those Heartless had included the ones from this area.

Well… at least there was no bird-like creature to knock them down from the side of this cliff face. He remembered what that one dinosaur-shaped Nightmare had done to Riku back in the then-sleeping _**Traverse Town**_. He had clambered on up the side of the resort hotel, only to get knocked aside by the monster. It was a good thing Violet had been to catch him.

"_**Help**_!"

Sora whirled his head around. To his alarm, Goofy had lost his grip and was sliding down the cliff face. As the knight fell, Launchpad reached out and grabbed his arm.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy said.

Sora had to shake his head. He turned his eyes to his sister. Amemi was carefully clambering down the cliff. Over and over, she was telling herself not to look down. He knew why. The nearly fourteen-year-old girl had once tried to climb the side of the tall hills on the Children's Play Island back home. She had slipped and almost fallen to the ground. Good thing their Mom had been there to catch her! Sora remembered that event so well, even though he was only about seven or eight at the time.

One thing was for certain — Amemi had always had a slight fear of heights ever since that day.

Amemi's foot slipped. Sora stared in alarm, again. His sister tried to regain her footing, but there was nowhere to put her feet. She started to dangle over the chasm. Her hands began sliding free. "_**HELP**_!" she screamed loudly.

Sora knew he _**had**_ to do something! He carefully found himself climbing in the direction of his sister. Just as he grew close, Amemi turned her head to him. "_**Sora**_!" she declared.

Sora reached out his arm. "_**Amy**_! _**Take**_ my hand!"

Amemi looked more frightened than ever. "I… I _**can't**_!"

"You _**have**_ to! I can't reach you if you don't!"

Amemi looked away. "_**But**_… !"

Sora took a deep breath. "Look, I _**know**_ you're scared! But, there's no other way!"

Amemi turned back to her brother. Seeing the determination in his eyes, she noticed something else. Light…. Could it be? The '_Kindness To Aid Friends_'? '_The Shield To Repel All_'?

She looked at his open, gloved hand. She gave a nod and released her grip. In a flash, she started to fall. She screamed as she dropped a few inches within a second.

Sora reached out his arm as much as he could. He grasped his sister's right wrist. He looked straight down. There was Amemi, dangling below. She looked up at him. As he looked directly into her bright, blue eyes, Sora found himself smiling.

When she saw her brother smiling, Amemi again looked into his azure eyes. There it was. Light. And… some type of reddish shield with a Hidden Mickey on it. She gave deep smile of her own. "Thank you, Sora."

Sora had to smile. "Not at all! You're my sister, Amy."

Indigo came swooping into view. The two turned their eyes to her. When the angel saw Amemi dangling from Sora's hand, her hands flew to her face and covered her mouth. "_**Yikes**_!" she declared. "What took place?!"

Sora grunted as he helped his sister back up to the wall. "It's a long story," he admitted, turning to see the angel.

Indigo's hands flew from her face. Her arms ended up at her sides. She was not smiling. Sora had the feeling he had only made the angel more curious and determined to know what had happened just moments before. "Whatever took place, it is _too_ dangerous for your sister to climb down this cliff."

"Hey!" Sora was startled. Had Indigo just acted like his Mom? She _had_ used the same strict tone of voice Star did. And she had made a statement the way his Mom would. He hoped Indigo was not going to start treating him like a little boy now.

Indigo flew closer. She wrapped her arms around Amemi's torso until she had a tight grip. "You can let go now, Amemi."

Amemi looked at the angel. Then down at the ground far below. She gasped and released her grip. Indigo struggled for a moment to hover before starting a slow descent down the cliff face.

Sora had to sigh. He felt he had just been blamed for his sister's accident. This was usually something that happened back at home, and his Mom was the one who accused him. Even if it was not his fault, he often got punished for something that he had not done.

He continued to clamber down the cliff in silence.

* * *

It felt like hours had passed. At last, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Jake, Bernard, and Bianca found themselves setting foot onto a ledge about halfway down the cliff. It was sheltered spot, with a slight overhang. The view was breathtaking, considering the wide river down below looked like a tiny creek.

Yet, what had _actually_ seized Sora's attention was what was situated on the ledge. A massive bird's nest. It was a dark-gray color for the most part. Most of the twigs were old, dead plants. Sora thought it was pretty solid would easily hold any weight.

The group looked around the nest. Sora's eyes landed upon Amemi and Indigo. The two were standing were they had landed, about three feet away (that's in _small_ size, in case you were wondering!). The group hurried over to them.

"Have you seen him?" Bianca asked. "His name is Cody."

"'Cody'?" Amemi inquired in turn. "_That's_ his name?"

Bianca nodded. Sora was a bit perplexed. How did the mouse know the boy's name? They had not even met him yet. He wondered if the world had somehow told her for them. Well, at least they did not have to introduce _everyone_ now!

The group started into the nest. When a few, small Shadow Heartless showed up, Sora summoned his Keyblade and speedily eliminated them. As shards of Darkness faded away from the blade of his Keyblade, Sora turned to the others. "Where is he?"

Amemi and Bianca both pointed ahead. Sora spun around. There was the boy — Cody — in the middle of the nest. He was standing beside a three, large eggs. One look at the size of the eggs, and Sora realized they were more-than-likely an eagle's eggs. He wondered if these were the eggs McLeach had been referring to.

Cody looked sad. He gazed at the eggs with a look that seemed to be full of mourning. As far as he knew, his eagle-friend was gone and never coming back. Sora knew one thing — there was nothing worse about losing a friend than never getting them back. He had been there multiple times.

The latest time had been when he'd been forced to fight Tron in _**The Grid**_ back in _The Realm of Sleep_.

Cody leaned against the eggs and tilted his head like he was listening. He gave a sigh and scooped up a handful of grass and twigs from the nest. He gave a hint of a smile as he placed them upon the three eggs. He glanced around and noticed something shining in the sunlight. He reached into the nest and picked up a golden feather. He gently slid in against his hand; he could almost feel his friend's warmth, kindness, and Light. He knew he would never see his friend again. Yet, this feather still contained their heart's Light.

Before the eyes of Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo, Cody placed the feather upon the eggs. A gust of wind suddenly picked up. The wind snatched the feather. Cody reached for it, but the wind was too swift. Away the feather flew, twirling around and around as it drifted into the sky. Cody stared at it; shock and disbelief were inscribed across his face.

Sora instantly comprehended. He reached into his pocket and took out something. He held his palm open. There was the lucky charm Kairi had made from seashells; she had called them "thalassic shells". As he looked at it, he thought about how he might have felt if he had lost this item during his previous quests.

He put the charm away and turned to face his teammates. They all gazed at him. "That eagle was his Light," he realized. He turned his head back to see Cody. "Now he has no Hope."

Amemi looked down. "You make it sound so sad."

Indigo strode forward. "Since I am the Angel of Hope, maybe I can change all that."

Sora looked confused. "How?"

The angel held out her hands. A tiny snowflake appeared just above her palms. It slowly drifted up until it was floating in midair. She looked at Sora; he was awestruck. "All angels can use magic," she explained. "Yet, each of our spells are specially-chosen based on our title."

Sora felt like shaking his head inside and out. There was too much information coming in all at once. He noticed Bernard, Bianca, and Jake were heading for Cody. He signaled for the others to follow. "Let's go."

Even though they were all a bit bewildered, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all gave nods in return. They trailed the spikey-haired youth after the three mice.

As they drew closer, Bianca called out, "Cody!"

Cody's ears seemed to flutter the moment the name entered them. He looked down in surprise. Bianca, Bernard, and Jake were directly beside him. Sora and his team were along moments after. Taking a short glance over them all, the blonde-headed boy gave a puzzled look. "Huh?" he asked. "Who are you?"

Launchpad took a step forward and stood as proud as he could. "The name's Launchpad McQuack! If it's got wings, I can _cras_—!"

He was cut off the instant Donald grabbed a few twigs and stuffed them into the pilot's mouth.

"Oh, there is no time to explain," Bianca continued. "You're in _great_ danger."

Cody seemed rather quiet and calm given what Bianca had stated. Sora wondered if he was no longer concerned about what happened to him now that his friend was gone.

A loud _**SCREECH**_ filled the air. As it echoed through the canyon, all eyes turned into the direction it had come from. Sora and Amemi both saw Cody's eyes light up. His mouth fell open.

"_Marahute_?!" he declared. "It _**can't**_ be!"

Sora and his sister exchanged looks of "_**Huh**_?!". Donald and Goofy did the same. Launchpad gazed at Indigo; the pilot was still trying to remove the twigs from his large bill.

In a flash, Cody raced away through the nest. He stopped when he reached the edge of the ledge. Bianca, Bernard, and Jake rushed after him. "Oh Cody!" she yelled. "Cody wait!"

"C'mon!" Sora told his teammates. "Let's go after him."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all nodded. Amemi smiled. "Correct," Indigo confirmed.

The group charged through the nest to the edge of the ledge. Well… it was not _that_ fast. They had to pick their way through the twigs and blades of grass. At one point, Goofy tripped over a twig and banged straight into Amemi. The two tumbled around, knocking both Donald and Indigo off their feet. After helping get the two untangled, Sora led them the rest of the way to Cody.

When they got there, Sora and his friends peered over the ledge's edge. Further down below, a small river could be seen. Sora had the feeling this "small river" was a _lot_ larger and wider than it seemed.

"Hey!" Goofy declared. He pointed to a spot of the rock wall near the nest. An enormous eagle was soaring through the canyon, not too far from the wall. The animal's head was covered by white feathers, and the rest of the feathers were a bright golden color. The tips of the creature's tail were brown. Its feet were brown with sharp, black claws.

"Wow!" Donald marveled.

"That eagle is huge!" Amemi declared.

Indigo felt her antennae wobbling a _lot_ less. "She has a _lot_ of Light inside," she announced.

Sora gave a nod. He could feel that same Light radiating out in all directions. No wonder McLeach was after this bird. Its Light was especially strong — even compared to the Light he'd felt back in _**Jamestowne**_.

"She's alive!" Cody realized. He looked both relieved and astounded.

"Cody, please!" Bianca was starting to plead as she seized his attention. "You _must_ listen!"

"That's right," Bernard agreed, stepping closer. "Mc… McLeach is on the cliff."

"So are Mortimer," Donald added.

"And Cruella," Amemi finished.

"You've gotta take cover!" Sora stated. He had the feeling Heartless were about to descend the cliff-side at any second. Remembering how massive the Neoshadow Heartless had been back at McLeach's hideout, he had the feeling any additional Heartless were going to be just as challenging.

Cody gazed up at the top of the cliff. There was the Bushwhacker, parked backwards against the edge. At the moment, a missile was pointing down into the canyon. As he looked up, Sora saw the weapon was aimed straight at the eagle. As he looked closer, he realized Mortimer was at the missile's controls.

Cody swung his focus to the eagle. "_**Marahute**_, _**NO**_!" he shouted as loudly as he could. "_**Turn **__**back**_! _**Stay**_ _**away**_! _**It's a**_ _**trap**_!"

The missile flew through the air. Sora's heart raced. He had the feeling the weapon had shifted direction. It was heading straight for the ledge. "_**Look**_ _**out**_!" he hollered.

He ducked down. Amemi grabbed him. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad crowded around the two. Indigo leapt into the air and stared at the projectile in alarm.

Sora looked up. When he saw the angel hovering in the air, he grabbed her arm and yanked her down. "Take cover!" he demanded.

"I know!" Indigo replied. She ducked down and wrapped herself up in her wings.

Sora kept his eyes on the missile. It grew closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… closer… and more closer.

There was a deafening explosion. When Sora and the others looked again, they saw the missile had shattered. In its place was an immense, brown canvas. In the blink of an eye, the canvas wrapped itself around the eagle and sealed shut. The canvas bag was then slowly lifted back towards the truck up above.

Sora was startled. The missile had been concealing a canvas trap the whole time? And here he had assumed Mortimer was trying to kill him and his friends. Of course, he had never known any villain or villainess who would go as far as to kill him — except for Frollo. That judge had tried burn him to death.

Cody was struck with alarm and determination. "_**NO**_!" he hollered. He jumped onto the ropes holding the canvas in place.

"Let's go!" Amemi announced.

As if on cue, Jake lassoed his rope and swung it at the boy. His rope caught Cody's boot and became tight. He tossed his rope back for everyone to grab. "Hold tight, everyone," Jake instructed the others. "We're going for a ride!"

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi held on as tightly as they could. In the amount of time he blinked his eye, Sora watched the group get dragged into the air by the single rope. At the same time, he felt a sharp burning against his hands. He looked down and gasped. The rope had slipped through his fingers.

He looked up. "_**Guys**_!" he shouted.

Just above his head, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were getting carried away, along with Bianca and Jake. Sora was startled. Not only had he missed the rope, now his teammates were practically dangling in midair. Another thought crossed his mind.

Where was Indigo?

He noticed Bernard reaching after Bianca. "_Bianca_!" he cried.

Bianca looked back down. "_Bernard_!"

Before Sora could react, something else caught his eye. A brilliant patch of sunlight flashed from the canvas. When he looked at it, he realized Cody had taken out his knife and was cutting the ropes holding the canvas in place.

* * *

McLeach could not believe his luck. His plan had worked. That boy had led him straight to the eagle's nest. His theory had been correct; the boy _had_ a weak spot other than the eagle itself.

The eagle's eggs.

Now, the immense bird was ensnared in his trap and slowly being lifted to his waiting truck. It was only a matter of time before he got his hands on that amazing animal. A million thoughts crossed his mind. What should he do with the creature? He could sell many golden purses from its hide. He and Cruella could produce lots of coats from its feathers. The claws could be useful for sharpening his knives and other tools. The possibilities seemed endless.

"I _**got**_ her!" he declared in a very loud voice. "I _**got**_ her! Did you see _**that**_?" he gave a sinister cackle. "_**Perfect**_ shot! _**Per**_-_fect_ shot! She's _**mine**_! **All** _**mine**_!"

As he continued to cackle away, Mortimer gazed down at him from the crane's controls. He frowned and crossed his arms. He looked at Cruella. The former fashion designer was standing beside the truck, not too far from the cage. The pair's eyes met. "What does he mean by '_he_' got her?" the anthropomorphic mouse questioned aloud.

Cruella gave a slight shrug. "As long as I get myself a coat from those feathers, I could care less what becomes of that animal."

Mortimer had to admit, Cruella had a point. This eagle would be best left in the hands of a professional poacher. Or hunter, whichever one McLeach preferred to be called.

The two returned their gaze to McLeach. The villain was scowling now. From where he sat on the crane, Mortimer could see what the poacher had seen. There was the boy, desperately trying to cut the ropes keeping the canvas ensnared.

"Meddlin' brat," McLeach muttered under his breath. "Gonna get rid of him for good."

He gave Mortimer the signal for "shake it up". Knowing they could not waste any more time trying to catch this eagle, Mortimer gladly shook the controls as much as he could. He saw the boy lose his grip on the canvas and tumble over until he was dangling from the ropes.

* * *

"_**Oh no**_!" Sora declared. Not only had the villains up above captured the eagle, but now Cody was dangling from the canvas. To make matters worse, his sister, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were also on it. Bianca and Jake seemed to be doing their best to keep everyone from falling. Just as it appeared Cody was going to fall to his death, Jake lassoed his rope and wrapped it around the former's boot.

When he saw Amemi starting to slide, Sora wanted to rush up there and help her. Yet, he knew that was impossible. He could not fly; he was not a fairy, let alone had Pixie Dust. He swept his eyes around the nest. Now, even Bernard was out of sight. "Where _are_ you, Indigo?" the young man told himself.

He gazed back up. To his surprise, Launchpad was swinging down on a piece of stray rope. Just as Amemi was about to fall off the canvas altogether, the duck-pilot swooped in and caught her. Sora gave a sigh of relief. This incident reminded him of how Launchpad had swung down from the rooftop of Notre Dame to help Quasimodo save Esmeralda and the brown-haired Keyblade wielder.

* * *

The canvas finally reached the top of the cliff. Using the crane, Mortimer carried it over to the cage. McLeach climbed to the top of his truck and slid the cage door open and grabbed the canvas. He shook it violently. The boy fell from the ropes and landed onto the wooden floor inside.

McLeach lowered the wrapped canvas into the cage. As he did so, the canvas started to open. A loud _**SCREECH**_ filled the air as the eagle broke free. Not wishing to allow the animal to escape, the villain kicked the door with his foot. There was a loud slam, sealing the cage altogether. McLeach gave a dark cackle and knelt to observe his prey.

Mortimer hopped down from the crane's controls and approached the poacher. When he saw the eagle inside, he gave a sinister grin of his own. _**Finally**_! They had _captured_ the eagle. Now, they could turn all their time to conquering this world with the Heartless. "Ha cha cha!" the tall mouse laughed.

Cruella climbed to the top of the cage and peered down into it. Something caught her eye. Two ducks, a dog, two mice, and a sandy-haired… girl? They seemed to resemble the group Maleficent and Pete had claimed to have encountered. Yet, they were much smaller than she had expected.

She brushed the whole thing aside. Even if these tiny "people" _were_ the Keyblade wielder's friends, there was no sign of him around. That meant, they could still get away…. Unless he was not in this world. Chances were, she had been imagining things.

McLeach grinned even more. "There she is," he told the others. Joanna clambered onto the roof of the cage and stopped beside him. "Look at her. Look at the size of her…. The _rarest_ bird in the world."

Cruella gave a dark grin at the animal's golden feathers. "How wonderful! There's enough feathers for a _hundred_ coats!"

"That bird's gonna make me rich," McLeach added. "_Filthy_ rich." With a loud laugh, he rose to his feet. "I got what I want."

"Good," Mortimer said. "Now, let's use these Heartless and take over this place before Maleficent gets wise."

McLeach gave a nod. He turned to Cruella and nodded to her next. Cruella gave him a dark smile. She looked down at the ground. In a matter of moments, several Neoshadow Heartless had risen from the ground. The creatures headed for the cliff's edge before they descended into the canyon.

"Now, this bird will _stay_ rare," McLeach gave a darker grin. A thin cloud of Darkness surrounded his body for a second or three. Cruella did not notice. Mortimer, on the other hand, felt a little insecure standing beside the poacher.

"_**NO**_! _**PLEASE**_!" the boy pleaded from inside the cage.

* * *

Sora was appalled. Not only had McLeach, Mortimer, and Cruella gotten their hands on the eagle, they had also taken Cody, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Bianca, and Jake. The thought of his friends being in the hands of such villains was almost _**too**_ _much_ for him to handle. To top it off, Heartless were heading down the cliffs — heading straight for the nest.

"_**Oh no**_!" he declared in a loud voice.

He summoned his Keyblade. He found his eyes drifting over to the weapon. The blade was reflecting against the late-afternoon Sun. He had the feeling it was going to take more than his Keyblade to eliminate such gigantic Heartless.

He swept his eyes around the ledge. There was still no sign of Indigo or Bernard. _Where_ had those two gone? He sighed. The last time he'd lost track of a team member (that he could recollect) was when Goofy had wandered off in Pocahontas's village. When he'd finally located the knight, the latter had been relaxing against a cornstalk, eating a corn-on-the-cob.

Still, he doubted Indigo and Bernard were off somewhere eating corn. Chances were, they had hidden when they saw the Heartless coming. Or, maybe they had tried to go after the others? Indigo had carried Amemi all the way down the canyon to the ledge after that near slip-and-fall incident. She probably could have lifted Bernard back to the top of the cliff.

Or… maybe they were playing hide-and-seek? This was _**no**_ time for games!

The first Neoshadow Heartless set foot onto the ledge. Sora gazed up at it and froze. This creature was almost ten times his height. How would ever defeat such a monstrosity? Not to mention, he would be facing it alone.

He immediately jumped into his typical fighting stance. He glowered at the Heartless. Just as he was about to rush forward and deliver an attack, a swiftly-moving object caught his eye. Swinging his head to the left, Sora's eyes lit up. "Indigo!"

There she was, the Angel of Hope. Indigo swooped in close to the Heartless and took out her wand. With a shout of, "_**STOPRA**_!", the Heartless stopped moving. The angel lowered herself down to the ledge. Sora grinned when he saw her.

"I was wondering when you were gonna show up," he admitted. "These guys are _huge_!"

Indigo's hands flew to just above her chest. To Sora, it appeared she was slightly fidgeting. "Bernard and I needed to take care of something else first," she explained. "So sorry I was late."

Sora shook his head. He recalled how often Donald and Goofy had been running behind in the many battles they'd been in during their first quest. Sometimes, he had felt like he was the only one of the group who fought the Heartless on a regular basis.

In a way, he was.

Indigo spun around to face the Heartless before them. "I put a spell on this Heartless," she informed the seventeen-year-old Keyblader. "It shall stay this way for nearly ten more seconds."

Sora gave a nod. Now was his chance. With Keyblade in hand, he charged ahead. As he drew close, he leapt into the air and unleashed a loud yell as he plunged his weapon into the monster. In less than a second, he had travelled clear through the creature and out the other side. Sora stayed where he was and watched as time started to resume on the Neoshadow Heartless. In a flash of Darkness, the creature exploded and vanished out of existence.

Sora beamed at Indigo. The angel gave him a Thumbs-Up in return, using her left hand. Sora strode back over to her. "Well, that's that!"

Indigo's antennae started to wobble. She looked back up at the cliff. "It is not over yet."

"Huh?" Sora was puzzled. Had the angel sensed something else. He gazed up at the cliff. To his alarm, several more Neoshadow Heartless were about to jump down to the ledge. To make matters worse, these creatures were just as enormous as the one the two had already destroyed.

Sora readied his Keyblade. Just as he was sure the Heartless were going to descend onto the nest, a blur of something white came rushing through the canyon and smashed into them.

Sora and Indigo both froze in surprise. What was this? Had something just happened to appear and take out all those Heartless for them? Or had the world's Light come to their aid?

A rustle in the nest caught Sora's attention. He and Indigo both looked back. There was Bernard, poking his head out of the twigs and grass. The mouse looked around and smiled. "Looks like the coast is clear," he told the two.

Indigo nodded. Sora took a quick sweep of the area and noticed something seemed off. "Where's the eggs?"

"We hid them," Indigo replied. She pointed down into the nest where Bernard had emerged. "They are straight down through there."

Sora saw the small hole in the middle of the twigs and other things. Bernard pushed several of them aside, revealing the three eggs. One look, and Sora knew why Indigo and Bernard had seemingly disappeared. They had seen the Heartless coming and rapidly covered the eggs, just to be safe. He nodded, knowing they had done the correct thing.

All at once, a vibration shook the nest. Sora nearly lost his balance, so Indigo grabbed him and helped him stay upright. The spikey-haired youth was relieved. It seemed the angel had exceptional balance, just like what Violet had seemed to have.

When the angel and Keyblader turned their eyes back at the middle of the nest, they saw something else they hadn't expected. A giant bird was standing off to the side, near the edge. He had white feather and was a little overweight. A black helmet with goggles was on his head. He had an aqua scarf around his neck.

"Girls?" The bird called out. "Girls, I'm here!" he laughed. "Where are you, you little chickees you?"

Bernard stared at the bird in astonishment. "Wilbur?" he asked softly.

Sora was puzzled. Did Bernard _really_ know who this was? How? This bird had seemingly just appeared out of nowhere. He had even landed with such force, the entire nest and ledge had violently shaken.

Bernard spoke again. This time, much louder. "Wilbur!"

"Hey!" Sora said in turn, noticing Wilbur was not paying Bernard any attention.

Indigo flapped her wings and took flight. She zipped around to the bird's face. "Are you 'Wilbur'?" she asked.

The bird gawked when he saw the angel hovering in front of his face. He lost his balance and tumbled over the edge of the ledge. A loud scream echoed through the canyon. Indigo landed between Sora and Bernard; the two stared at her with looks that seemed to read "Why'd you do _that_?". All she could do was smile and shrug.

Wilbur emerged from the canyon and clambered back onto the ledge. "Don't _**ever**_ do that to me again!" he snapped, glaring at Indigo.

Indigo's hands flew to just above her chest. "So sorry," she apologized. "I was not trying to startle you."

Wilbur panted until he finally had both his feet on solid rock. He glanced back at his tail. "Oh… boy… I lost a lot of feathers on that one."

"Wilbur," Bernard said. "Am I glad to see you."

Sora's mind was reeling. A lot was happening in a short time. Maybe he should introduce himself. "How do you know Bernard, Wilbur?" he asked.

"Long story," Wilbur answered the brown-haired youth. "I'll tell you about it some other time, kid," he panted Sora on the head. "_**Yeow**_," he declared, jerking his wing back. "Your feathers are _sharp_, kid!"

"My name is Sora," Sora stated. He pointed at his spikey hair. "I've always had it this way. I don't know why. I just do."

Indigo started to giggle. Was Sora serious? He had always had spikey hair his whole life? How old was he? As far as she could tell, he was probably about sixteen or eighteen years old. Maybe… seventeen? She was terrible at determining ages based on someone's appearance.

Wilbur turned to Bernard. "Wait a minute," he said, eyeing the mouse closely. "What the heck are you doing up here anyway?"

"The kidnappers took the boy, and Jake," Bernard took a deep breath. "And Miss Bianca."

Wilbur seemed alarmed, even more than Sora had felt when he'd first learned Kairi had been abducted by Organization XIII. "Miss Bianca? Miss Bianca's in _**trouble**_?!" he exclaimed. "_Woah_! _Geez_! _That's_ _**terrible**_! We gotta do _**something**_!"

"Yeah," Sora approved. It was a long shot, yet maybe they could convince Wilbur to help them. "My sister, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad have always been taken."

Indigo stepped forward and knelt down. "Can you please help us?" she pleaded, folding her hands and looking straight up at the bird's face.

Sora had to shake his head. He had never pictured Indigo would literally beg for help. Then again, she had pretty much the exact opposite personality of Violet. No wonder these two were sisters! There were a perfect pair. Just like him and Riku. Not to mention, Cogsworth and Lumiére, and Oscar Madison and Felix Unger. Laurel and Hardy. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. There were a _lot_ of such teams out there.

Even Curious George and Ted/The Man In The Yellow Hat!

Wilbur stood up straight and tall. "Yes, I will," he saluted. "You three should start searchin' the desert for her, and… I'll scan the coastline!"

He turned to take flight. "That's what I'll do… I'll ask the chicks on the beach."

"Wilbur!" Bernard called out.

It was too late. Wilbur had taken flight and was soaring away into the sky. Bernard looked down and sighed. Sora and Indigo turned to him. "I was going to ask Wilbur to give us a ride back up the cliff," he explained.

Sora shifted his eyes back to the cliff. The wall of rock looked much taller now than it had during the descent into the canyon. It would take a lot of time to get out of there, especially given the three's small size.

Indigo hopped into the air. She started to hover just above the nest. "I can give one of you a ride at a time," she announced.

Sora's eyes lit up. He felt like slapping himself in the face. He had completely forgotten that Indigo could carry each of them to the top of the cliff. Recalling how quickly she had transported Amemi downwards, he had the feeling she could do it just as fast back up.

Sora gave a nod. "Okay. It's worth a try. Let's go!"

Indigo extended a hand for the brown-haired young man.

* * *

The desert seemed endless. And flat. Well… mostly flat. A few rough spots here and there. That was all. Even with the Sun beating down from above, the wind felt rather cool. It might have been the Bushwhacker's open windows. Or the speed at which McLeach was driving the truck.

In the cab, McLeach was beaming with delight. Not only had he gotten his hands on the golden eagle, he had also eliminated its eggs. The less eagles there were, the more valuable _this_ eagle would be. It was definitely a supply-and-demand situation.

He turned to Mortimer, Cruella, and Joanna (his salamander). "Well, it looks like Lady Luck has finally decided to smile on us," he said with pride. "Everything's going our way."

"Now, I can start a new fashion line of _lovely_ golden coats," Cruella smiled. She leaned back in her seat, dreaming of what types of designs she could make with the large, golden feathers. She could make a fortune just selling a few outfits.

Mortimer grinned. "And this world will be ours before the week is up," he chimed in. He felt confident, knowing they were on the verge of accomplishing _all_ their goals here.

"You _**can't**_ do this!" a voice shouted from the cage behind them. "You're gonna get in _**big**_ _trouble_! I'll tell the _**rangers**_ where you are!"

Mortimer glanced back. "Ah, shuddup!" He slammed the rearview window shut.

McLeach groaned. He had completely forgotten about the boy. That meddling brat could still ruin everything. He needed to be silenced — for good. "I almost forgot," he said, gazing for a moment at the others in the cab. "We got a 'loose end' to tie up."

Mortimer and Cruella both gave nods of acknowledgement. Deep, deep down, they were both questioning what the poacher had in mind. Either way, they could not disappoint Maleficent.

Mortimer, in particular, still considered himself _**better**_ than Pete. If Pete had messed up many times, he could succeed without really trying.

* * *

The cage fell silent. As the truck continued on, Cody fell into a slump. Noticing this, Bianca and Amemi approached him. Behind them, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were in the middle of a card game. When Jake had seen them playing, he had insisted he join in.

As Amemi looked up at Cody, she saw the sorrow written on his face. This look reminded her of how she'd felt after she'd awakened in a strange world. That had been just after the _**Destiny Islands**_ had been lost to the Darkness. She had felt so alone….

Until she had met "him". That dragon-friend of hers….

"Now, now, Cody," Bianca consoled the boy. "We mustn't lose hope. Bernard is still out there."

"So are Sora and Indigo," Amemi added with a nod. "The first one is my brother."

As if on cue, Jake jumped from the card game and landed between the two girls. "That's _right_! If anyone can get us out of this scrape, it's ol' Berno and Sora!"

A smile started to form on Cody's face. He switched his gaze to the eagle. The great animal returned the smile. One look at this, and Amemi knew the two believed there was still hope.

Jake leaned in close to Bianca and Amemi. "Nice bluff, ye two."

"I wasn't bluffing," Bianca said, keeping her cool.

Amemi crossed her arms. "Neither was I. You don't know my brother. He's strong, kind, and helpful," she paused for a minute. "…Mostly."

"Yeah," Goofy blurted as he and the other two picked up their cards. Donald looked red from losing yet another game. "Sora was so eager ta find Kairi, he went from world to world lookin' fer her."

"And _she's_ his girlfriend," Donald indicated. He nudged Goofy. The two grinned, knowing Sora was nowhere in earshot to get angry at them. Even so, without him there, the teasing did not feel the same. Not at all. Not even in the least, little bit.

Launchpad finished picking up the cards. "At least, we know Donald can't win at _Old Maid_, _Uno_, _War_, or _Poker_."

Donald scowled at the duck-pilot. "Hey!"

"They are right," Bianca added, ignoring the scolding Donald was giving Launchpad. "You don't know Bernard like I do," she leaned against the back of the cage and peered into the distance. "He'll never give up."

Amemi gazed down the desert road behind the truck. In the distance, the Sun was setting. She felt a little cold, mainly since a cool breeze was blowing throughout the vehicle. Deep down, she hoped Sora, Indigo, and Bernard were on their way. It would only be a matter of time before they were rescued.

At least,… she _**hoped**_ so!

* * *

The Sun was setting. A gentle breeze was rolling along the sands. Long shadows grew and grew, providing additional temperature loss.

Sora, Indigo, and Bernard did not really notice. Their eyes were trained straight ahead. The Bushwhacker had left a deep trail. Sora presumed it was thanks to the vehicle's deep caterpillar treads and monster-truck wheels.

Sora's heart was in complete control. With Keyblade in hand, he led the other two down the trail. He heart was telling him which way to go. He _**needed**_ to find Amemi. He had made a promise to his Mom; a promise that he would keep her safe. He was _**NOT**_ about to break _that_ promise!

He also needed to help Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. The thought of his friends being in the hands of a poacher like McLeach, King Mickey's rival, and a dangerous fashion designer like Cruella was too much to bear. He _**had**_ to do something!

As they passed around a curve in the trail, the group came to a halt. To their dismay, the tracks led down a steep incline and zigzagged all the way down to the bottom of a cliff-face.

"Oh my gosh!" Bernard realized when he saw the trail ahead.

Sora took a moment to catch his breath. When his heart was controlling him, it often took his breath away. He glanced at Indigo. The angel looked exhausted. After all, she _had_ been fluttering along a few inches off the ground.

Now, she had set down. The instant her feet touched the ground, she tumbled over and somersaulted (accidentally) onto her back. There she lay, still trying to catch her breath. "This heat wave… is affecting… my flying," she barely could say the words.

Sora strode up to the angel. He reached for the canteen around his shoulders. He took it off and opened it. He tilted it at an angle. Some of the water spilled out and splashed Indigo in the face.

Indigo sat upright in a flash. She frowned at the brown, spikey haired youth. "Why did you do that?"

Sora grinned. "You collapsed. I thought you were dehydrating."

Indigo shook her arms. They were dripping water. She smiled. "I guess this means, you do not know. Angels cannot become dehydrated. We also cannot catch hypothermia, chicken pox, frostbite, or any other major sickness you could name."

Sora was a bit surprised. "So, you can't get sick?"

Much to his additional surprise, Indigo shook her head. "We have a separate set of sickness _we_ can catch. Some of them can be deadly, too."

"How come?"

"I have no clue. That is just the way it is."

"How do you know all this?"

Indigo paused for a moment. "My Mom told me."

Sora put his canteen away. He crossed his arms. Who was this "Mom" Indigo was referring to? Up until recently, he had assumed all angels were heavenly beings, which would explain their hearts of Light. This meant, they should have just come to exist, unlike people.

Still, Indigo's claim seemed to change all that. She had claimed to have a "Mom". Did this mean she was referring to Violet's "Mom", too? Most-likely. After, the two were sisters. It only made sense they had the same parents. Well… at least as long as _one_ of their parents was the same!

"I didn't know you had a 'Mom'," Sora told Indigo.

Indigo crossed her arms. "How do you think Violet and I came to be?"

"I always thought angels just appeared out of thin air. Like magic. I never thought you guys were born."

Indigo shrugged. "I suppose there are lots of myths about angels. Most of them are not true."

She extended her arm. "Would you please help me out of here?"

Sora gave a nod. He reached down and pulled the angel to her feet. The two smiled for a moment. Indigo's arms flew around the young man's torso. Sora froze for a moment; this reaction felt the same as the time Kairi had rushed up to him for a hug.

"Thank you for understanding," she said.

After she let go, Indigo whirled her eyes to Bernard. Sora did the same. The mouse was approaching a silhouetted shape. That was when Sora noticed something else. The shape was a gigantic animal; they were lying on the ground, dozing. It was a razorback, which, to Sora, resembled Simba's friend, Pumbaa.

"Ahem… ahem… ah… excuse me," Bernard said as he stepped closer.

The razorback rose to its feet and saw Bernard, Sora, and Indigo. In an instant, the animal grunted at them. Sora readied his Keyblade, just to be safe. At once, Bernard scowled and grabbed the razorback by its snout; he knocked the animal onto the ground, startling the latter.

"Now _**look**_!" he stated in a very assertive tone of voice. "We've got a _**long**_ way to go! _**You're**_ going to take us there, and you're _**not**_ going to give us any trouble about it. Right?"

The razorback whimpered and shook its head. Sora was caught completely by surprise. He had not foreseen Bernard being so courageous. Then again, he just had to conclude that everyone had their moments.

Bernard climbed onto the animal's back. "Good," he stated in a firm voice. He signaled for the others to follow. Sora and Indigo exchanged looks of astonishment. Smiling at one another, the two headed for the razorback. Sora clambered on up while Indigo flew over.

Once the group was situated on the animal's back, Bernard down the road ahead. "Now _git_," he instructed.

In a heartbeat, the razorback was racing down the trail left behind by McLeach's truck. As they rode along, Sora began wondering how his sister and friends were doing. Had McLeach, Mortimer, and Cruella done terrible things to them? For all he knew, they had been crushed by some humungous Heartless.

Hopefully, that was not the case. In fact, it couldn't be the case. Amemi was too tough to go down so easily. Goofy was too strong. Donald's magic was too powerful. As for Launchpad, well… he was just too easily-distracted to be defeated.

He just hoped Indigo, Bernard, and himself would make it to wherever the evildoers were now before it was too late to save Cody and the eagle. Hopefully, **HOPE** was on their side!

* * *

**A/N: KEEP GOING SORA! DO NOT GIVE UP! THERE'S _STILL _TIME! THERE _HAS_ TO BE ENOUGH TIME!**  
**Oh! You're still here. So sorry. I was REALLY getting into this last scene.**

**So, how about I go over a few things. Sound okay to you?**  
**(1.) Yes, I added Wilbur in there. He doesn't have much of a role in This Story. Sorry about that for those of you who wanted to see more of him. Then again... there IS at least one more Chapter for This World. He MIGHT show up then! You never know!**  
**(2.) To be honest, I am not quite sure if Cruella De Vil really was a fashion designer. That is just the way she seems to be portrayed in all the Disney Canon, in my opinion, anyway.**  
**(3.) YEAH! Sora is a HERO! He saved his sister from a certain death! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HIP-HIP-HOORAY FOR _SORA! - AND __PIGLET_, TOO!**  
**(4.) Yes, I did modify some parts of the movie's story. I only did it to make sure This World would blend well with this Story. It is not always easy doing such...**  
**(5.) Yes, Daisy IS Donald's girlfriend! In a Disney graphic novel I read a while back, Donald had a nightmare where he and Daisy got married. When he laughed about later, Daisy got offended.  
(6.) In case you didn't take note, Indigo mentioned something about her "Mom". What could THIS mean?**  
**(7.) ...I am not sure why this point is here. I have run out of things I REALLY wanted to point out.**  
**(8.) ...Why is THIS point here?**  
**(9.) Okay! OKay! Enough IS ENOUGH!**

**Oh yeah! I wanted to tell you all that the POLL on my Profile Page shall be closing upon Chapter 35's Posting. It will then be replaced by another one.**  
**In other words,... If You REALLY want to answer the POLL, NOW IS YOUR LAST CHANCE(S)!**

*********OH! And one more thing. CRUELLA'S REMARK ABOUT "'POLITICS'" IS STRICTLY HER CHARACTER'S OPINION! IT IS NOT THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR OF THIS STORY, NOR THE OPINION OF DISNEY AND/OR SQUARE ENIX!*********

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	33. Ch33 - Showdown At Crocodile Falls

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: WELL THEN, HERE IT IS! THE LAST CHAPTER FOR _THE OUTBACK_!**

**Anyways, before I let you go ahead and read, I wanted to share some Saddening news.  
Both Bernard Fox and Zsa Zsa Gabor passed away recently. I would like to take a few minutes to talk about those two.**

**In case you did not know, Bernard Fox voiced The Chairmouse [of _The Rescue Aid Society_] ****in Disney's "_The Rescuers (1977)_" and Disney's "_The Rescuers Down Under (1990)_". He was also the Doctor in ****Disney's "_The Rescuers Down Under (1990)_". On top of that, he also played (although Uncredited) Lookout Frederick Fleet in "_A Night To Remember (1958)_", Colonel Archibald Gracie in James Cameron's "_TITANIC__ (1997)_", and the bumbling Colonel Crittendon on "_HOGAN'S HEROES_". He even made appearances on other Classic Shows - including "_F-TROOP_", "_THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW_", and "_THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW_".  
Plus, he passed away on Wednesday, December 14TH, 2016 at the age of 89. Please do not tell Sora about THAT part - THAT'S HIS BIRTHDAY!  
**

**Plus, ****Zsa Zsa Gabor was Eva Gabor's sister. Like I stated at the start of Chapter 29, Eva Gabor voiced Miss Bianca in Disney's "_The Rescuers (1977)_" and Disney's "_The Rescuers Down Under (1990)_". Yet, Zsa Zsa Gabor played Miss Erika Tiffany Smith on "_Gilligan's Island_". She was 99 years old when she passed away last Sunday - Sunday, December 18TH, 2016.**

**Either way, I wanted to state how determined I am to get through Chapter 34 by the END of 2016! Please keep up those Reviews! They shall help keep This Story going!**

**By the way, I added a Flashback somewhere in Chapter 32. IF you have not read it yet, I HIGHLY Recommend reading THAT part BEFORE reading This Chapter! There are SEVERAL SCENE(S) - INCLUDING THE OPENING SCENE - THAT BUILD ON THAT STORY ARC!**

**Plus, I also added a SUMMON in This Chapter! Keep your eyes open!**

**So, without further ado, IT'S TIME TO READ ON AHEAD!  
PLEASE READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! AND PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 33**  
**Showdown At Crocodile Falls**

_The rain had finally subsided. As she put her umbrella away, Indigo looked around. She was standing on the sidewalk in a city park. Droplets of rainwater were still dripping from the nearby trees. The sky was still cloudy enough to make the day feel gloomy. It was so dark (even for the daytime), the nearby lampposts were brighter than at night._

_Indigo sighed. It would be a while before things cleared up enough for her to open her wings and take flight from this world. …And all she had wanted was to do a little exploring today._

_The angel proceeded further down the sidewalk. As she continued along, she thought she heard a car rolling by down the nearby street. Indigo halted in her steps and looked to the left. On the side of the street was a slow-moving car in the model of a Panther Deville. The vehicle was __red with black trim. The headlights and front bumper looked a little like a scowling face. The hubcaps each had a stylized "CD" on them._

_The car rolled to a stop. Indigo watched as a young woman emerged from the driver's seat. To her surprise, it was the same woman she had encountered at the department store. There was no mistaking her — mainly since her skeleton-like appearance and white hair stood out like sore thumbs._

"_Darling girl," the woman said as she approached the angel. "Whatever are you doing out here, all alone?"_

_Indigo was not sure how to reply. Deep down, she had the feeling she should be running away as hastily as she could. Still, something caused her to hold her ground. Why? What was keeping her there?_

"_I… I," Indigo hesitated in her answer. "I was out for a walk."_

_The woman crossed her arms. "In the rain? You could catch a terrible cold," she extended her hand. "Would you mind a ride to the nearest hotel?"_

_Indigo stepped back. She hoped she was doing the correct thing. The strange sensation still lingered in her heart._

_She nodded. "Alright, you can take me there."_

_The woman gave a friendly smile. She escorted Indigo back to the car. "My name is Cruella De Vil," she introduced as she opened the passenger door for the angel. "Who might you be?"_

_Indigo climbed into the vehicle. "My name is Indigo."_

_Cruella smiled all the more as she climbed in to the other side and behind the wheel. Once the two were seated, Cruella drove away. One quick look around the interior and Indigo realized there were no seatbelts. Remembering what her Mother had shown her, Indigo secretly summoned her wand to her hand. She tilted it slightly. As if by magic (which it was), a seatbelt appeared and strapped her in nice and tight._

"_**What**__?! Where'd you get that belt?"_

_Indigo hastily put her wand away when she realized Cruella was eyeing her in surprise. The angel's hands flew to the spot above her chest. "This seatbelt? It was already here."_

_Cruella slammed on the brakes. The sudden stop nearly jolted the two out of their seats. If it had not been for the seatbelt, Indigo might had banged her head against the roof. "It was not there before," the fashion designer pointed out._

_Indigo shifted her eyes straight up. She showed a large smile. Cruella eyed her with a grin of her own. "You used some kind of power," she stated._

_Indigo stared in surprise. How did the woman figure it out so fast? "Yes, I did," she admitted. "It is called 'Magic'."_

_Cruella grinned all the more. "Maybe you can help me," she said._

"_What do you need help with?"_

"_It's not easy being a fashion designer. All the good ideas have already been done. If I don't come up with something new soon, I'll be in line at the unemployment office again."_

_Indigo paused in thought. She wondered if there __**was**__ something she could do. Her Mother had told her specifically not to meddle in other worlds' stories. Yet, this was someone who it appeared __**needed**__ help, regardless of what the angel had been told._

_She looked around the car. Her eyes landed on a piece of crumpled paper on the floor beneath her feet. She reached down and scooped it up into her hand. "What is this?"_

"_One of my early designs," Cruella sighed. "Many of them I never showed. No one would __**ever**__ buy them."_

_Indigo unfolded the paper. On it was a sketch of a slender woman wearing a fur coat covered in spots. "What in the world? Is this a Dalmatian?"_

_Cruella glanced at the paper and turned away. "That's just a doodle. No one would __**ever**__ appreciate it."_

_Indigo turned to Cruella. "The more you tell yourself you are a failure, the more you shall believe it is true," she stated. She gestured to the drawing. "Yet, this is not a bad idea. I believe there is possibility in this design. You should not give up on it. Try it out! It might work."_

_Cruella gazed at the angel for a few minutes. Indigo smiled as warm and kindly as she could. If there was one thing she was good at, it was reassuring others. She __**was**_ The Angel of Hope_. It was in her title to encourage others never to give up trying to fulfill their dreams._

_Indigo handed the paper over to the fashion designer. Cruella took another look at the drawing. After a few seconds, she grinned. "I think you're right," she said. "There __**is**__ potential in this design. I will try it out first thing in the morning."_

_Indigo gave her a nod. "That is the spirit! Do not give up. Unless you try, you shall never know."_

_Cruella finally stopped outside a four-story building. Indigo unbuckled and opened the door. As she headed for the hotel, Cruella rolled down her window. "Thank you again for the help, Indigo! If this idea spreads, I'll give you equal credit!"_

_Indigo beamed with delight, knowing she had helped someone out. Yet, even as she watched Cruella leave, she still felt that same, strange sensation. It almost seemed like the world's Light was trying to warn her about something or other._

_She shrugged it off and headed inside._

* * *

_The dawn seemed to come early a few days later. Indigo yawned and stretched. As she rose from the bed, she heard a large amount of noise coming from the hallway. She listened for a moment. She could hear several voices chatting away. The sounds of newspaper ruffling could also be heard._

"_That is strange," Indigo murmured to herself. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "There is a __**lot**__ of activity for this early in the morning."_

_At that moment, a newspaper slid in from under the door. Indigo picked it up and glanced over the headline on top. She froze, realizing what it read. "__**What**__?!"_

_Her eyes swerved to the window leading outside. Since she was on the top floor of the hotel, she could see a long way. In the distance was a large, stone mansion. She frowned at it._

_She needed an explanation, and her heart was telling her where she would find one._

* * *

"Indigo? Hey, are you okay?"

Indigo snapped back into attention. She saw Sora was looking at her. She paused for a moment to sweep her eyes around. The two and Bernard were now at the edge of a cliff. Up above, the night sky was filling up with clouds. A flash of lightning lit up the surrounding landscape, revealing an odd-shaped rock formation across the river. It seemed to resemble a crocodile.

McLeach's truck was backed up against the cliff's edge. When she gazed up, Indigo saw the silhouette of a crane arm dangling over the river. She looked over to the crane's controls. McLeach was grinning through the dark night. She pointed straight at him. "Look over there!" she said.

* * *

Sora and Bernard instantly swung their attention to the crane. Tied to the hook was Cody; his arms were held down by some tightly-bound knots.

As they looked around, the three spotted Mortimer and Cruella watching from the side of the truck. Mortimer had a curvy-shaped pistol in hand; the weapon's design reminded Sora of something straight out of a cartoon.

"Are ya ready, boy?" McLeach said from the controls. "It's time you learned how to fish for crocs!"

"Ha cha cha!" Mortimer agreed. "Everyone knows they love living things."

Cruella pointed straight at Cody. "_You're_ as lively as we could find."

McLeach cackled a laugh. He hopped down from the control panel and skipped his way to a small light beacon. He hit a switch and the area was swiftly illuminated by a single beam of light. All the while, McLeach sang, "_Oh… you get a line, and I'll get a pole, matey. You get a line, I'll get a pole, __**friend**__. Oh, you get a line, I'll get a pole, we'll go fishin' at the crocodile hole, buddy, pal o' mine!_"

Sora wanted to cover his ears. To him, the villain sounded off-key. He recalled how tone-deaf Donald had been during the undersea musical back in _**Atlantica**_. _His_ voice had been filled with just too much _**QUACK**_! McLeach, on the other hand, had a mocking-style touch to his singing.

McLeach gave a loud laugh. He swung the beam of light down to the water below the cliff. Several crocodiles growled and bared their teeth as the light hit them. McLeach adjusted the light so it was now positioned straight onto Cody. He looked over all the approaching crocodiles. "That's right, babies! Suppertime!"

Sora wanted to panic. Watching a human being becoming fishing bait was a terrible sight for him to have to see. "Oh no!" he declared. "What're we gonna do?!"

Indigo swept her eyesight around the immediate area. When she saw how both Mortimer and Cruella were watching McLeach, she turned to the others. "I do not see any 'Heartless' here," she whispered. "Yet, they have left the truck unguarded. We could sneak in and shut the whole thing down."

Sora nearly wanted to slap himself in the face. Why hadn't _he_ thought of that?! All they _really_ had to do was remove the key from the villain's truck. Without it, McLeach would be unable to "feed" Cody to the crocodiles down below. It was such a simple plan, it sounded like something Goofy would have thought up.

Of course, the reason why he had probably been off his game here was due to the lack of Heartless. He was used to dealing with at least five of them all at once — if not more. It just felt weird bringing down a villain or groups of villains without a single Heartless to confront.

Bernard signaled the other two to follow him. Sora and Indigo trailed the rather large mouse to the truck. Sora carefully stepped over a few blades of grass as he reached the vehicle first. To his dismay, he had forgotten the truck was gigantic; he was still the size of a normal mouse in this world!

"Great!" he complained. "How will we get up there?"

A patch of dust got into his mouth. As he coughed, Sora turned. Indigo was busy flapping her wings. Their paper-fan-like shape was doing exactly what he would have expected.

Stirring up dust. Sora's eyes grew as a lightbulb sparked to life in his mind. "Indigo, _that's __**it**_!"

Indigo stopped moving. "What is 'it'?" she asked.

The look on her face told Sora she was bewildered. He shook his head and smiled. "You can fly us up there," he explained, pointing to the cab's open window.

Sora beamed with delight. They _**still**_ had a chance to stop McLeach, Mortimer, and Cruella before it was too late for Cody!

Indigo's hands flew to the space above her chest. She looked to the left and her fingers began fidgeting. Her antennae were drooping a little. Plus, she was not smiling.

"Huh?" Sora asked, a bit surprised. He had never seen this reaction before. Not even from Violet.

"I cannot do that," Indigo replied.

Sora shook his head. "Of course you can! Violet had to carry me _many_ times!"

"Then means Violet's wings are still in one piece," Indigo gestured to the tear in her wing. "I cannot fly straight anymore. I have not been able to fly smoothly in years."

Sora's hands flew to his face. Why hadn't he let Violet tell him more about her sister? If he had only known a torn wing could prevent an angel from flying correctly. Then again, Violet and Indigo were the _only_ angels he had ever met. When he remembered how Violet's wings had become unusable whenever they got waterlogged, he realized there must be _**lots**_ of limitations that come with the ability of flight.

Just like the Keyblade and Magic. Everything that was mysterious had its limitations.

"I hate to interrupt," Bernard spoke up. "But, we've got to hurry."

Sora and Indigo followed the mouse's pointing arm to where Cody was still on the hook. At the moment, McLeach was back at the control panel. The villainous poacher cracked his knuckles and grasped the controls. "Now, this is _my_ idea of _**fun**_!"

He jerked the controls back and forth. Cody went straight down into the water and rose back out and into the air. His hair was dripping wet and the crocodiles were eyeing him with glee.

McLeach cackled as he went on. "Nothing personal, boy, but I wouldn't want to disappoint the rangers. They was looking so hard for ya, and now… they're gonna _**find**_ _ya_!"

He jerked the controls forward. Cody headed straight for the water. Both Mortimer and Cruella watched with anticipation.

"Let's keep moving!" Sora declared. "We're wasting time!"

Bernard nodded. "Let's get inside!"

Indigo gave a nod and bent down. In one enormous leap, she was airborne. As she circled the air for a few seconds, Sora took note of how she was wobbling here and there. He gave a nod, now knowing what the angel had meant. If she had tried to bring them into the truck, she would have lost control and crash-landed.

Indigo managed to straighten her flight pattern enough to soar through the open window in the door. She swooped over to the door's handle and stomped on it with all her energy. The door clicked and flew open. Sora and Bernard watched as Indigo grabbed a piece of shoelace from the floor of the cab and tossed it down to them. Sora and Bernard nodded and hastily climbed up.

As Cody headed for the water once more, Amemi wanted to scream. She held her hands over her mouth. She looked to the right. Donald was pressed against the cage by Goofy and Launchpad. All three of them were trying to peer out through the bars to see what was happening.

Jake and Bianca were on the other side. Marahute screeched in alarm.

"It don't look good, Miss B," Jake said. "I can't see any way out of this one."

Bianca looked deeply concerned. The last time Amemi had such a reaction was the last time she had seen the show, "_**Green Acres**_". Lisa Douglas had always had a similar look on her face whenever she was worried about Oliver. Fortunately, that hardly ever had happened. Lisa had been the most unrealistic character in that show… at least, as far as Amemi was concerned.

"Oh, Bernard," Bianca said as she looked up into the sky. "Please hurry!"

Amemi watched in shock as the hook carrying the tied Cody dropped lower, lower, lower to the river. From her perspective, there was nothing anybody could do now. Unless Sora, Bernard, and Indigo suddenly showed up, it would be all over for the golden-haired boy.

All at once, the crane stopped. Cody was left dangling several feet above the waiting crocodiles. Then, the searchlight's beam faded and went out. Marahute screeched once more.

Amemi was taken by complete surprise. What had just taken place? Where had the power gone? This did not make any sense. Unless, the Electricity Monster had somehow gotten here. She quickly denied _that_ explanation. After all, that creature only existed in "_**WordGirl**_".

She looked over to the crane's controls. McLeach was moving them over and over. Nothing happened. "What the blazes' going on here?" he said aloud.

"Can we get this over with?!" Cruella snapped from below.

Mortimer shifted his eyes to the right. "I see a pig's tracks!"

McLeach's eyes grew with realization. This sight made Amemi gulp. She hated such a look in the eyes on an evildoer.

McLeach gave a smirked grin. "Joanna?" he said in a friendly-sounding voice. In a flash, the salamander scurried over. "Did you know, there was a razorback in my truck?" he asked.

"What's a 'razorback'?" Mortimer inquired. No answer was returned.

Joanna nodded to McLeach as the poacher climbed down until he was eye level with his pet. "Did ya? Did ya?"

Joanna hastily gulped and shook her head no. McLeach scowled harshly at the salamander. "There was a _**razorback**_ in my truck!" he yelled. He grabbed the animal's mouth and held it firmly. "Now, you quit playing around and _do_ your job, you four-legged python!"

Joanna scampered away to patrol the area. Mortimer grumbled as he rolled her eyes and folded his arms. "Why don't ya just give that animal up?" he stated. "She's the _**worst**_ guard I've ever seen!"

McLeach paid the tall mouse no mind. Cruella's arms flew to her sides like she was pouting. One look at the former fashion designer, and Amemi could tell Cruella did not approve of McLeach's ignorance either. Deep down, the sandy-haired girl had the feeling she and the others were about to watch a mutiny against the poacher.

* * *

McLeach climbed down to the cab. He bent over and looked around inside. Like he had anticipated, his key was not in the ignition anymore. The cab seemed lifeless. There was no trace of any living thing having been inside since the group of villains had arrived. "Hey, what happened to them keys?" he muttered to himself.

He shifted his arms along the floor. "Must be around here somewhere. They couldn't just get up and walk away."

He took a sniff of the air. He frowned. "Something weirds going on around here…. I small a big, fat rat."

He searched the entire cab and found no trace of the keys. Climbing back out, the poacher turned to the other two.

"No luck?" Mortimer asked.

McLeach gave a sneaky grin. Cruella knew that look. She had seen the poacher use it before. The villain removed his overcoat and placed it into the cab. He reached into the truck and pulled out his shotgun. "Well, there's more than one way to skin a cat," he laughed as he checked to see if his weapon was loaded.

Cruella raised an eyebrow. She had the feeling it was almost time to act against this man….

* * *

Sora released a breath he had just realized he'd been holding. When McLeach and felt around inside the truck, he had feared the villain would find their hiding place. When Indigo had noticed McLeach, Cruella, and Mortimer approaching the cab, the angel had tossed the keys down to Bernard. Sora had swept his eyes around the immediate area and spotted a hiding place — the space beneath the gas pedal. Although he wasn't sure it was the _best_ place to hide, there was not enough time to search for another one.

Now that McLeach had seemingly given up trying to find his set of keys, the brown-haired youth accompanied the angel and Bernard down through a small gap in the floor behind the pedal. After sliding down a set of colored wires, the three landed upon the ground. Well, at least _two_ of them did. Indigo had descended from above by gliding gently through the air. Her flight pattern had resembled a paper airplane spiraling downwards.

Even so, she landed so gracefully, it reminded Sora of a dream. That caused him to recall Violet's calm descents. He figured this must be the case for all angels — even if their wings were damaged.

As he slid down the wires, Bernard hit a slight bump. The keys slipped from his grasp and clattered into the ground below. Acting swiftly, the mouse hopped off the wire and scooped up the keys himself. Sora was on the ground moments later. Indigo approached the two and gestured to the right. Sora looked up ahead. He could see the cliff's edge in the distance. McLeach's boots, Cruella's shoes, and Mortimer feet could be seen heading in said direction.

Sora had to shake his head. "You could've said which way out loud," he teased.

Indigo folded her arms. "Sometimes, I like pointing instead," she replied. A second later, it appeared a lightbulb had been lit inside her mind; a smile formed on her face. "Do you know any 'Sign Language', Sora?"

Sora stared at the angel. "Huh?"

This was the last thing he had expected to hear in this conversation. Was Indigo trying to get them sidetracked? Or was she just trying to understand the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder better? True, the two had just met a few chapters ago. Their friendship had just begun. All he knew about Indigo was she was Violet's sister, got excited easily, probably was a little shy, was fascinated about the unknown (like _he_ was), and she seemed self-determined. Plus, she could not fly straight and smooth thanks to her torn wing. Deep down, he was starting to question how she had damaged her wing in the first place. He had seen seagulls with bent or torn wings before. However, this was the first time he'd heard of such an occurrence with an angel.

Ever since he had met Violet in the _Realm of Sleep_, Sora had been forced to reconsider everything he'd ever been told when it came to angels.

Sora felt something slimy and sticky against his back. He glanced back over his shoulder. To his shock and alarm, there was a massive, greenish-blue salamander behind him; the animal was glaring at the young man.

"_**Run**_!" he yelled to the other two.

One look at the hungry-looking salamander and Indigo leapt into the air. She glided away as swiftly (and silently) as she could. Bernard and Sora ran straight under the truck. The animal followed. As they ran, Sora felt annoyed. This was the _second_ time he had fled from a larger foe during this quest. The first time had been when he and Amemi had been forced to outrun the Wargoyle Heartless in _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_. Now, here he was, trying to evade a giant salamander. He wondered how many more times he would be forced to get away from a larger-than-normal opponent.

Well, he was _**not**_ about to let _this_ time count! The brown-haired youth skidded to a stop and whirled around to face the salamander. He glared at the laughing animal. With a flash of Light, Sora's Keyblade appeared in his hand. Just as the salamander was about to pounce on him and Bernard, Sora swung his weapon. The blade clanged as it rammed into the salamander's head. With the creature stunned, Sora and Bernard seized the opportunity to run away.

Before long, the two reached the other side of the truck. They raced out into the open. They swung their eyes around, looking for any sign of any Heartless. To Sora's relief — and disappointment — there were none.

"Look, it's _Bernard_!" a familiar voice called from above.

"And _Sora_!" another added.

Sora and Bernard looked at each other for a moment. The two turned around and gazed straight up. Peering through the bars of the cage were Bianca, Jake, Marahute (the eagle), Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad.

"I don't believe it," Jake said in surprise. He smiled and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Way to go, mates!"

"Sora! You're safe!" Goofy pinpointed.

Donald scowled at the knight. "Of _course_ he is!"

Launchpad gave the sign for "Okay". "Way to go, lil' buddy!" he declared loudly and proudly.

Sora and Amemi's eyes met. From where he stood, Sora could see the Hope in his sister's eyes. For a brief second, he thought he could feel a strong Light passing through his heart. It felt so warm and inviting, he wished he could stay with it for all time. It reminded him of a hot, sunny, Summer day at the beach. The sound of the waves was one thing he had looked forward to hearing every day — even during the school year.

Yet, here in the outside world(s), the lack of the waves often made it difficult for him to fall asleep at times. He missed his home so much. Hopefully, he would hear those waves again in time for Christmas.

When he started to question where this sensation had originated, it vanished. Sora's mind returned back to reality. He paused for a moment, wondering where he'd been for the past few minutes. Had it been that long? He wasn't sure. He was terrible when it came to keeping track of time.

"Sora, use your Keyblade!"

Sora shot his eyes straight up. There was Indigo, hovering in the air. She was pointing straight at the cage's lock. Sora gave a nod, knowing what the angel was referring to. He raised his Keyblade and pointed it straight at the lock. Any second now, a beam of Light would form on the weapon's tip and shine out straight into that lock.

Nothing happened.

Sora was astounded. Why wasn't the Keyblade working? He looked closely at the blade. He thought back to the last time this had taken place. In the palace back in Atlantis. He had tried to seal the world's Keyhole, only to have his Keyblade fail. He was completely perplexed. Why had this happened? And this was the _second _time, too!

Now that he was thinking about it, there _had_ been a massive amount of Darkness in the Atlantean palace. The Heartless soldiers, Rourke, Helga, and… Isa had been there. He wondered if Xehanort had anything to do with it. It was possible the villain had done something to Sora after all. Maybe Goofy had been correct.

Maybe Xehanort _had_ implanted Darkness into his heart back in the dreams. Except that didn't exactly make total sense. For starters, Goofy wasn't the smartest member of their team. He wasn't the dumbest, either. He was somewhere in the middle. In fact, Sora himself sometimes considered himself to be the least intelligent member of the group.

Then, there was the fact Sora did not feel any different. True, there were those times where he had possessed atypical powers. But that was just what happened to anyone using the Keyblade. He recalled how often his Antiform had taken control when he'd been trying to bring down Organization XIII nearly one year ago.

Still, none of this could explain why his Keyblade was not working properly. _**What**_ was _**going on**_?!

"Miss Bianca, Jake, _**catch**_!" Bernard shouted, breaking Sora away from his train-of-thought. The mouse tossed the keys into the air. Jake reached for them at a higher point in the bars. When he missed, Donald snatched them near the bottom. The keys slipped from his hands and fell lower. Just as the keys were about to fall out of reach, Amemi and Bianca reached through the bars at the same time. The keyring slipped into their waiting hands.

The mouse and the sandy-haired girl smiled and carefully worked the keys upward. Sora gave a sigh of relief. For a moment, he was fearing they would have to throw the keys back up a second time.

A soft growl came from underneath the truck. Sora and Bernard swerved their attention towards it. There was the salamander. The animal was racing for them. The two turned and ran for it. Just as Sora was gaining ground, he felt a sparkle of magic fall upon his shoulders. As he looked around, he noticed the grass was getting smaller. Before he knew it, he was much taller and larger than he'd been moments before.

He slid to a halt and took a few seconds to observe his new surroundings. He was about his normal size back home — at least, compared to the size of the grass blades and Bernard (a mouse). "Did I just…. "

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Indigo slowly descending from above. To his surprise, she was about the same size she'd been when he'd first found her behind the couch. Even though she was still about 10 inches shorter than him, Sora had to look up when he faced her; the angel was hovering a few inches off the ground.

"I used my magic to make you bigger," Indigo explained. She gestured to her right (Sora's left). "Now, we can stop them."

Sora shifted his eyesight into the direction the angel was referring to. There were Mortimer and Cruella. The two seemed frozen in astonishment. Their mouths were wide and their eyes were huge. In a flash, Sora readied his Keyblade into his fighting stance. He glared at the two villains.

Mortimer frowned. "_**Hey**_! Where'd ya both come from?!"

Cruella looked less pleased. She pointed straight at Indigo. "She's the fool who ruined my hair — _**and**_ my life!"

Sora stopped glaring. What was Cruella talking about? He slowly turned his eyes to Indigo. "Indigo?" he said. "Did something happen with you and her?"

Indigo gave a deep sigh. "Yes," she confessed, looking down at the ground. Her necklace's charm started to glow brightly. Before Sora could say anything about it, a beam of Light shot out from the charm and a projection formed in the sky. In it, an image appeared, showing Indigo strolling down the hallway of a mansion.

* * *

_Indigo strolled down the corridor. As she reached the last room, she peered through the cracked-open doorway. Inside, she saw Cruella sitting on her bed. In one hand, she had a newspaper. In the other, she was holding a long, pointy stick with smoke coming off it._

_Indigo's eyes remained fixed on the woman. Her white hair seemed to blend into the paint on the walls of the room. _

"'Dognapping_'," the angel heard Cruella read. "Can you __**imagine**__ such a thing? '_Puppies stolen_'."_

_The fashion designer paused as she looked over the page. She grinned. "They are __**darling**__, little things. Anita… and her __**bashful**__ Beethoven! __**Pipe**__ and all!"_

_She laughed in such a way, Indigo nearly wanted to cringe with fear. This laugh made her think of a chuckling hyena._

_At once, the telephone rang. Cruella picked it up. Although Indigo could easily hear what the fashion designer was saying, her antennae were tuning in to the voice on the other end of the line._

"_Hello?" Cruella asked into the receiver. Indigo detected a man's voice at the other end of the line. Cruella frowned. "Jasper, you idiot! How __**dare**__ you call here."_

"_We don't want no more of this!" declared the voice on the other end. "We want our boodle! We'll settle for half!"_

"_Not one schilling 'til the job's done."_

"_Jasper! Jasper!" another man's voice said from the other end. Indigo was startled. Were there two men on the other end of the telephone call? "It's in the blinkin' papers — __**pictures**__ and all!"_

"_**Hang**__ the papers!" the first man said to the second. "It'll be forgotten tomorrow."_

"_I don't like it."_

"_**Shut up**__, you idiot!"_

_Cruella leapt to her feet. Her eyes grew wide and her frown shifted to a scowl. "_**What**_?!"_

"_Not you, Miss," the first man said on the other end. "I mean Horace!"_

"_Why, you _**imbecile**_!" Cruella snarled into the telephone. She slammed the receiver down onto its stand._

_Indigo gasped. Her worst fears had proven true. She pushed the door open and strolled into the room. Cruella's eyes whirled to the angel. She gave a friendly grin. "Indigo, darling!" she said in a friendly tone-of-voice. "What brings you to my home?"_

_Indigo was not smiling. "I know you have something to do with this," she stated. She held up the newspaper in her hand. The instant Cruella saw the headline, she shrugged and grinned all the more. Indigo folded her arms. "Are you going to explain what __**this**__ is all about, Cruella?"_

_Cruella reached onto her bed. Indigo watched as the woman scooped up a large, fur coat and pulled it over her shoulders. One look at the outfit, and Indigo nearly wanted to jump through the ceiling. "That design," she said. "It is exactly like the one you showed me — the Dalmatian-design!"_

"_Yes, it is," Cruella approved. She started to move in a slow spin. "Isn't it just the __**loveliest**__ thing you've ever seen?"_

_Indigo did not respond. She started to tap her left foot. When she took note of this reaction, Cruella turned to face her. She reached out her hand and gently placed it against the angel's chin. "And it's all thanks to you, dear."_

_Indigo jerked back. "No way! You are lying! I _**never**_ told you to kill innocent animals!"_

"_But, if you hadn't come along, I __**never**__ would have so many orders. If this keeps up, I'll be able rich enough to retire in a few weeks. You've made me a wealthy, happy woman."_

_Indigo shook her head. "_**Stop**_ trying to trick me!"_

_Cruella frowned. "__**Get out**__! You and I are _**through**_!"_

_Indigo summoned her mystical wand. "I am not leaving until __**after**__ I stop you from hurting innocent animals!"_

_Cruella grabbed her purse from a nearby table and swung it at the angel. Indigo jumped into the air. In one swift movement, her wings appeared and helped her step airborne. Cruella swung at Indigo again. The purse struck the angel's side, knocking her off balance. Indigo went spiraling straight into a nearby table. The table toppled over, sending a container of ink flying through the air. The container's contents splashed all over Cruella's hair._

_When Indigo looked again, Cruella's hair was now half white and half black. The angel gulped, realizing the ink was permanent; there was no way Cruella would __**ever**__ get it out._

_Cruella reached for a small, silver handgun on her nightstand. Fearing the worst, Indigo waved her wand at the fashion designer. Cruella grabbed the weapon and pointed it straight at the angel. "Say 'Goodnight', you _**idiot**_!" Cruella barked as she squeezed the trigger._

**CLICK!**

_Nothing happened. Cruella stared at the weapon in surprise. She squeezed the trigger a second time. Recalling how she had kept the weapon clean and loaded at all times (in anticipation of an event like this one), her eyes landed onto the angel rising from the floor beside the now-sideways table. She glared with such intensity, her body seemed to glow an ominous color._

"_What have you __**done**__?!" she snarled._

"_A '_Pacifist_' spell," Indigo replied. She grabbed the table's side and pulled herself back to her feet. "Now, you cannot kill another living creature."_

_Cruella was outraged. "Get __**out**__ of my mansion before I summon Scotland Yard!" she hollered._

_Indigo swept her eyes around the room. Spotting the windows on the wall behind her, she turned and raced for them. Cruella seized her purse and gave chase. Indigo reached the window first. When she tried to open it, the angel realized the window was locked tight. Knowing there was no time to tamper with it, Indigo glanced back. Cruella was almost upon her._

"**Yikes**_!" Indigo ducked down as the fashion designer swung her purse. The bag smashed against the glass panes, shattering the window and its interior frame in a matter of seconds. Pieces flew all over the floor. Seeing the gap in the window was just large enough for her to climb through, Indigo flapped her wings and soared through._

_A sharp pain crossed her mind. Indigo was now outside, flying through the clear, nightly air. As the pain started to transition into agony, she lost her balance and tumbled out of the sky. Down she went for a crash-landing on the grass outside the mansion. Indigo quickly rose to her feet. When she looked over her body, she realized the terrible truth._

_A shard of glass had badly torn her right wing. Her speedy movement through the window had only made it worse. The tear was triangularly shaped. She knelt in the grass, knowing it would take a while for her wing to heal._

_Until then, she was grounded. She had the feeling she would never be able to fly straight and smooth like her Mother could ever again._

* * *

As the image blurred and the projection ended, Sora was so astounded, he did not know exactly where to start. So, _that_ was how Indigo's wing had been damaged? By flying through a broken window? The thought of an angel tearing her wing so she could escape someone evil was a terrible thought for him.

He understood how Indigo must be feeling, having to witness this again. Apparently, she had told Cruella some advice, only to have the wretched woman twist it to her advantage. Although the Keyblader had no clue what Cruella had been up to back then, he _did_ know it was not Indigo's fault. Cruella was clearly a deceptive, underhanded villainess who wanted to harm innocent animals.

Fortunately, thanks to Indigo's spell, the former fashion designer would never hurt another living thing. In fact, thanks to learning about what had happened, Sora knew Cruella was defenseless. There was no reason for him to be afraid of her. That meant, he _really_ only needed to deal with Mortimer.

Mortimer grinned, having watched the display himself. "Ha cha cha!" he laughed, gazing at Cruella. "Ya was a terrible fashion designer, weren't cha?"

Cruella glared at the tall mouse. "_Shut_ _**up**_, fool!"

"Oh! I see! Ya fooled Maleficent so's ya could join us, is that it?"

Cruella swung her purse at the mouse. "I told you to '_Shut __**up**_', _you_ _**idiot**_!"

The large, red purse slammed into Mortimer's long snout. The mouse stumbled backwards and crashed down into the grass. "_All __**right**_!" he snarled, rising back to his feet. He reached into his pockets and drew two curved pistols. One was silver and the other was golden. "If that's the way ya wanna play, _it's_ _**on**_, _**toots**_!"

Before Sora could act, Mortimer and Cruella were engaged in quite the brawl. Over and over, Mortimer fired his pistols at the woman. Cruella repeatedly swung her purse at him. Each time, the other dodged the attack and launched one of their own. It seemed this skirmish could take hours, if not days.

Sora turned to Indigo. The angel had fallen to her knees. Her face was buried in her hands. From what the brown, spikey-headed Keyblader could see, Indigo was crying into her hands. At least, he presumed she was crying. He'd seen Violet do the same thing once more — back at the docks in _**Corona**_.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

"Now, you know the truth," Indigo gave a deep sigh. "If I had not made that stupid suggestion…. "

Sora placed his free hand onto the angel's shoulder. "Hey, hey, where's your spirit? You were so excited and hyper when we first met you."

Indigo jerked her head towards the young man. Sora nodded. "Don't you remember?" he added with a smile. "You kept flipping through the air and yelling 'Yippee'. You're nothing like Violet. You're fun, and silly — just like me!"

Indigo had to smile. "Sora, you are correct. The two of us are _mostly_ the same. Yet, _I_ am a little more careful, and you are always being careless."

"Yeah, well, can't win them all, right?"

Indigo shook her head. "You shall never win _any_ of them. Your naïve side shall always take over."

"Was that a _curse_?"

"_No_ _way_! It was an _observation_. See? My wand is not out."

Indigo held up her hands. As he grinned and nodded, Sora had to admit, this was something he had been missing for quite a while. When was the last time he had taken the time to mess around with a friend? It did not matter if that friend was a girl. He enjoyed spending time with _all_ of his friends.

The two shook hands. "Let's finish this quest, together," Indigo said.

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah, you know it."

"_**What**_?! Look at _**this**_, toots?"

Sora and Indigo swerved their attention straight ahead. Mortimer and Cruella had stopped fighting each other and turned their focus to the Keyblade wielder and the angel. "I sense a romance startin' here," Mortimer remarked.

Sora swiftly waved his hands in front of his face. "No way!"

Cruella's grin became more sinister. "Then, what are you doing with '_That-__Girl_'?"

Sora scowled. "_**Cut**_ it out! I _**don't**_ have a girlfriend!"

"Sora," Indigo started to say. "Be _careful_! They are trying to trick you!"

Sora's Keyblade was positioned for a battle in a heartbeat. Mortimer chuckled. "Looks like this kid's gotta sore heart," he mocked. "At least _I've_ still got that queen wrapped nicely around my finger."

"_**Shut up**_!" Sora yelled in anger. He rushed at the tall mouse. Mortimer pointed one of his pistols at the approaching seventeen-year-old. He fired one full round. Sora easily dodged them and slapped his Keyblade against the villain's right hand. The silver pistol went flying through the air and clattered onto the ground several feet away.

Mortimer clobbered Sora's head with his other pistol. "Take _**that**_, scum!"

Sora did not flinch. Instead, something strange seemed to happen to him. Before anyone could react, Sora's eyes turned a dark shade of amber. Mortimer gasped in alarm. "Why, you're nothin' more than—!"

"Shut up!" Sora yelled. He sliced his Keyblade in a sideways arc. The blade knocked the other pistol out of Mortimer's other hand. Sora jumped and kicked the villain back onto the ground. As Mortimer tried to stand up, the Keyblader stomped down onto the former's chest. He pointed his weapon straight at the tall mouse's face.

"Give it a rest, will ya?" Mortimer pleaded. Drops of sweat started to slide down his face.

Cruella charged over. "I'll teach ya a lesson, you idiot!"

Sora looked up just in time to have Cruella's purse swing at him. The impact of the collision sent the young man flying back onto the ground, a few feet away from where Mortimer lay. Sora was not moving.

"_**Sora**_!" Indigo rushed over to him. She knelt down and grabbed the young man's shoulder. "Sora, _wake_ _up_! _**Please**_ wake up!"

Sora was still not moving. Indigo looked down into the young man's closed eyelids. Fearing the worse, she closed her own eyes. A tear slid down her face. It dripped off her cheek and splashed onto the spikey-haired teenager's face.

There was a soft groan. Indigo reopened her eyes. Sora's eyes slowly opened and he sat up. He rubbed the back of his head and looked all around. "What just…. "

He turned around. "Indigo?"

Indigo looked straight at the young man. A large, friendly smile formed upon her face. "Sora! You are alright!"

Sora rose to his feet. "Yeah! Why wouldn't I be?"

"You attacked Mortimer and Cruella."

"I… did?"

Indigo gave a nod. She froze. "Wait a second! You do not remember nearly stabbing Mortimer?"

Sora looked down at his Keyblade. The weapon felt hotter than usual. Recalling how warm this weapon had felt when he'd conducted battle against Judge Frollo on the rooftop of the cathedral of Notré Dame, he gave a deep sigh. He had lost control of himself, again.

Then again, maybe this was all that stupid Antiform's fault. Perhaps _that_ was why he was acting all strange. His darker self _had_ tried to take control of him many times before. Maybe this time, it was trying to go all out.

Of course, that still did not explain why he felt very little difference whenever his friends told him something weird was going on. Whatever the case, maybe now was not the best time to ponder about it. Cody was _still_ in danger, and he still had to help Bernard and Bianca save him.

"I… I don't know what happened," Sora sighed.

Indigo put her hand on his shoulder. "You lost your spirit, Sora," she told him. "It is like you said, I need to keep fighting. I cannot give up — and neither can you!"

Sora gave a nod. Indigo was correct. He could _**not**_ give up — no matter what took place! The worlds were counting on him to save them from the Heartless in time for Christmas. He was _**not**_ going to let them down! He'd already saved Atlantis from a greedy commander, prevented a war between two groups of people, brought an end to the injustice in an entire city, stopped a "'mad scientist'" from taking over a world, and restored the True Christmas Spirit to a whole castle. Now, here he was, trying to save a young boy from the clutches of a poacher, an ex-fashion designer, and Mortimer Mouse.

He was _**not**_ about to give up — _**not**_ at all!

Sora readied his Keyblade once more. He glared at Mortimer and Cruella. "You two are going _down_ — and not so badly this time!"

Mortimer had just finished retrieving his pistols. "Ha cha cha!" he laughed. "Ya wanna try for round two?"

"Be our guest," Cruella added.

Sora was about to rush over when Indigo grabbed his arm. "Sora, did you already forget what I told you?"

Sora wanted to slap himself in the face. He could just rush in and do battle. What if his Antiform kicked in again? He needed to find another way to stop these two.

As he sighed deeply, something fell out of his pocket. Sora paused to pick it up. "What's this?"

Indigo took a moment to eye the object. It was a two-sided trinket. One side contained a shiny, golden star. The other resembled a jet-pack with some white and green colors. The angel's antennae started to jerk around. "It must be a Summon Charm," she realized.

Knowing what he was holding, Sora gave a nod of understanding. He recalled the last two Summon Charms he'd used. The first one had summoned that tiny girl, Joy. The next had brought Hercules into the fight. He wondered who _this_ one was supposed to be.

He held the charm up high. "_**Come out**_!" he shouted.

There was a brilliant flash of Light. When it finally faded out, Sora was startled. Standing before him were two figures.

One of them was a slender cowboy doll with brown, "plastic" hair and eyes, fair "plastic" skin, rosy cheeks, and thin brown eyebrows. His outfit consisted of a yellow shirt with red square outlines, brown, "plastic" cowboy boots, gold, "plastic" spurs on both sides of his boots, a brown, "plastic" holster, a white vest with black cow spots, a red bandanna, blue jeans, a brown, "plastic" belt with a gold buckle, and a brown, "plastic" cowboy hat with a triangle-shaped brim. He also had a couple white buttons vertically on his chest and matching cuff-links on both his cuffs. One look at the gold, "plastic" star-shaped badge with small spheres on each tip and the word "_**SHERIFF**_" on the center, Sora realized this figure was a sheriff.

The other was a slender, space-age, muscular action figure in a lime-green-and-white spacesuit. He had three, oval-shaped buttons — one red, one green, one blue — positioned on his torso. There was a clear, bubble-shaped sun-helmet on his head with purple buttons on the sides. On his back was a jetpack.

Sora was a bit surprised. These two resembled toys — just like the ones he used to play with years ago. The only question left was… who were they? "Who are you two?" he asked.

"Sheriff Woody," the cowboy announced.

"I'm Buzz Lightyear," the spaceman declared. "I come in peace."

Sora gave a nod. "I'm Sora," he gestured to Indigo. "This is Indigo."

"What seems to be the trouble?" Buzz asked.

Indigo pointed the other way. "We need to get past _those_ two."

Woody and Buzz spun around. One look from behind and Sora saw Woody also had a pull string on his back with a white loop attached to it.

Mortimer and Cruella looked pleased. "Now, _this_ should be interesting," the latter commented.

"Ya can't handle us," Mortimer indicated. "So, ya called out for help. Ha cha cha! Wait 'til Maleficent hears about _this_!"

"Leave it to us," a determined Woody declared.

Buzz pressed a large, red button on his spacesuit. A pair of purple, pop-out wings appeared out the sides of his jetpack. The wings were decorated with red and white stripes. The tips were flashing like the wings of an airplane.

In a loud voice, Buzz proclaimed, "To _infinity_ — _**and**_ _**beyond**_!"

In no time, the two were in a heated fight between Mortimer and Cruella. Woody grabbed his pull-string and swung it around and around like it was a lasso. He snatched Cruella with it and pulled tight. "Looks like you've got a date with _**justice**_!" he declared.

As he watched Buzz fire his laser into Mortimer's eyes, Sora felt relieved. At least the way to McLeach was wide open. Now, he and Indigo could stop the villainous poacher before any harm came to Cody.

The sound of a gunshot echoed through the air. It was quickly followed by Marahute screeching in panic. Sora and Indigo nearly jumped in alarm. Their eyes flew around to the side of the cliff. There was a frustrated McLeach desperately trying to reload his shotgun. "_**Blasted**_!" he sneered at the weapon.

Sora had to roll his eyes. This was the type of reaction he expected from someone like Pete. Usually, the large cat-man would get so flustered over trying to stop him, he would summon extreme amounts of Heartless. Still, even _that_ was never enough. In the end, it always came down to Pete vowing revenge and running away.

Except McLeach was standing his ground. A moment later, he had his weapon armed and at the ready. He pointed it straight at the rope connected to the crane's hook.

Sora and Indigo gasped. "_**Yikes**_!" the angel declared.

Sora readied his Keyblade. "_**C'mon**_!"

"Oh my _gosh_!" a voice called out from a nearby tree stump. Sora and Indigo watched as Bernard poked his head out of the stump. That was when Sora saw the salamander was nowhere in sight. Bernard hopped out of the stump and ran in the direction of the truck. "I hope I know what I'm doing," he said aloud.

"_Bernard_! Come _**back**_!" Sora called out.

Indigo grabbed his arm. "Not _**now**_, Sora!" she shouted. She pointed to McLeach. "We have to _**stop**_ him!"

At that exact second, McLeach's finger squeezed the trigger all the way. The gun fired. The bullet went clear through the rope, severing most of it. The villain gave a sinister chuckle as he positioned his weapon to shoot the rope once and for all.

Sora gave a quick nod. There was not a moment to lose. If McLeach had ample time to fire again, Cody would fall into the crocodile-infested river. There would be no saving him from there.

Sora and Indigo raced over. "Give it up, McLeach!" Sora hollered. "_You're_ going _**down**_!"

McLeach glanced back for a moment. He rolled his eyes and returned his eyes to Cody. Knowing they couldn't let McLeach get away, Sora decided there was only one thing left to do. He _had_ to shove the gun out of the villain's hands.

"Sora!" Indigo shouted. "Look out!"

Sora whirled around in time to see Bernard hurrying over with the salamander in hot pursuit. Just as the salamander rushed past, Sora hopped to one side. Bernard stopped short of McLeach. The salamander pounced. Bernard dashed over to Sora. The salamander landed onto the poacher.

"Hey, _**get**_ off me!" McLeach hollered as the salamander tackled him. "_**Joanna**_! _**What**_ are ya…. ?!"

Bernard pointed to McLeach's teetering foot. Sora gave a nod. He reached his Keyblade out as far as he could. The blade was long enough for him to nudge the poacher over the edge. Down, down, down went McLeach and the salamander.

_**SPLASH!**_

"_**Yes**_!" Sora declared with pride. McLeach and his pet had been taken care of. They no longer posed a threat to Cody, let alone the eagle, Bianca, and the others.

"How _**dare**_ you try to win!"

Indigo spun around. "Sora! _Look __**out**_!"

Sora turned in time to see Cruella charged for him, purse in hand. Behind her, he could see Woody all wound up by his own pull-string.

"Woah!" Sora yelped. He hastily ducked. Just as Cruella was about to smack him in the face, Indigo reached out her right leg and tripped the former fashion designer. The villainess lost her step and tumbled over the edge.

_**SPLASH!**_

Sora looked down into the waterway below. There they were, McLeach and Cruella, struggling to stay afloat in the river. All it took was one look for him to mutter, "Man! Talk about two for the prince of one!"

Sora froze. Had he just said something Launchpad might have said in this type of situation?

* * *

The river seemed to be moving at a steady pace. All the crocodiles kept their eyes on the tied, golden-haired boy dangling in the air just above them. Each time one of them tried to jump from the water to snatch the prey, they missed. The boy was just out of their reach.

They just needed to wait until they had the opportunity to get their teeth on the prize.

Some splashing from close by drew their focus. The crocodiles all swung their eyes further down the river. There were two figures struggling to stay afloat in the water.

McLeach and Cruella, with Joanna clambering on the former's shoulders.

"_Joanna_!" McLeach snarled. "_Joanna_! You _**stupid**_ rodent! _Get_ _**off**_ me! You _**idiot**_! _**Get**_ _**off**_ of me!"

Cruella was dragged under for a moment. When she resurfaced, the former fashion designer spat out the water she'd collected in her mouth. "This world is _**so**_ disgusting!"

She shoved her hair out of her eyes in time to see the crocodiles were nearly upon her and McLeach. When Joanna saw the predators bearing down, the salamander hastily hopped off McLeach's shoulders and swam to the nearest riverbank.

By this time, the crocodiles were baring their jaws of razor-sharp teeth at the villain and villainess.

"_No_! _No_!" McLeach yelled as he began beating away at the carnivores with his shotgun.

Cruella banged her purse against a crocodile's head. "You _stay away_, you _**fools**_!"

Up on the cliff, Mortimer was watching the entire scene. A sneaky grin formed on his face. Once those two were out of the picture, nothing would stop him from becoming Maleficent's favorite follower. He would be able to replace that idiotic Pete.

All he had to do now was take over this world with the Heartless — and he needed to do it all on his own.

A laser nearly sliced his gloved hand off. The tall mouse whirled around. The two larger-than-life toys were closing in rapidly. The cowboy was swinging his pull-string around and around over and over again.

"Reach for the sky!" the cowboy declared.

Mortimer glared with such intensity, it seemed his eyes were ablaze with pure Darkness. "I'm outta here!"

He reached out behind him. A dark portal appeared. He saluted in the direction of where Sora was charging at him, Keyblade in hand. "So long, chums!" he scoffed.

Without another word, the tall mouse headed into the portal and out of sight. The dark portal sealed up just after him.

* * *

As he watched the dark portal close up, Sora slid to a stop in his tracks. He gave a deep sigh. Mortimer had escaped. Oh well! At least he was no longer causing mayhem in _this_ world! With McLeach and Cruella stranded in the river, he knew the three evildoers had fallen. They would not be using the Heartless to take over this world… given that was what they had had in mind. He wondered just what was going on. Why hadn't those three used the Heartless more often? Were they afraid of the creatures for a change?

Or was Xehanort's Organization taking control of the monsters, again? He recalled how Saïx had revealed the Heartless would side with whomever was the strongest when it came to the Darkness. …Was that the case here? Or not?

Woody and Buzz both approached the brown-haired young man. When they saluted, Sora did the same. "The situation has been resolved," Buzz declared.

"Call us when you need help again," Woody added.

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah, you know it!"

Without another word, the two toys disappeared in a flash of brilliant Light. Realizing the Summon Charm was back in his hand once more, Sora calmly put it away. He smiled, knowing he had even more hearts connected to him than he could see in person. All those lives he was protecting by using his Keyblade.

He turned his eyes to the weapon. He gave a nod, knowing this very key had not chosen him directly. Instead, the Keyblade had chosen his friends. Since he was the one connected to them all, that was where his power came from.

Just like he had declared to Riku and Xigbar. His friends truly _were_ his power. That also meant he was theirs.

"_**Sora**_!"

Sora spun around in time to see Indigo soaring over to him. Even though she was a few feet off the ground, the angel's flight pattern was still very wobbly. "What is it?" he asked.

"Cody has fallen into the river," the angel explained.

Sora's eyes immediately grew wide. He swung his head around. The rope attached to the crane had snapped. Although he knew the crocodiles were no longer going to be much of a threat, Sora _did_ know Cody's hands were still tied behind his back. He would not be able to swim to the surface.

Sora started for the Cliffside. "Then, _c'mon_! Let's _**hurry**_!"

Indigo gave a nod in return. She carefully stepped to the edge of the cliff. The second she saw the water moving down below, she halted. She gulped, recalling her lack of ability to swim. That was one skill an angel was unable to learn. Wet wings were heavy, and they could drag an angel down with speed.

She stepped back from the edge. "I cannot dive in there."

Sora stopped and turned in her direction. "What're you saying?"

"I cannot swim," Indigo clarified. "Angels are non-swimmers. If I jump down there, I could drown."

She turned away. "It is too dangerous."

Sora gave a deep sigh. "Well, _I'm_ from an island! I learned to swim _before_ I could walk. _I'll_ take care of this!"

Indigo spun around. Before her startled eyes, Sora put his Keyblade away and dove off the cliff like a professional diver in a High-Diving Show at a theme park. She peered over the edge. When she started to teeter, Indigo stepped back a few paces. She relaxed, knowing she was back on solid ground.

A voice echoed in her ears. "_Bernard_! The _boy_!" Bianca called from the truck's cage.

Indigo looked to her right. There was Bernard, hastily heading straight for the cliff's edge. The large mouse jumped into the water and went under.

Indigo gulped and glanced to the side. "I never had the chance to tell him that spell does not work in water."

* * *

Sora was under the river's surface in no time. As he peered through the darkness, he spotted Cody. The young boy was sinking rapidly; his eyes were sealed and his mouth was agape.

Sora did not take his eyes off the severed rope before him. As he swam along, he felt something strange. All of a sudden, he found himself drifting further away from the rope. Not to mention, Cody had seemingly grown bigger.

That was when it dawned on him. Indigo's spell had worn off. Either that, or it probably just did not work underwater.

It did not matter what size he was. Sora had a job to do. He _needed_ to rescue this golden-headed kid if it was the last thing he ever did. He reached for the rope. Just as he grabbed it, something caught his eye. There was Bernard, grasping the rope beside him.

The two exchanged looks of surprise. They nodded and yanked as much as they could. They pulled and pulled and pulled. Finally, the rope seemed to be moving. As they continued to tug, Sora began feeling light-headed. He shoved it aside and kept his focus on saving Cody.

Cody's head burst out of the water. Sora and Bernard were moments behind. As he gasped for breath, Cody saw he was heading downstream. "_**Help**_!" he shouted. "_**Help**_!"

Sora and Bernard tried to pull Cody back upstream. It was in vain. The current was too strong. Spotting a nearby branch, Bernard pointed to it. Sora gave a nod of confirmation. The two swam to the riverbank and hopped onto the branch. They wrapped the rope around the piece of wood. Cody stopped moving down the river.

The more they tugged, the tighter the wet rope became. Sora and Bernard kept at it. They were _**not**_ about to let Cody get swept downstream — _**especially**_ since the two could now see what lay just ahead.

* * *

The crocodiles were relentless. The more McLeach and Cruella fought back, the more the carnivorous animals snapped at them. It almost appeared they were in the middle of a stalemate.

McLeach had had enough. He was so flustered, he threw his shotgun at the predators. "_Get __**back**_! _Get_ _**back**_!" he yelled. "_**Go**_ _on_! _**Get**_ _away_ from me! _**Get**_ _away_ from me!"

The vicious animals turned back. Cruella tossed her purse. It bounced off a crocodile and then splashed into the river beside the animal.

"_**Ha**_!" McLeach declared with pride. "I _whooped_ ya! I _whooped_ ya all!" He held his hat in the air with delight. He slammed in back on his head. "You'll think _twice_ before messin' with Percival C. McLeach!"

"_And_ Cruella De Vil!" Cruella added in turn.

The two started to chuckle and cackle away. This was one triumph they wanted to cherish. Maybe, just maybe, they were stronger than _any_ animal in existence.

McLeach's laugh came to an end. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Joanna waving at him from a nearby bank. The salamander was looking in the direction behind the poacher and woman. The two villains glanced back.

A drop was located just up ahead. "Woah!" McLeach shouted, realizing they were headed for a waterfall. He instantly started swimming as fast as he could.

Cruella was not struggling as much. She opened her hand, revealing a small whistle. She held it up to her lips and blew. A few moments later, a large creature came flapping over.

McLeach could not believe his eyes. It looked almost exactly like the great, golden eagle he had captured and killed months before. The only difference was this eagle's eyes were reddish-black and the stench of Darkness surrounded it. The Heartless Emblem was positioned directly on the creature's head. "Is… is that…?" the poacher started to say.

The creature extended its claws and seized Cruella by her shoulders. The villainess was swiftly pulled out of the raging river. "Yes," she told McLeach. "This is that other eagle's mate's Heartless. When you took his life, _this_ was left behind."

Now McLeach could not believe his ears. The eagle he had poached some time ago had a Heartless. How would _he_ have known such a thing was possible? That was when he saw the waterfall was directly behind him. "Pull me up!" he demanded.

Cruella gave a sinister grin. "Why should _I_ help a fool like you?" she questioned in a voice flooded with mockery. "Nice knowing you, Mac L.!"

The eagle took flight and headed straight for the clouds. That was the last thing McLeach saw before he found himself tumbling over the edge. Realizing he had been betrayed by a fellow member of _Maleficent's Council_, had created a new Heartless months ago, and was now about to lose his life, the poacher opened his mouth to scream. "_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**_!"

He tumbled down the waterfall, flipping over several times. The last thing that registered in his mind was his mother's voice. _"You should be __**kind**__ to animals! Your father killed the last Tasmanian Tiger living in the wild! __**Don't**__ be like him!"_

If only he had heeded his mother's words….

* * *

Sora was appalled. Cruella had escaped on board a giant eagle-shaped Heartless. McLeach had fallen over the waterfall and (by now) was out of the picture — for good. He knew what this meant. Percival C. McLeach was now in the same place where Rourke, Judge Claude Frollo, and Forté were already located. Maybe the four of them were meeting up in that unknown dimension. Perhaps Clayton, Oogie Boogie, Ursula, Jafar, Scar, Shan-Yu, Mother Gothel, CLU, and The MCP and Sark were also there. Well… maybe not the last two. It was too difficult to know for sure. It might even be _**impossible**_!

Either way, Sora knew he could not allow Cody to suffer the same fate. He tugged onto the rope harder and harder. Bernard did the same. "Don't give up, Cody!" the mouse declared.

The branch snapped. Sora and Bernard suddenly found themselves being dragged downriver by the current. Sora gasped, knowing the pair and Cody were headed straight for the waterfall. Now, there seemed to be nothing the two could do to save the boy.

What they needed now was a miracle.

* * *

When she saw the branch snap, Amemi exclaimed, "_**Sora**_!"

Out of nowhere, Indigo soared into view. "You _**must**_ hurry!" the angel said in a frantic voice. "Your brother is about to fall over the waterfall, Amemi!"

Amemi gave a frightened look. She had watched McLeach disappear over that same waterfall just minutes ago. She could not bear the thought of her older brother sharing the same fate. What would their Mom say?

She looked straight up. Goofy and Jake were still trying to insert the key into the lock. The knight pushed with all his might. Jake turned the key. The lock clicked and opened. "There!" Jake declared.

The lock slipped off the cage and clattered onto the ground. Marahute poked her head at the door. It flew open. As the eagle took flight, Amemi jumped on. Donald, Launchpad, and Goofy were next. Jake grabbed Bianca's hands and pulled her aboard. "Hop on, Miss B!"

It was not long before the eagle was airborne. Indigo pointed the way to where Sora and Bernard were about to go over the edge of the waterfall with Cody. Marahute seemed to nod at the eagle's directions and soared that way in a flash. Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad held on tight as the massive bird flew like a rocket to the waterfall.

Cody was starting to fall over the edge. "_**Help**_! _**Help**_!" he shouted repeatedly.

The boy went over the edge. Sora and Bernard followed, still holding onto the ropes.

* * *

As he descended over the edge of the waterfall, Sora slammed his eyes shut. He knew this was the end. He was about to fall to his doom at the base of the waterfall alongside Bernard and Cody. There was no way out of it.

He had _**so**_ been looking forward to Christmas! Now, it seemed he would not be able to celebrate this year — let alone the years that followed.

He wondered…. What became of people's hearts after they met their end? Did they just cease to exist? Or was there an alternative way? Reincarnation? What about Eternal Life? Or was Death the _**ultimate**_ end? He would be finding out very shortly. Once he reached the bottom of the waterfall, he would know what fate had in store.

He only hoped it would be short. The longer this took, the more agonizing it would be.

He reopened his eyes in time to see the waterfall's mist surrounding him. He slammed them shut once more.

_**WHOMP!**_

Sora found himself landing on something that was neither too hard, nor too soft. It almost felt like it was moving very, very swiftly. Wondering if he was in the afterlife, he slowly opened his eyes and allowed his vision to come into focus.

He jolted awake. He was not dead, let alone anywhere near death. Inside, he was alive and well. And he was flying through the night sky. He looked around, realizing he was on one of the tail feathers belonging to the great, golden eagle Cody had befriended. In fact, the boy himself was riding on the bird directly before his eyes.

Sora wanted to cheer. "Yes!" he declared.

He leapt into the air. Forgetting he was small, he landed on Cody's shoulder. The boy stopped smiling and turned to face him. He smiled again and reached out his hand like a platform. "It's okay," he said. "Come on."

Sora gave a nod and jumped in. Cody lowered him down to the bird's neck. Just after the young man had set foot upon the feathers, he found himself being pounced on by three others.

"_**Sora**_!" Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all declared in turn.

Sora had to laugh. It had been a while since his friends had jumped on him. "It's great to see you, too, guys!"

Donald frowned. "_You_ gave me a heart attack!"

"Not a literal one," Goofy indicated. "But we're sure glad you're okay, Sora."

Launchpad chuckled. "When you went over the falls, I didn't think you were comin' back."

The three anthropomorphic animals climbed off the teenager. Sora rose to his feet. He then found himself being hugged by someone else. He looked down and relaxed. It was just his sister.

"You scared me," Amemi said. "_Please_ don't do that again!"

Sora nodded. "I won't," he replied. He returned the embrace. "I'll _always_ be here for you, Amy. You're my sister."

Amemi released the hug with tears in her eyes. Based on her large, friendly smile, Sora knew they were tears of joy and relief. He felt happy. This was the first time he had really seen his sister so happy-go-lucky in ages. Back home, he had seen her this way numerous times. At one point, he had thought his sister's personality was changing.

Yet, deep, deep down, she was still the same sandy-haired, fourteen-year-old girl he had known his whole life — minus his first three years.

Sora looked around the area, noticing someone was absent. "Hey, where's Indigo?"

"I am over here," came a reply.

All eyes swerved to the right. There was Indigo, swooping in for a landing. She set down so gracefully, Sora could not tell her damaged wing was having an effect on her flying. It almost felt like her story about tearing her wing was not true.

What else had caught Sora's attention was how the angel was smaller, too. He figured she must have shrunk back down. When he inquired about this, Indigo answered, "Spells like that one have a time-limit. It is impossible for me to keep them lasting loner than the limit. Do you understand?"

Sora gave a nod of understanding, even though he really did not quite comprehend what the angel had told him.

At that moment, Cody also held up the piece of rope Bernard had been clinging to. The large mouse was still there; he looked like he had also been preparing for the worst. Sora reached out and helped Bernard down off the rope.

Cody smiled at the Keyblade wielder and the large mouse. "Thanks, little mates."

Bernard grinned at everybody. Bianca ran up to him and gave him a hug. "Oh, Bernard, you are _magnificent_!" she announced. "You are _absolutely_ the hero of the day."

Bernard gave a slight nod. Once Bianca had released her grip on him, the large mouse took a deep breath. "Miss Bianca, before anything else happens," he sighed and took the black box out of his pocket. He got down on one knee and opened it. "Will you marry me?"

Bianca looked shocked. One look at the shiny diamond in the ring and she smiled brighter than ever. "Bernard! Of _**course**_, I will!"

She embraced the large mouse with a caring hug. Bernard hugged her back. Sora had to grin. He could tell that Bernard's heart truly did belong with Bianca's heart. The two mice would be joined together, and they would spend the rest of their lives together and forever. Just like him and K—….

He forced his mind to stop right there. The thought of marrying Kairi made the brown, spikey-haired youth feel completely uncomfortable. Kairi being called his "girlfriend" was one thing. Yet, Kairi being considered his "wife" — _**that**_ was going _**too**_ _**far**_!

Jake grinned and gave the thumbs-up sign. "Well done, mate," he told Bernard.

Amemi turned to Sora. "Sora?"

"Hmm?" Sora looked at his sister, awaiting the remainder of the question.

"Do you think you and Kairi will ever tie the knot?"

Sora felt his completely uncomfortable sensation returning. "Uh," he stammered, his cheeks starting to turn a hint of the color pink. "Well…. That is, I…. I…. "

Goofy started to chuckle. "Gawrsh, Sora! Your face is turnin' red!"

"_**What**_?!" Sora declared. "It is not—!"

"I know who _you're_ thinking about!" Donald stated.

The duck mage and knight started to laugh louder than ever. Sora hastily threw his hands in front of his face. How he hated it when Donald, Goofy, and the others teased him about Kairi! The last time they had made fun of him of his cheeks was back in _**Port Royal**_ — just after the group had taken down Barbossa.

"Come on, Marahute!" Cody called out. "Let's all go home!"

The eagle soared off into the distance. The enormous moon lay directly ahead. With the clouds below them, everything seemed rather peaceful. This was exactly the type of victory Sora had always expected.

Now, it felt the world itself was thanking him for saving it from the Heartless and _Maleficent's Council_.

* * *

The dawn was starting to break by the time Marahute set down. Following Cody's directions, the eagle had soared through the night sky over the course of a few hours. Now, daybreak was starting to appear on the horizon.

Upon the landing, Indigo used her magical spell to make Sora, Donald, Goofy, Amemi, Launchpad, and herself larger. "Remember," she informed Sora. "This is not going to last a long time."

Sora gave a nod. He knew (in reality) they were smaller in this world, even if that was not the case back home on the islands, at the _**Radiant Garden**_, _**Disney Castle**_, or any other world out there. At least, as far as Sora knew. The only exception might be _**Wonderland**_. To him, that seemed a little bit of a stretch. Maybe… _**Pixie Hollow**_? No, that was part of _**Never Land**_. Maybe there was no other world.

Sora took a moment to examine the surrounding landscape. He took note of the humungous mountain of sandy-looking rock towering over the surrounding terrain. The ground was crunchy in some spots, which reminded him of the beach back home. He knew, if there was sand involved, he and his team were more-than-likely somewhere in the desert. Aside from the mountain, the land was mostly flat as far as the eye could see.

Before the group was a small farmhouse. Its blue paint was faded and some parts seemed to be chipping off. An older, blue pick-up truck was parked out front.

Cody hopped off the eagle and raced straight for the front door. He knocked on the door as loudly as he could. The door opened, revealing a middle-aged woman with green eyes and brown hair that was tied into a ponytail. She was decked out in a lime-green dress that appeared to be faded in the shadows of the house's porch-roof.

One look at the boy, and the woman gasped so dramatically, it reminded Sora of Carol Burnett in one of the many skits she did with Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, and Tim Conway. She quickly grabbed the boy and hugged him so tightly, it seemed neither one of them would be able to breathe for a long time. "_**Cody**_!" she declared, tears forming in her eyes. "I… I was sure you weren't coming home."

Sora had to smile. He knew this was Cody's house. This was Cody's mother. Seeing the two reunited made him feel delighted. He remembered how happy he'd been when he had finally been reunited with his Mom and Dad and Amemi after his earlier quests. He had been away for over a year. Still, they acted like he'd just ceased to exist and had suddenly reappeared like it was all a miracle.

That had been one year ago. The Holiday Season had just started. Now, here he was doing the same thing for someone else. Like Jiminy Cricket would have said, "_A Good Turn Is Its Own Reward_".

Sora stepped forward. "Glad to see you two are back together."

Cody's mother was more than pleased. "Thank you for bringing my son back to me."

"No thanks needed," the young man said with his famous grin showing on his face. "But, if it wasn't for us, he might've been…. "

He would have told her about how Cody had been abducted by the late Percival C. McLeach, Cruella De Vil, and Mortimer Mouse, but he decided to stop mid-sentence when Donald gave him a stern look. Instead, he just let his smile grow bigger. He knew Cody was safe and sound.

Amemi smiled in turn. This was the first happy ending she had witnessed first-hand. Actually, it was the fourth, but this one was her favorite. The sight of seeing mother and child reunited in time for the holidays made her beam with Joy. When it came to Joy at this time of year, there was absolutely nothing like it!

Goofy and Launchpad looked at one another and nodded. They had seen a happy reunion. A few tears slid down their cheeks. Goofy pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose. He passed it to Launchpad. The duck-pilot blew his nose in turn. When the two tried to hand the used handkerchief to Donald, the duck mage turned away, a scowl on his face.

Indigo smiled brightly. She loved happy endings! As the Angel of Hope, this was her job. She was charged with ensuring everyone had a happy ending. There was nothing like seeing someone else's faith in Hope being restored.

As the group looked upon Cody and his mother, Sora's Keyblade suddenly appeared in his hand. Marahute gave him a gentle nudge. "Okay, okay," Sora said. "I get the hint."

He pointed his Keyblade into the sky. The early morning rays started to illuminate brighter and brighter. A gigantic Keyhole-shape formed in the sky above. Sora watched as a ball of Light formed at the tip of his weapon. A beam of Light shot out from the ball and entered the Keyhole. It unlocked and Light shone all around the area, engulfing the group for a few seconds.

Once the Light died down, Indigo strode up to Sora. "Looks to me like everything is done in this world," she said with a smile.

"Yeah," Sora agreed. He gazed at the rest of his team. "Let's get going."

The others all nodded. Amemi gave her brother a thumbs-up. Sora nodded and returned one of his own. Just before everyone could set off, Cody's mother approached them. "Thank you for returning my son," she said. "I almost gave up hope of seeing him again."

Sora nodded. He understood how she felt. It was the same thing he had once felt when he'd learned Kairi had been kidnapped by Organization XIII. He had been so disheartened, he'd nearly gave up his quest. If it had not been for Donald and Goofy, who knows what might have become of the worlds?

"Allow me to offer you a reward," Cody's mother went on.

Sora held up his free hand. "That's alright. We don't need anything."

Through the corner of his eye, the seventeen-year-old caught a glimpse of Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad sighing deeply. He grinned, recalling how disappointed Donald and Goofy had been when Sora had turned down the reward from the Emperor during one of their earlier quests.

Cody's mother shook her head. She remained smiling. "You brought my son back home safely," she told the spikey-haired young man. "I _insist_!"

She held up a piece of torn paper. "I found this on the floor a week ago," she explained. "I believe it blew in from an open window. It had an ominous glow…. "

Sora paused for a moment. He wondered what Cody's mother was getting at. Was this paper part of something important? Or was it just a piece of trash that had been blown about by the wind?

The brown-haired woman held it out for him. "Here you go," she said. "I have no use for it, so I thought it might come in handy for you and your friends."

Sora accepted the paper. "Thanks," he said, a little unsure what else to say.

Once he had the piece of paper, Sora slipped it into his pocket. He turned to his teammates. "Well, that's that!"

Amemi took a step forwards. "How will we get out of here?"

Goofy reached into his oversized pants' pockets and held up a black remote. "A-Hyuck! _This_ is how!"

Amemi nearly wanted to slap herself in the face. She had forgotten how Sora and his friends had a teleportation device attached to the inside of _Herbie_. …Or something like that.

Sora turned to Bernard, Bianca, and Jake. "What're you guys gonna do?"

"We're going back to the Rescue Aid Society," Bianca explained.

"Yes," Bernard nodded. "They're stationed in New York. We've been gone for too long."

Jake gave a nod of his own. "I'll take these two back to Mugwomp Flats. They can hitch a ride back to the States."

Sora gave a nod. Although he felt bad leaving the two mice behind, he knew this world was their home. He thought back to when he had first met Bernard. The large mouse had handed him the Summon Charm for Joy.

Now, it was time to say goodbye. Well… at least for now.

"See ya soon," Sora told the mice. Bernard and Bianca both waved to him and the others. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all waved back.

"Do be careful now," Bianca called.

Without another word, Goofy hit the switch on the remote control. In no time, the six friends were back inside _Herbie_ and soaring away back into space. Sora's grin was bigger than ever. He knew **The Outback** would now be at peace for all time.

As they flew along, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the torn paper Cody's mother had given him. He unfolded it and read the handwritten text in silence.

"_Her son is a boy, one about age ten,_

_He seems really nice._

_He claims everyone is from another land quite often,_

_And that all magic comes with a price._"

His eyes grew wide. This was another piece of the letter Master Yen Sid had told him about. He looked out the windshield at all the stars shining in the bluish space of The Other Sky.

He wondered how many other pieces of the letter were scattered out there….

* * *

Maleficent had never felt so enraged. She wanted to take her staff and plunge it straight into Mortimer's chest, impaling him and destroying his heart all the same. She was beyond furious at seeing the tall mouse return all alone.

"You _**imbecile**_!" she shouted. "You abandoned McLeach and Cruella and failed to complete a simple task!"

Mortimer gulped. A drop of sweat slid off his extra-long snout. The last time he had felt this way was when Sora had threatened to kill him. Even then, he had felt safer than he did now. Dealing with Sora seemed less strenuous that facing Maleficent after he and those other two had failed to take over a certain world.

"Listen," Mortimer began. "That kiddo with the Keyblade interfered. He almost _killed_ me!"

Maleficent slammed her staff down with such force, a shockwave shook the circular chamber. Mortimer lost his balance and tumbled over. He sat up and shook his head to regain his focus.

A loud laugh came from the doorway. Pete marched into the room. "Youse can't even tie your own shoes. How can ya takes a whole world by yourself?"

Mortimer glared at the large cat-man. "Shut yer trap!"

From the doorway, the Beagle Boys and Cinnamon Teal stared at the display. The sight seeing Maleficent on the verge of wanting to destroy one of her own followers was shocking. Cinnamon Teal started to wonder… would she be next?

The sound of footsteps passing by caught her attention. Dr. Terminus and Judge Doom were out for a stroll along the balcony. When the two passed the open doorway, they stopped. Pete and Mortimer were still eyeing each other with ferociousness evident in their eyes.

"Those two could use a 'Cooperation' potion," Dr. Terminus commented. "I have one on me right now — just one dollar!"

Judge Doom rolled his eyes and scowled. "Those two are as stupid as Donald Duck and Daffy Duck!" he snorted.

The two men continued on their way.

* * *

Master Yen Sid's study had never felt so empty. The retired Keyblade Master had strolled away from his desk for a few hours, so Niccole and King Mickey were the only two in the room.

Niccole gazed out the crescent moon-shaped window. She looked up into the sky. Three colorful stars seemed to be twinkling together. It almost felt like they were meant to be together.

She gave a deep sigh. At one time, she was certain this was the way she and Riku would have ended up. She had been raised as a flower in _**Wonderland**_. The first human she could remember meeting was that silver-haired young man. He had been so interesting back then. No petals. No leaves. No stem. While the other flowers had dismissed him as a weed, Niccole had begun thinking outside that box.

There was something different about him. Perhaps it was his distinct hair color. Maybe his clothes stood out to her? No, it was neither of those two. She was sure of it. It was his heart. She had sensed something in his heart. It was the same feeling she had.

Longing to be with another.

Now, she was not sure how she felt. He had turned on her. He had struck with the Keyblade and she had suffered for a long time. As she had laid in the castle's dungeon, she had starting having suicidal thoughts. Even the idea of smashing her head against the wall and crushing her skull felt better than simply starving to death.

She gave a deep sigh, recalling how friendly and encouraging Riku had been when she'd first met him. That first night… they had watched the sunset together from that balcony. Niccole remembered her reaction the first time she had switched on the television. "_The Odd Couple_" theme song had startled her so much, she had screamed.

Now, she wanted nothing more than to go back in time and relive all those events. At least, up to the part where Riku left to meet Maleficent in the Castle's Chapel.

"What's wrong, Niccole?" a familiar, high-pitched voice asked.

Niccole looked to her right. There was King Mickey Mouse, gazing at her through his charismatic-filled eyes. She gave a deep sigh. "I just want everything back the way it was," she admitted. "You know, with Riku and me."

Mickey nodded. "I understand how ya feel."

"All I wanted to be was Riku's closest friend. How will I ever resolve this problem with him?" she turned her eyes straight to the mouse. "Do you have any ideas?"

Mickey looked downwards and his eyes became downcast. "You know, Riku asked me the same thing."

Niccole was a bit surprised. "He did? What did you tell him?"

"I told him, 'I can't help ya with this'," Mickey looked Niccole straight in the eye. "You two will need to resolve these problems on your own."

Niccole gave a nod. Even though she dreaded the idea of facing Riku again, she knew Michael Mouse had a point. Only the two of them could resolve these problems.

Only then, would they have a true and honest relationship.

* * *

**A/N: WELL, THUS ENDS THE OUTBACK!**

**This can only mean ONE THING - MORE WORLDS ARE CALLING FOR HELP!**  
**Yet, Sora's Team shall NOT be heading to them - yet! First, it is back to THE RADIANT GARDEN!**

**Anyways, I would like to go over some points regarding THIS CHAPTER!**  
**(1.) Indigo and ****Cruella De Vil's story arc might resemble some of the plot featured in ABC's "'_ONCE UPON A TIME -SEASON 4-_'". That was part of the inspiration for what happened in This Story!  
(2.) I know. THIS Chapter was quite the DARK One, now wasn't it? Fortunately, the Next One shall not be so intense.  
(3.) There was a Reference to "'_The Carol Burnett Show_'"/"'_Carol Burnett And Friends_'" in there! Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, and Tim Conway ALL were on That Show!  
(4.) I have the feeling you know who the Two SUMMON(S) was/were in there! Technically, it was TWO SUMMONS IN ONE!**

**Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear are both**** from Disney-Pixar's "_Toy Story [1] (1995)_"!**

**Even though the next Disney-based world shall not be coming along for a little while, I still feel obliged to provide a "'RIDDLE HINT'" for the next, upcoming Disney-based world featured in THIS Story!  
****HINT: "SORA AND HIS TEAM VENTURE TO A FAR-FLUNG COASTAL TOWN WHERE RUMOR HAS IT THERE IS A MYTHICAL CREATURE RUNNING AMOK! ONLY THE LOCAL L.H. KEEPER MIGHT KNOW THE TRUTH! MYTH AND TRUTH EXIST SIDE BY SIDE, ALONG WITH A CANDLE ON THE WATER! ****A SECRET TO AMEMI'S STORY IS YET TO COME TO LIFE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS MORE LIKELY TO COME TO LIGHT!"**

**I shall re-include That ****"'RIDDLE HINT'" later on, once THE RADIANT GARDEN storyline coming up is complete! THAT is when That Disney-Based World shall appear in THIS STORY!**

**I do not believe there is anything else to state now. Well, with Christmas on the way, I suppose it is time to call it a Night!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!"**


	34. Ch34 - Return To The Radiant Garden

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE, EVERYONE! HAPPY NEW YEAR(S)! IT IS NEARLY 2017! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! YIPPEE! YIPPEE! YIPPEE! YIPPEE! YES!**  
**Well, okay. It is not quite 2017 just yet. There are still three more days to go - including This One!**

**Either way, I REALLY wanted to get This Chapter posted BEFORE 2016 ended, so HERE IT IS - ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28TH, 2016!**

**So, before I let you go, I want to say a few things.**

**Last year, several well-known actor(s)/actress(es) passed away. Remember that? Well, THIS YEAR, we lost many more! Among them was one of my favorite actors and one of my favorite actresses. To that end, I want to take a few minutes to share moments of silence for each of them, alongside some others I am familiar with who also died this year.**  
**(1.) Brian Bedford (February 16TH, 1935 - January 13TH, 2016; AGE 80) - He was the voice of Robin Hood in Disney's "_Robin Hood (1973)_".**

**(2.) Mike Minor (December 7TH, 1940 - January 28TH, 2016; AGE 75) - He was probably best known for playing the crop-dusting pilot, Steve Elliot on the show, "_Petticoat Junction_".**

**(3.) Patty Duke (December 14TH, 1936 - March 29TH, 2016; AGE 69) - She was known for playing two "identical cousins" on "_The Patty Duke Show_".**

**(4.) Alan Young (November 19TH, 1919 - May 19TH, 2016; AGE 96) - He was best-known for TWO specific roles. He played Ed's owner, Wilbur Post, on "_Mister Ed_", and he was the voice of the Disney character, Scrooge McDuck, from ~1976 through 2016; This DOES include "_DuckTales_" AND "_Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep_"! He was also the voice of the toymaker, Hiram Flaversham in Disney's "_The Great Mouse Detective__ (1986)_".**  
**HIS DEATH STILL MAKES ME FEEL SAD! HE WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ACTORS, SO HE SHALL BE VERY MISSED!**

**(5.) Jack Riley (December 30TH, 1935 - August 19TH, 2016; AGE 80) - He was probably best-known for playing Elliot Carlin on "_The Bob Newhart Show_" and Stu Pickles throughout the "_Rugrats_" franchise. He also made a few appearances on the show, "_Hogan's Heroes_".**

**(6.) Florence Henderson (February 14TH, 1934 - November 24TH, 2016; AGE 82) - She was best remembered for her role as Mrs. Carol Brady on "_The Brady Bunch_". She was also the voice of Demeter in the Disney T.V. Series, "_Hercules -The Animated Series_".**  
**HER DEATH REALLY GOT TO ME! NOT ONLY WAS SHE ONE OF MY FAVORITE ACTRESSES, SHE WAS ALSO FROM MY HOME STATE - INDIANA! IMAGINE HOW APPALLED I WAS WHEN I LEARNED A FELLOW HOOSIER DIED ON THANKSGIVING NIGHT!**

**(7.) Bernard Fox (May 11TH, 1927 - December 14TH, 2016; AGE 89) - He voiced The Chairmouse [of _The Rescue Aid Society_] in Disney's "_The Rescuers (1977)_" and Disney's "_The Rescuers Down Under (1990)_". He was also the Doctor in Disney's "_The Rescuers Down Under (1990)_". On top of that, he also played (although Uncredited) Lookout Frederick Fleet in "_A Night To Remember (1958)_", Colonel Archibald Gracie in James Cameron's "_TITANIC__ (1997)_", and the bumbling Colonel Crittendon on "_Hogan's Heroes_". He even made appearances on other Classic Shows - including "_F-Troop_", "_The Dick Van Dyke Show_", and "_The Andy Griffith Show_".**

**(8.) Zsa Zsa Gabor (February 6TH, 1917 - December 18TH, 2016; AGE 99) - She was the Last-Surviving Gabor Sister! Her sisters were Eva Gabor and Magna Gabor. She played Miss Erika Tiffany Smith on "_Gilligan's Island_". That was all I ever saw her in myself.**

**NOW, For The Silence. -GIVES SEVERAL LONG MINUTES OF SILENCE-**

**That all aside, there is some GOOD News! It appears Dick Van Dyke is going to be in the Sequel to Disney's "_Mary Poppins__ (1964__)_"!**  
**Now, How About THAT?!**

**What A Year This Has Been! I went to _DISNEY WORLD_, RE-Discovered some of my favorite, animated shows, and I discovered "_McHale's Navy_"!**

**To top it all off, the Classic Show, "_F-TROOP_", is now celebrating its 50TH ANNIVERSARY! YAY!**

**CONGRATULATIONS, "_F-TROOP_"! I SHALL BE WATCHING YOU FOR THE NEXT FIFTY YEARS - IF NOT LONGER!**

**Lately, I have been playing "_FINAL FANTASY XV_" ON MY _PLAYSTATION 4_! THAT IS PART OF THE REASON WHY I HAVE NOT WORKED ON THIS STORY FOR A WHILE - WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CHAPTER 33, OF COURSE!  
Yes, I KNOW I had [CAPS LOCK] on the whole time I wrote that last part!**

**That's ALL I have to say! TIME TO READ \- BEFORE 2017 GETS HERE FIRST!  
****GO ON! YOU CAN READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! JUST PLEASE REVIEW, TOO! _PLEASE_!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 34  
Return To The Radiant Garden**

The castle felt very empty. The hallways were all as white as clean, freshly-fallen snow. The floors and ceilings matched the color of the walls. An occasional marble statue of flowers in a vase on a stand could be seen at regular intervals. Large, fancy chandeliers hung from the ceiling.

As he strode down the corridor, the man had to grin. He had never been to this place before, even thought he had heard a lot about it from Saïx and Axel. Now, here he was strolling through it in person.

His smile seemed to brighten the halls, even though it was really just his shiny teeth. His short, brownish hair failed to cover his eyes. He wondered how well his Sitar would sound in this castle….

He reached out his hand. In a flash of magical something or other (water, perhaps?), a bluish instrument appeared. The shape resembled the Organization's logo, only with light-blue and yellow strings.

He started to strum a few bars. "_Angels we have heard on high_," he sang out. He had always loved that Christmas carol, and this _was_ the Holiday Season! What better time to play one of those songs?!

"_**Cut it out**_!" a voice snapped from down the corridor.

The man spun around. Standing at the top of a short flight of stairs was another figure dressed in a black-hooded coat. His hood was also down, revealing himself to be a middle-aged man sporting long, black hair that was tied into a ponytail. A pair of small, round eyeglasses were positioned over his eyes.

The second man started towards the first one. "Do you realize how easy it is to lose your hearing when loud music plays?"

The brown-hared man shrugged. "I just like playing music. I don't like all those loudmouths!"

The black-headed man snorted. "And another thing — you are _totally_ tone-deaf!"

"_What_?!"

"Now, pay attention!"

The brown-haired man snapped to attention. His instrument fell out of his hands and clanged onto the floor. The sounds of a few out-of-tune notes echoed throughout the castle.

"Have you taken note of Genesis's behavior lately?"

"Yeah! He's always wandering away when there's work to be done."

The man with the eyeglasses grinned. "Reminds me of someone else I know."

"Huh?"

"No matter," the older man strolled past the young one. As he headed further down the hall, he kept his eyes straight ahead. "I have begun to question his loyalty to our cause."

He glanced back. "I need you, Medy, to keep an eye on him."

"Why?"

The black-haired scientist just retained his grin. He proceeded further down the corridor and down the stairs beyond.

Medy was all alone. He looked down and sighed deeply. "Why do they _always_ pick the wrong guy?"

* * *

The stars seemed a little brighter as _Herbie_ soared away through "'The Other Sky'" — outer space, that is. One look out the window, and Sora felt comfortable once again.

He smiled, knowing several worlds were safe and secure for the Holiday Season. He felt proud, knowing he had helped lots of new and familiar friends protect their worlds from the Heartless and _Maleficent's Council_.

In _**Ancient Empire**_, Sora and his team had helped Milo Thatch and an entire expedition of researchers, explorers, and soldiers escape the Leviathan. Together, they had located the lost city of Atlantis. Sora had even befriended the Atlantean princess, Kida… although he knew she was _queen_ now. Unfortunately, Commander Rourke and Lieutenant Helga had turned out to be leading a group of mercenaries in order to plunder the ancient civilization's treasures. Rourke had even gone as far as to steal the world's heart — with Kida and her heart trapped inside it! In the end, Sora had helped Milo stop the villain and save Atlantis from an otherwise inevitable fate.

Deep down, Sora thought Milo reminded him a little of himself.

After a crash-landing in _**Jamestowne**_, Sora and his friends had encountered the Powhatan tribe and learned about the Heartless threat in that world. After befriending Pocahontas and John Smith, Sora had come to realize neither side wanted to fight, yet they believed the other was responsible for the Heartless. When war was on the verge of breaking out, it became clear that someone _else_ was behind the Heartless. Thistle — a member of _Maleficent's Council_ had been there all along. Since John Smith had been injured during those turn-of-events, he had been taken back to England so he could recover.

Sora knew — without a doubt — one day, Pocahontas and John Smith's heart would lead them back together, again.

It was in _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_ when Sora and his teammates had faced one of their greatest challenges ever. They had faced down the corrupt Judge Claude Frollo, a super-duper strict man with hypocritical beliefs. In fact, Sora had even taken notice of how nervous Pete and the Beagle Boys had behaved whenever they were around the judge. With the help of the cathedral's bell ringer, Quasimodo, a gypsy woman named Esmeralda, and the former Captain of the Guard, Phoebus, Sora's team was able to bring the tyranny of the public official to an end before the world was lost to the Darkness. Sora and friends had also helped Quasimodo realize he could not allow his heart to be a prison. In the end, the bell ringer stepped outside Notré Dame and was ready to explore the outside world with an open heart.

Sora was glad, knowing Quasimodo's heart was free to see what lay beyond the cathedral of Notré Dame.

In _**Middleton**_, Sora and his friends had befriended the World-famous teenage heroine, Kim Possible, and her sidekick, Ron Stoppable. At first, they had no clue as to what Kim's arch-nemesis, Dr. Drakken, was up to — especially since he was aligned with Pete and Don Karnage, two members of _Maleficent's Council_. Later, after a certain telephone call, it was learned how the villains had used the Heartless to take over a world-renowned fast-food business. During the final showdown, Sora had been forced to encourage Kim _**not**_ to give up! He had been so relieved when Drakken and Shego were arrested. The night had been so much brighter after that.

He wondered if Kim and Ron were successful in their last mission — the one regarding the "Federal Reserve".

Upon a crash-landing into a snowbank, Sora and his team took their time visiting _**The Beast's Castle**_. After being reunited with everyone, Sora and the others had learned that the Beast had forbidden Christmas because of his painful memories regarding the castle's spell. Although they helped Belle try to celebrate the holiday anyway, the castle's corrupt composer, Forté, had been working with the Beagle Boys to make the spell permanent. Yet, Sora's team helped put that scheme's flame out. In the end, the Christmas party was quite the joyous celebration. Sora smiled as he thought about how happy and full of Joy everyone had been that night.

Deep inside, he still hoped the spell would one day be broken and the castle would be restored to its former, peaceful self.

Now, Sora and his teammates had just completed their quest into _**The Outback**_. They had helped Bernard and Bianca rescue a boy named Cody from a wanted poacher by the name of Percival C. McLeach. It was later revealed that the villain had been in league with Maleficent and her council. During their final showdown at Crocodile Falls, Sora had displayed his heroism when he had assisted Bernard in saving Cody from drowning in the river. Now, Cody was home — safe and sound.

He wondered what new assignment(s) Bernard and Bianca would be taking part in in the future.

As he thought back over everything that had happened, Sora wanted to grin. He had seen and experienced so much. In one world, he had learned a little more about the legendary Keyblade War. In another, sensed the strong Light within the world's heart. He had even tracked down Violet's sister, Indigo.

Now, with the angel and his sister, Amemi, by his side, Sora felt ready for anything. He knew Donald, Goofy, and Jiminy would also stick by him. Launchpad was also a loyal friend, even if he was clumsy and a tad absent-minded.

Sora looked around the cabin. He saw Donald, Goofy, and Amemi in the back seats. An episode of "_**WordGirl**_" was playing on the monitor. Ever since the fight before, Sora and Amemi had agreed to keep the volume lower, though it was nowhere near the volume the sandy-haired girl preferred to watch the show at.

That just left Sora, Indigo, and Launchpad in the front. The duck-pilot was busy steering _Herbie_ through space. However, it seemed to the brown-haired seventeen-year-old that _Herbie_ was busy steering Launchpad. This sight made him shake his head.

He looked into the space between himself and Launchpad. There was Indigo. She was gazing out the window with excitement. Her eyes were large and full of Light. Her hands were on the dashboard and her antennae were curved at the just the correct angle to indicate she was delighted. Her wings were neatly positioned behind her, even though they were flapping quickly. This made a slight breeze blow through the space, which helped Sora feel better. They _had_ just come from a desert!

Either it was his imagination, or Indigo's wing movement reminded him of a dog wagging its tail. Maybe he was thinking of Pluto? Or Riku's brother's dog? He shoved the pondering aside.

"So pretty," Indigo marveled. "I _**love**_ the stars during the Holiday Season!"

He mind went back to what had taken place aboard _Herbie_ just after the group had departed from _**The Beast's Castle**_. He recalled how Indigo had told them a story about three train engines. Yet, she seemingly had avoided telling them the ending. He _still_ wanted to know how it ended. What ever became of the three trains? Indigo knew the answer.

He turned to the angel. "Say, Indigo?"

Indigo turned her eyes to the Keyblade wielder. "Yes, Sora? What is on your mind?"

"Remember that story you were telling us?"

"The one about Duke, Stuart, and Falcon?"

"Yeah! _That's_ the one!"

Indigo smiled. "Okay, I shall tell you."

"But, can you do a little recap?"

"A little what?"

"Go over what you told already," Sora explained. He had a hard time believing the angel did not know what "recap" meant. "Just in less detail."

Indigo gave a nod of understanding. "Oh — that! I thought it was called 'going over what has been told'."

Sora had to shake his head. Violet knew lots of words he did not understand. Yet, Indigo's word choice was about the same level as his own. He definitely liked this angel more. She was a lot more like he was — simple to understand and easily excited about stuff.

Indigo took a deep breath and started to tell Sora the rest of the story. "So, if you remember, there were three trains who lived on their own mountain railroad line. Their names were Duke, Stuart, and Falcon. Duke, being the oldest, did his best to keep them in order. They were happy and enjoyed each other's company for many, long years."

Sora nodded. He recollected each and every detail Indigo had described last time. Stuart and Falcon had nicknamed Duke, "GranPuff" because he was the oldest and named after someone very important.

"Then, the day came when the railroad line closed down," Indigo continued. "Stuart and Falcon were sold to another railroad line, yet they promised Duke they would all be reunited someday. Duke was locked inside a shed. He went to sleep, and everything around him changed."

Sora gave another nod. That was where Indigo had left off before. Duke had been put into a shed and fallen to sleep. As he had slept, the railroad line slowly fell apart. Mountain rains washed dirt over the tracks, the buildings crumbled, the machinery rusted and collapsed, and the forest grew in place of the railway.

"Yet," Indigo spoke up. "Duke was _**never**_ forgotten!"

Sora's ears perked up. "He wasn't?"

Indigo shook her head. "No, he was not forgotten."

"_**Really**_?!"

Sora and Indigo shifted their gaze around the Gummi Ship. Amemi had paused the show, and now she, Donald, and Goofy were leaning over the seatbacks to see the two. Launchpad had given control of the ship to _Herbie_ and was eyeing the two with anticipation.

Indigo's smile grew and dimmed. For a moment, Sora thought he saw her cheeks turning a slight shade of scarlet. He grinned and shook his head. He had the feeling the angel was a little shy.

"Okay," she took a deep breath. "Can I continue the story?"

Everyone nodded. Donald, Goofy, and Sora all looked very eager. It had been a while since they had heard a good story.

"Years had gone by," Indigo pressed on. "Stuart and Falcon had been sold to the main railway on the island. _That_ railway was owned by the wealthy Sir Topham Hatt. Once he met the two engines, he gave them new names. Stuart became known as 'Sir Handel', and Falcon was renamed 'Peter Sam'."

Sora gave a nod. He was still wondering what direction this story was going to go in.

"One day," Indigo continued. "Sir Topham Hatt was visited by a team of researchers. The team had read about the lost railway, and they were determined to find Duke. Using the maps they brought with them — and Sir Hatt's knowledge of the area, they were able to find the exact location of the old railway station in the mountains. They were all sure, if Duke was anywhere, he had to be someplace close to the station."

"When did the leave?" Donald asked.

"They left at once. They travelled by train up into the mountains. It was not too long before they reached the old station's ruins. They searched the area, yet there was no sign of Duke."

"Aww…. "

"Yet, the researchers were _**not**_ willing to give up! They continued higher and higher up the mountain slope. The days grew longer and longer. Finally, they reached a dead end in the tracks. From there, they continued on foot until they came across something that caught their eyes."

"Was it thuh shed?" Goofy inquired.

Indigo shook her head. "No, it was some old buildings. They had crumbled and most of the area was in ruins. A few old mines were found, yet they were all empty. As the team neared a rather high hill, they saw some half-buried railroad tracks down below. When one of them stepped forward for a better look, the ground gave way. Next thing that researcher knew, he had fallen through the roof of a completely hidden shed and landed on something metal."

Launchpad grinned. "I like stories with good crashes!"

"Inside," Indigo went on. "The researchers found an old steam engine. The engine snorted at the team and told them to go away or else. When the team asked why, the engine replied, 'Driver warned me about vandals.' 'We are not here to hurt you, Duke,' one of the researchers told the engine, 'We came to help you.' 'Yes,' agreed the other members of the team, 'Stuart and Falcon will be so happy.' Duke beamed when he heard the names. 'So they _**did**_ remember!' he declared with glee."

"They found him?" Amemi asked.

Indigo gave a nod. "Over the next few days, the researchers cleared out the side of the hill and dug out the front of the shed. They also uncovered the old tracks leading up to it. Once Duke was safely out of the shed, he was carefully placed onto a flatbed truck and taken back to the main railway line. Once he was settled in a new shelter, Sir Handel and Peter Sam came to visit him. 'He is here!' they cheered. 'Shh! Shh!' Duke chided them, 'You woke me up! In my day, little engines were…. ' '…Seen and not heard,' was Peter Sam's reply, 'We know.' 'We shall all be back to work tomorrow,' Sir Handel explained to Duke, 'We are glad you came back. We can keep _you_ order now!' Duke smiled, glad to be back with his old friends, being really useful once more, and free to live happily on the Island of Sodor."

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy remarked. "Another happy ending!"

Amemi smiled brilliantly. "I'm glad the story ended with those three being brought back together."

"Yeah," Donald nodded. "Reminds me of Huey, Dewey, and Louie."

"'Cept _those_ three aren't so wound up!" Launchpad blurted. "They've become little angels — only _without_ wings!"

"'Angels'," Donald snorted, recalling his three nephews. "_**Phooey**_!"

Sora had to shake his head. He had enjoyed this story, too. He started to wonder why Indigo had told them this tale in the first place. Wasn't there a _reason_ why she had told them the story?

He turned to the angel. "So, why'd you tell us about Duke, Stuart, and Falcon?"

Indigo beamed with delight. "Duke had _**Hope**_ his friends would not forget him. Despite all the years that passed, he was later rescued and reunited with them."

Sora had to nod. He knew there was nothing better than Hope. The Light deep with the Darkness. The Door To The Light. Just like what King Mickey had told him; "Don't worry! There'll always be a Door To The Light!" The King knew what he had been talking about. Around one year later, Sora was reunited with the King and Riku — only not at the same time.

King Mickey Mouse had been talking about Hope. Sora knew it was real, and it was certainly _**not**_ just some old fairy-tale!

Launchpad turned his eyes to the front windshield. He pointed straight ahead. "Hey, guys! Get ready to land!"

Before anyone could react — let alone respond — the duck-pilot grabbed the steering wheel and pushed down on it with all his might. _Herbie_ instantly dove downwards like a swan doing a nose-dive. Sora hastily buckled in, recalling the last time Launchpad had crashed _Herbie_ in this style, the Gummi Ship had fallen over the edge of a waterfall.

"**WAAK**!" Donald screeched from the back. "_**STOP**_!"

_Herbie_ dove straight through the atmosphere of the world below them. The modified racecar shook with tremendous force as it hit a large amount of turbulence. Indigo started to bounce out of her seat. Seeing this, Sora grabbed her seatbelt straps and snapped them in place over her. Indigo gave the Keyblader a nod of thanks.

That meant Amemi was the only one not strapped in tightly. She reached for her seatbelt, only to quickly discover the movement of the vehicle had thrown her out of her seat. She was tossed straight up and bonked her head on the ceiling. Goofy reached out and caught the teenager as the latter landed in her lap. "Are you okay?" the knight asked.

Amemi started to rub her head. "It could've been worse," she answered.

Goofy gave a quick nod. "Yup! I get bumped on the head all the time. It's no big deal!"

Sora had to shake his head. He knew Goofy was just being Goofy. There was no other logical explanation for why the tall, anthropomorphic dog had said what he had said.

The lower the Gummi Ship got, the easier it became to see what was down below. A large, silver castle was located at the center of a large town. A stone wall circled the town. Even from up here, the dust and smoke from dozens of construction crews was fogging up _Herbie_'s windshield.

Sora stared, knowing where they were. That was when he also noticed the modified racecar was headed directly for the town's marketplace.

"Hang on!" he called out.

Launchpad grasped the controls and somehow managed to get _Herbie_ upright before the ship stopped in midair. Then, it fell straight down.

_**CRUNCH!**_

The impact shook the cabin. Once it had passed, Sora took a deep breath and unbuckled. He opened the side door and took a step out. His feet landed on pieces of broken wood. A few shards of broken glass were also lying around. A torn banner was amongst the mess.

_**CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE**_

He shook his head. Launchpad had landed onto another one of the market stalls. Sora turned around. Amemi was helping Indigo across the mound of debris. Goofy was directly behind them. The knight had Jiminy Cricket sitting on his shoulder. Then, Launchpad and Donald emerged from _Herbie_. Donald looked as red as a firework about to go off.

"You crushed _**another**_ building!" the duck mage scolded. "That's the _**last**_ time you're landing in _**any**_ world!"

Launchpad seemed unfazed. He was smiling and standing as tall and proud as he could. "Well, it's like I always say — 'Any crash you can walk away from is a _good_ crash'!" he looked back and gestured at the ruined structure. "And look! We're walking away from it."

Donald had reached his boiling over point. He unleashed such a loud, long list of intense energy, Sora nearly believed they were about to undergo a massive earthquake. Donald would be the epicenter, and the shockwaves resulting would affect the entire town. Talk about a major disaster!

The last time such an outburst had left the duck's mouth was back in the caverns of _**Ancient Empire**_. Only exception was Sora himself had teased Donald, too. As he recalled the startled looks on the expedition's crew's faces, the spikey, brown-headed youth had to cover his mouth to keep himself from bursting out laughing.

It always seemed like Donald Duck was just a ticking time-bomb about to go off deep inside a volcanic crater.

Sora swung his eyes around the marketplace. As he looked up at the distant castle, he took note of how one of the towers on the side had already been rebuilt. Some more paint had been applied to the top, which made the building seem more and more complete and less spooky (like when Maleficent had lived in it).

Sora knew he, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, Indigo, and Jiminy Cricket were now back at **The Radiant Garden**.

As he swept his eyes around the area, Sora realized no one had come over to investigate what had happened to the empty store. He relaxed, knowing it was no longer a big deal if Launchpad were to crash-land in this area for a third time (and ruin another abandoned building).

As Donald continued to scold Launchpad, Sora saw his sister and Indigo strolling around. The two were passing the stores on one side of the marketplace. They stopped at one labelled by a sign bearing a spiked ball on a stick, a Medieval shield, and a simple sword with a sharp, pointed tip. As Sora approached, he saw Amemi picking up a large, metal slingshot. "This looks dangerous," she said to Indigo.

Indigo gave a nod. She scooped up a spikey helmet and placed it on her head. Her antennae seemed to squeeze straight under the hard hat. "What do you think of this?" she asked.

Amemi shook her head. "You forgot to strap it on."

She grabbed the two straps on either side of the angel's head and connected them under the latter's chin. Indigo tried to smile, except the strap was a little too tight. She could barely breathe, let alone show a hint of a smile. "It is too tight," Indigo stated. "Could you _please_ loosen it?"

Sora had to shake his head. He could tell Amemi and Indigo were bonding. He wondered if all girls got along that easily with one another. Maybe… not. He did not always get along with Riku, and he _had_ seen Kairi get into fights with her three, adoptive sisters. Was it because she was not from their world? He doubted that was the case.

Amemi started to fidget with the strap. She saw Sora drawing close through the corner of her eye. "Sora," she said. "Could you please help get this unfastened?"

Sora stepped over and grabbed the helmet's strap. After a few seconds, he found the release button and pressed it. "Got it!" he declared as the strap's connectors separated and went back to dangling at either side of Indigo's face.

Indigo smiled all the more. "Thank you, Sora!"

"Don't mention it," Sora returned.

"Quack-a-roonie! That's a _perfect_ fit!" declared a voice.

"Yeah!" another added. "We'll make _**lots**_ of Munny!"

"Boy!" a third said. "Unca Scrooge sure will be happy if we make _lots_ of Munny all by ourselves!"

Sora and Amemi looked around the immediate space. For a moment, the seventeen-year-old Keyblader thought he had heard these voices sometime before. They all sounded about the same; they were rather high-pitched and reminded him of Donald Duck's own voice.

"Who's there?" Amemi called out loud enough for anyone close by to hear her.

"We're down here," came a reply.

Indigo gazed over the store's countertop. Her eyes grew wide with amazement. "Look over there!" she declared, pointing over the counter.

Sora and Amemi turned to see what the angel had. To their surprise, three white, little ducks with orange beaks and feet were standing behind the counter. Each of the ducks had oval-shaped, blue eyes. Yet, each of them had a different colored outfit.

One of them was wearing a red shirt and matching baseball cap. Another was decked out in a blue shirt with matching baseball cap. Third also was dressed in a green shirt and matching baseball cap.

"You are all ducklings," Indigo smiled. She reached in to pet the one in green. "How sweet and cute!"

"Hey!" the duck green said. "We may be kids, but we're definitely _**not**_ cute!"

Indigo stepped back. Sora had to shake his head. He had never known the angel liked animals. He wondered if she had created any "Spirits" of her own. Violet had possessed her own pets — those lovable, kind-hearted Spirits — while in the _Realm of Sleep_. Now, he wondered if all angels were the same way.

"Is _**that**_…. ?!"

Sora spun his head back. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were approaching. When they saw the three, little ducks, Donald and Launchpad rushed over.

"Boys!" Donald declared.

"Hi, Unca Donald!" the three ducks said together in turn.

Amemi was taken by complete astonishment. "You _know_ them, Donald?"

"Yeah," Donald approved. "They're my nephews."

"I'm Huey," the one in red announced.

"I'm Dewey," said the one in blue.

"And I'm Louie," finished the one in green.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy chuckled. He waved to the three. "Nice ta see ya!"

Launchpad barged his way through the group. "Huey! Dewey! Louie! How's it going, fellow Junior Woodchucks?"

"Great, Launchpad!" Huey answered.

"We're saving up Munny so we can go on a big adventure!" Dewey added.

"And we're rich _already_!" Louie decreed. He waddled over to the cash register and pressed a few buttons. The cash drawer popped open. "We've made 50,000 Munny in five months."

"Yeah," Dewey said, shifting his eyesight to his brother. "But Unca Scrooge says that's not enough for an adventure."

The three ducks sighed deeply. Sora wanted to sigh in turn. If only there was something he and his team could do to cheer Donald's nephews up. If only there was….

That was when it dawned on him. There _was_ something they could do! He turned to the three ducks. "How about if we buy some of your items?"

"Yeah!" Goofy agreed. "We could always use some more of them Hi-Potions! I used five in thuh battle against that there piano guy!"

Amemi crossed her arms. "Don't you mean 'Forté'?"

"Oh yeah! A-Hyuck!"

The sandy-haired young woman wanted to slap herself in the face. Sora shook his head when he saw this reaction written directly on her face.

"What do ya want?" Louie asked. He paused and grinned when Huey and Dewey scowled at him. "Uh, what was I supposed to say? Oh yeah! Do you wanna buy or sell?"

"Didja get that mixed up?" Goofy inquired.

Louie gave a shy grin. "I'm usually in the stockroom, so I'm not used to dealing with customers."

"Yeah," Huey affirmed. "But Louie does an okay job as long as Dewey and I keep an eye on him."

"And I do all the cleaning," Dewey approved. "It's easier than our bedroom!"

"What're you saving everything for?" Amemi asked.

"We're gonna go on our own, big adventure!" Huey declared with delight. When he saw Donald shove his way through to the counter and open his bill to speak, the young duck speedily added, "Sorry, Unca Donald! No family discounts!"

Donald turned away and crossed his arms. He muttered a series of illegible garble that ended with "…Aw phooey!"

Sora shook his head. He had seen this look on Donald's face before. Every time Goofy had chuckled after making a silly mistake, the magician had nearly fainted, rolled his eyes, or simply did what he had just done. Each time, Sora himself had wanted to laugh. The duck's behavior always made him want to smile. It was a good thing he tended to hold his laughter back. Imagine how Donald would have reacted if he had overheard the brown-haired Keyblade wielder!

A scream filled the air. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all whirled around. Across the square, a group of Neoshadow Heartless were rising up out of the ground. A young woman was trying to flee from them, only to have the creatures grab onto her purse's strap. They would not let go.

"_**The **__**Heartless**_!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy declared in unison. In the time it took Amemi to blink her eyes, Sora had summoned his Keyblade, Donald had pulled out his wand, and Goofy had his shield in hand. The three stormed into the square.

Amemi had to nod. She knew what was going on. Those three were so accustomed to fighting together, they had rushed off without waiting for the remainder of their team to catch up with them. They were marching to a different tempo — one she _still_ needed to get used to. Indigo was too new to the team to really have the chance to just jump into action so rapidly. Launchpad, on the other hand… maybe he was just too easily side-tracked to notice? She did not know.

Either way, she was not about to let her brother have all the fun taking on the Heartless. She reached into her green purse and pulled out a small handful of paper Munny. She slammed it down onto the counter before a surprised Huey. "Keep the change," she told the young ducks. She grabbed the metal slingshot from the countertop and charged after her brother.

"Quack-a-roonie!" Huey declared.

Dewey picked up the cash. He stared in total astonishment.

"_**Wow**_!" Louie exclaimed. "There's gotta be around five hundred Munny in there!"

"Yeah!" Dewey agreed in turn. "Boy! We'll be having quite the adventure one of these days."

* * *

Sora led the way to where the Neoshadow Heartless were chasing the woman. As he slid under a market stall's counter, the young man took note of how the Heartless had pinned the woman against the wall. When he saw the woman sported long, dark-green hair, the young man nearly slid to a stop. He saw the woman was about one year older than Amemi, and she was wearing a green dress with short sleeves, a yellow strap around her waist, and a blue ribbon tied into a bow in her hair. On each of her wrists was a red bracelet and a matching chain was around her neck. A pair of dark-blue shoes covered her feet.

Sora quickly realized who it was. "Phoebe?" he declared.

Phoebe looked straight up and stared at the seventeen-year-old young man through her sky-blue eyes. "_**Sora**_?! _**Help**_!"

Sora quickly gave a nod. He raced over and started to slash his way through the Heartless. As he did so, one of the monsters jumped and reached for Phoebe's neck. She screamed and covered her face with her arms.

A gunshot filled the air; a speeding bullet struck the Heartless and terminated it. Sora spun around. To his surprise, two men in dark-blue suits were rushing over. Thanks to one being bald and wearing sunglasses, and the other sporting red hair and goggles pushed on his head (and his messy uniform), Sora instantly knew who they were.

Reno and Rude — members of "_The Underground Radiant Klass_". Reno was wielding an Electro-Mag Rod; a nightstick with a taser on one end. Rude had a small, silver hand-gun in hand. Sora realized that was where the shot had come from.

"Well, well, well," Reno grinned. "Look who we have here. The leader of the _Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_'s back from his rescue mission."

Sora was confused. "How'd you two get here so fast?"

"Aw," Reno smirked. "I saw the Heartless coming a mile away."

Rude only grunted in turn. Sora did not bother to say anything to the bald-headed man. He seemed so stern and serious — the exact opposite of Reno's personality.

Donald and Goofy finally reached the group. Amemi was not too far behind. Sora noticed them through his peripheral vision. "What took you guys so long?" he enquired.

"This place's packed," Donald explained.

"Yup," Goofy nodded. "Peoples' everywhere. There's no place ta hide. It's all filled up like a swimmin' pool!"

Amemi saw the Neoshadows surrounding the young woman. She gave a nod and hopped over to the creatures. "I'll handle this!" she declared. She pointed her new slingshot at the Heartless. "Time to '_Word Up_'!"

Sora swerved his eyes to the all the action. "_**Amy**_!" he declared. He'd just realized he had gotten side-tracked from the task-at-hand. How could he have let this happen? It felt the first time he had ever done such a thing. Hopefully, it would also be the last.

He raced into the horde. Donald and Goofy were directly behind him. They slammed, sliced, and bonked their way through all the Heartless turning to attack them. Reno and Rude raced over and started to eliminate the Heartless. Reno zapped several out of existence while Rude fired several rounds. At one point, one of his bullets bounced off a wall and nearly hit Goofy in the face. At the last second, the knight raised his shield and deflected the projectile.

"Gawrsh," was all the tall dog could remark.

Despite all the work they were doing, the six were unable to bring down all the advancing Heartless. To Sora's disbelief, additional Heartless were rising from the ground. He looked over to the other side of the plaza. Indigo and Launchpad were still at Huey, Dewey, and Louie's shop. They were surrounded by Heartless, too. Launchpad had his gas-gun out and was shooting it at the enemies. Indigo had summoned her mystical wand. She was using a magical barrier to protect Donald's nephews while she used blasts of magical energy to eradicate as many of the monsters as she could.

Yet, not even _**that**_ was enough. There were so many Heartless in the square, it almost looked like an inky blot of black paint had been spilled over a colorful canvas. All the shoppers and shopkeepers had taken cover in their respective shops and in the spaces between the market stalls. To make matters worse, some Large Body Heartless had appeared. So had a handful of Air Soldier Heartless. There were also several Flying Squirrel Heartless in the horde.

He heard some loud gunfire coming from his left. Sora swung his head around. Barret was just outside the "_**The 7**__**TH**__** Heaven**_", blasting Heartless aside with his gun-arm. Tifa was with him. She punched, kicked, and threw Heartless out of her way. Some of the enemies she tossed landed onto other ones, terminating them as well.

Sora was relieved, knowing several of his friends were helping out in the midst of this sudden crisis. Just like when the town had been invaded by almost one thousand Heartless or so. It appeared _everyone_ wanted the _**terrible**_ monsters to stay out of their town. _**No **__one_ was willing to go down without a fight!

Sora swerved his focus back to Phoebe. The girl had ducked down and covered her head with her hands. When an Air Soldier Heartless swooped in to strike her, Sora ran over and swung his Keyblade. The blade sliced clear through the enemy, eliminating it in no time.

Sora gave a nod, knowing there was one less Heartless to worry about. Then again, the more everyone did to destroy the creatures, the fewer Heartless there would be in the town.

Before he could think more about it, Sora saw three more figures hurrying into view from the direction of the stairs leading into the town's neighborhoods. Leon, Yuffie, and Chelsy were coming to help.

"It's _**over**_!" Leon shouted as he slammed his Gunblade into a Heartless or two.

"_Hee_-_**yah**_!" Yuffie yelled as her shuriken flew directly through a number of Large Body Heartless and a few Flying Squirrel Heartless.

"Get _**out**_ of here!" Chelsy snarled as she readied her bow. She shot an arrow at an Air Soldier Heartless. The arrow's tip flew straight through the enemy and five more behind it, annihilating all of them in turn. She then did the same for a handful of Flying Squirrel Heartless.

Sora gave a nod. He knew his friends truly _were_ his power. And there was power in numbers. With Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, Indigo, Reno, Rude, Barret, Tifa, Leon, Yuffie, and Chelsy all assisting in the skirmish, the spikey, brown-haired youth knew they stood a chance against the overwhelming amount of Heartless in the marketplace.

After several more minutes had passed, Sora and the others took a few minutes to catch their breath. Donald and Goofy instantly collapsed. Reno and Rude leaned against a wall, wiping their foreheads. Amemi knelt and clutched the left side of her chest; she could feel her heart pounding away. Leon had lowered his Gunblade and was taking a few moments to catch his breath. Yuffie had fallen to the ground, gasping for air. Chelsy was leaning on her bow; she was hunched over, trying to catch her breath, yet she was still standing up.

Once he had caught his breath, Sora wiped some sweat off his forehead and cheeks. He looked around. Barret, Tifa, Reno, and Rude were nowhere in sight. He sighed, wishing he could have had the chance to thank them for their help in the battle.

All those Heartless had seemingly come out of nowhere. They may have won the battle. Yet, Sora had the feeling this was only the start of a major story arc….

"Well, that's that!" he nodded. He paused. "For now."

Before he could do anything, Sora felt a pair of arms grab him from behind. He was yanked back. "_**Thank you so much**_!" Phoebe declared. "I thought that was the _**end**_ of the line for me!"

Sora wanted to relax, knowing the green-haired girl was just thanking him for saving her from the Heartless. Even so, he had never foreseen the teenager showing gratitude like this. She was hugging him so tightly, he hardly had room to breathe.

He had the feeling this was what Violet had meant.

Leon, Yuffie, and Chelsy approached. One look at Sora and Phoebe together, and Leon had to grin. "Sora, you did it again," he said, shaking his head.

Sora was puzzled. "Did what?"

"I see you've met Phoebe. I was going to introduce you when you came back, but you got ahead of me."

"She's Mike's niece," Yuffie explained.

"I know," Sora admitted as Phoebe released her grip on him. "She loves flowers. She showed me her greenhouse."

Donald came wobbling over. Goofy, Launchpad, Indigo, and Amemi were not far behind. When they saw Phoebe, Goofy and Donald started to laugh; they pointed straight at Sora like a clown mocking someone.

"What is so silly?" Indigo asked, clearly perplexed.

Amemi strolled up to Sora. "Sora," she started to say. She turned to Phoebe and then gestured to Leon, Yuffie, and Chelsy. "Who are they? Are they all friends of yours?"

Sora gave a nod. He gestured to each of the four and introduced them. "This is Leon, Yuffie, Phoebe, and Chelsy."

Amemi waved to the group. "Nice to meet you! I'm Amemi."

Sora put his arm around his sister's shoulders. "She's my sister."

"I didn't know you had a sister, Sora," Yuffie declared. The near-stare she was showing indicated her shock. This reaction looked like someone had just told the ninja she had won the three-billion-dollar lottery.

Leon placed his arm at his side. He continued to smile. "I'm glad to see you back," he told Sora and the others with him. "Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and," he paused, noticing Indigo standing beside Goofy. "Who's this?"

Sora and the others all turned their eyes to the angel. Realizing it was her turn to speak, Indigo leapt back into attention. "Oh, yeah! My name is Indigo — The Angel of Hope."

"So, you found the angel you were looking for," Leon had to smile. "Sora, you're one special kid. Meeting an angel is a lifetime opportunity."

Sora nodded. He had to admit, Leon had a valid point. Not everyone had the opportunity to meet an angel in person. In fact, until he had taken his Mark of Mastery Exam in the Sleeping Worlds, the brown-headed Keyblader had never believed he would _ever_ have met a real angel. He also had never imagined time travel was possible. That was where Xehanort had surprised him. Now, it seemed Science-Fiction and Mythology were truth and reality. Fiction had now become Non-Fiction. Or… something like that.

Sora's mind returned to reality. "What's going on? Where are all these Heartless coming from?"

"Villain's Vale," Chelsy informed the young man as she stepped forward. Her reddish hair seemed to flow gently against the breeze blowing through the area. Her yellow eyes were showing seriousness as she spoke. "It's the fortress located just outside of town. That place is _surrounded_ by Heartless."

"Yeah," Yuffie confirmed. "It's never been _this_ bad — not even when the MCP was making all those Heartless from inside the computer!"

Leon crossed his arms. "Now you know why we need your help, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, Indigo. Our world is in trouble. You're the only ones who can set this right again."

Sora knew Leon was correct. With everything going on, the _Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_ would need all the help they could get. Now that he was their leader, he would be expected to act like one. He could not let them down. The very destiny of this world was in his hands. His Keyblade. His heart. Only he could bring this place back under control.

Only _he_ could restore this world's peaceful state.

He had never had such a serious responsibility like this one before, not counting saving the worlds from the Heartless, Nobodies, and Organization XIII. It was possible the fortress outside of town was where Maleficent and her Council had set up their headquarters. Having never actually travelled inside that creepy-looking structure, Sora was not sure what to expect. For all he knew, _Maleficent's Council_ was preparing a trap for him.

Either way, he knew he _still_ needed to bring Indigo to _**The Mysterious Tower**_ so Master Yen Sid, King Mickey, and the others could plan their next move against Xehanort. Likewise, he needed to find as many of the pieces of the torn letter as he could. Hopefully, he would recover all of them.

Yet, before he could do anything, he needed to ensure this world was safer than it was now. He knew there wasn't going to be enough time to put it all back to its former, peaceful self before he needed to leave again. So, he needed to do what he could for now. First step — check in at the castle.

"The town's safer than over here," Yuffie stated, drawing Sora away from his deep pondering. "Zell and Merlin are protecting everyone in the neighborhoods. The _TURK(s)_ are patrolling the outer walls. Barret and Tifa usually have this area covered."

Now it was Amemi's turn to look bewildered. "Why did you three come over here?"

"Tifa called us for help," Yuffie tossed her shuriken into the area and caught it when it started to land. "Apparently, these sudden attacks are getting seriously out-of-hand."

"She's right," Leon affirmed. "There has been a major increase in the amount of Heartless attacks. Ienzo can fill you in with more information."

Sora gave a nod. "Thanks."

Leon picked his Gunblade up from where he'd stuck it into a crack in the concrete. "I'll escort you to the castle."

With another nod, Sora turned to his companions. He froze, seeing only Amemi and Indigo were present. He also took notice of how Phoebe had proceeded further into the market; she was now at Huey, Dewey, and Louie's shop across the way.

Sora swept his eyes back and forth. "Hey, where did Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad go?"

Chelsy took another step closer. She pointed to the right. "They went in there," she announced.

Sora and his teammates looked in the direction the archer was pointing. A rather small shop was situated next door to _**The 7**__**TH**__** Heaven**_. It consisted of one large, somewhat tinted window next to a glass doorway. A light-up ice-cream cone was attached to the wall beside the door; it resembled something similar at a Dairy Queen restaurant. When he saw the sign on the front window, Sora had to smile.

**MCDUCK ENTERPRISES' ICE-CREAM PARLOR**

He had the feeling he knew who owned this shop. He led the way in through the front door. As he stepped in, Sora noted how the shop's appearance reminded him of an ice-cream parlor back home on the _**Destiny Islands**_. Black-and-white square tiles covered the floor. There were tables set up through the room with metal chairs around them. Posters advertising ice-cream were pasted onto the windows looking outward. Only two people were seated in the lobby.

The counter was on the left side of the room. That was where Sora, Amemi, and Indigo found Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. The three were sitting on stools and eating cones of ice-cream. Donald's was chocolate. Goofy had vanilla. Launchpad's was a combination of the two flavors.

As he stepped in through the doorway, Sora heard a tiny bell ringing. All eyes looked to the front, then away. Only Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad retained eye contact with the brown-haired Keyblade wielder.

"Sora!" Donald called, waving the Keyblader, Amemi, and Indigo over. "Come get some ice-cream!"

"Yeah," Goofy affirmed. He licked his cone. "A-Hyuck! Tasty!"

"No kidding," Launchpad added in turn. "And I have _both_ flavors swirled!"

Although he knew they needed to keep going, Sora shrugged. "Why not?"

Amemi and Indigo followed the young man up to the counter. Standing behind it was an older duck sporting eyeglasses and wearing a top hat, a blue coat, and red spats. He had a brown cane situated on his wrist. When he saw the three coming in, the duck smiled. "Come in, come in! Thanks to Donald, the first round's on me. Not the second, third, or fourth rounds. I'm _not_ made of money."

Amemi looked surprised. She turned to her brother. "He's '_not_' made of money? He looks wealthy."

"That's Donald's uncle," Sora told her. "Goofy told me he's a business tycoon."

"Aye," the older duck nodded from behind the counter. "I am Scrooge McDuck — proprietor of this ice-cream parlor."

Amemi was more puzzled. Why would Scrooge claim he was not made of money when it was clear he had plenty of it? Once Scrooge handed her a cone full of Rainbow-flavored ice-cream, the sandy-haired teenager decided to shove the thought aside. With the cone in hand, she headed to another table and sat down to eat.

* * *

No sooner had she started to lick her ice-cream did Amemi notice she was not alone. To her left was a teenage girl about her age. Yet, _this_ girl sported long, blonde hair and blue eyes. She was decked out in a lavender sweatshirt with red cuffs and a matching stripe across the middle, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes with lavender soles. Plus, she had an earring shaped like the moon on her right ear and a star-shaped one on her left ear. She also had what appeared to be a pink clip in her hair. She was sipping a milkshake through a pink straw.

Amemi paused for a moment. She was not sure who this girl was, yet as long as she was sitting with her, she decided to say _something_. "Hi," she said with a smile.

The girl looked up and smiled in return. She extended her hand. "Hi, I'm Sabrina Spellman."

Amemi shook Sabrina's hand. She looked at the milkshake. "Is that Rainbow-flavored?"

Sabrina nodded. "How did you know?"

"It's my favorite flavor."

"It's my favorite, too."

Amemi had to smile all the more. She felt like she had just done what Sora tended to do all the time. She had made a new friend out of a stranger.

"Amemi," Sabrina spoke up. "Have you seen a cat named 'Salem'?"

* * *

Back at the counter, Sora took a seat with Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. Scrooge handed the young man an ice-cream bar. One lick of the bar and Sora shook for a moment. "So salty," he muttered to himself. He licked his lips. "But it's still sweet."

He knew exactly what Donald's uncle had given him. Sea-Salt Ice-Cream. As he continued to eat, Sora thought he could feel something inside. He tried not to pay it any mind, except the feeling remained. A finger tapped him on the shoulder. He looked back to see Indigo standing behind him; the angel had a cup of hot-fudge sundae in her right hand.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I thought I heard a voice calling out from inside your heart, Sora," Indigo answered. She pointed to his chest. "Is that normal?"

Sora shook his head. Deep down, he had the feeling that voice was not his. He wondered if Roxas had ever eaten Sea-Salt Ice-Cream while he had lived in Twilight Town….

Indigo headed to a nearby table. Sora noticed his sister was already there, along with another girl. He noticed someone else was seated at the counter to his right. When he glanced over, Sora realized it was a handsome young man with dark hair and bluish eyes. He was wearing a gray business suit.

Sora turned to him. "Hi."

The man stopped reading the newspaper in his hands and turned to gaze at the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder. "Hi," he returned with a smile of his own.

"I'm Sora," Sora introduced.

The man and Sora shook hands. "Nice to meet you," the former said. "I'm Willoughby Whitfield."

"I've never seen you around here before."

"This shop opened about two months ago. Before I came to this world, I lived in Hawk City, Missouri. My uncle owned a construction business in San Francisco, so I moved there. But later, I wanted to move back."

"Why?"

"You see, my uncle wanted to build the tallest building in the world. But to so, he needed a lot of land. One of the buildings he couldn't tear down was an old firehouse. I helped defend that place from him. It was owned by a kind, elderly woman who had a living car called 'Herbie'."

Sora's cone nearly slipped out his hands. "'_Herbie_'?!"

"Yeah. That was what she called him."

Sora could not believe his ears. All this time, he had thought _Herbie_ had originated from _**Disney Castle**_. Now, he knew the truth. Turns out, the modified racecar-turned-Gummi Ship had actually come from whatever world Willoughby came from.

He wondered how many others in this world were not native to this world. That caused him to question the rest of the worlds he had been to. After all, Milo Thatch and the rest of the expedition's crew had been on a quest to locate Atlantis. How did he know they were not from a completely different world? What about John Smith and the rest of the explorers with him? Had they _really_ travelled across the ocean? How did he know they had not crossed between worlds? He wondered if anybody in _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_, _**Middleton**_, _**The Beast's Castle**_, and _**The Outback**_ was not from those worlds. Chances were, all those mysteries would always be mysteries.

A loud crashing came from behind the counter. Sora and the others all spun their attention over to the kitchen. Scrooge was in the back, waving his cane around like a sword. He was in pursuit of a black cat with a golden collar. A red pentagon jewel was attached to the collar. The cat had a pink spot on the bottom of each of his paws. "_Somebody_!" Scrooge yelled. "_**Stop**_ that cat!"

The cat jumped over the counter. He landed on Donald's hat, startling the duck magician. The cat proceeded to leap across the room. Donald fell out of his seat; his cone landed onto his head. Melting chocolate dripped down the duck's face. He glared at the cat and waved his fist. "What's the _**big**_ idea, ya big _**palooka**_?!"

The cat ended up on the table where Amemi, Sabrina, and Indigo were sitting. When landed on the circular tabletop, the three girls jumped up in surprise. The cat stood up and waved his paw at Scrooge. "You'll be hearing from _my_ lawyer!" he declared. "Whatever happened to 'the customer is _**always**_ right'?!"

Willoughby chuckled at the sight. "Actually," he remarked. "It's 'the customer is always right — within _reason_'."

Sabrina scowled at the cat. "_**Salem**_!" she scolded.

Salem crossed his paws across his chest. "It's not _**my**_ fault," he stated, shutting his eyes. "Half the ice-cream in this joint's without fish. The other half has tomatoes covered in chocolate."

Scrooge waved his fists at Sabrina and Salem. "Take your cat _**out**_ of my shop!" he snapped. "_**No**_ pets allowed!"

Sabrina sighed and took Salem to the doorway. Launchpad rose from the counter and headed for the exit. Sora saw this and asked, "Where are you going, Launchpad?"

"Mister McDee said 'no pets allowed'," replied the pilot.

Scrooge shook his head. "You're not a 'pet', Launchpad," he announced. "I told you the same thing more than ten years ago — back when Huey, Dewey, and Louie stayed at McDuck Manor."

Launchpad started to ponder aloud; his hand went straight to his huge chin. "How long has it been?! I was in the '_Disney Royal Air Force_' for twelve and a half years," he declared. He paused. "Or was it half of twelve years? Two years? Maybe it was _one_ year!"

Donald retained his scowl as the ice-cream continued to drip down his face. He laid on his stomach and started to drum his fingers on the floor. He was grumbling, yet Sora could not tell what he was saying. The young man presumed that was a _good_ thing. He had the feeling Donald's word choices were like that of a professional sailor — one whose reputation matched the style of speaking they were known for using.

Sabrina came strolling back to her seat and resumed drinking her milkshake. Outside, Salem was peering in through the front window. As he looked out the window, Sora saw Leon, Yuffie, and Chelsy outside. Realizing he had gotten sidetracked (again), the brown, spikey-haired youth quickly roused his teammates. After reminding them what they were supposed to be doing, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo all trailed Sora out the door.

Once they were outside the parlor, Sora strolled up to Leon. "Sorry about taking so long," he said, rubbing the back of his head and looking down. He gave a grin.

Leon had to show a smile. Sora knew that look. The man with the scar on his forehead had shown this look _many_ times. "So, are you finally ready to go?"

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah."

"Let's go," Leon turned and headed down the stairs leading to the town's neighborhoods. Sora led the way for his friends. Donald and Goofy were directly behind him. Launchpad was next, followed by Amemi. Indigo was last in line.

"Please slow down," Indigo panted. She was not used to running so rapidly in unfamiliar lands. She would rather fly or walk than run. She had very little stamina when it came to dashing across the land on foot.

Yuffie and Chelsy remained at the marketplace. Without another word, the two began their patrols.

* * *

The town's neighborhoods seemed a little nicer than before. Large patches of moss and ivy covered the bluish stone walls. The sides of some houses were being painted. Red, blue, and green seemed to be the most popular colors. Some of the windows were shaped like perfect baseball diamonds.

As they passed one of the many small fountains located along the walls, Sora said, "This place looks better than before."

"This part is almost done," Leon informed the spikey, brown-haired young man. "When we get more of the town finished, I'll take you racing," he grinned. "Have you ever ridden a Chocobo?"

Sora stopped dead in his tracks. "Huh?"

He felt someone slam into him from behind. There was another impact, followed by another, then another, then another. He nearly toppled over onto the street. Sora stole a glance back. Donald had slammed straight into him. Goofy, in turn, had ran into the duck mage. Launchpad had crashed into the knight. Amemi had somehow bumped into the duck-pilot. Lastly, Indigo had banged directly into the sandy-headed girl.

Sora had to shake his head. He liked Slapstick comedy, but this was ridiculous. He turned his head back to Leon. The man with the Gunblade was shaking his head and smiling. "What's a 'Chocobo'?" Sora questioned.

"It's a giant bird you can ride," Leon answered. "You'll see. We're going to build a Chocobo raceway over there," he pointed into the direction of the still-under-construction areas. "Cid's drawing up the plans as we speak. I'll let _you_ be the first one to try it out once it's finished, Sora."

Sora gave a perplexed look. Although he did not know what a "'Chocobo'" was, he decided not to let it get in the way of doing something fun. Even if he had to wait some time before he raced on one of those… "'Chocobo's", Sora would still give it a try when the time finally came to do so. Why not? They sounded like _**lots**_ of fun. He could just picture himself riding a horse-like chicken. Okay, maybe that wasn't the best image he could come up with. Either way, he would most-likely enjoy it once he tried it.

"Okay," he said at last.

Leon had to shake his head again. A shout filled the air. "_**Help**_!" it said.

All eyes spun into the direction of the shout. Leon pulled out his weapon. "I've got to help them," he turned to Sora. "Go to the castle. I'll meet you there."

With that, the young man hurried down a side-street and out of sight. Sora sighed. He could not recall the exact way to the castle's entrance. The first time around, Bert had showed them the way, only that felt like days ago. Technically, it _was_ days ago, yet who cared? It did not matter.

The point was, he did not remember how to reach the castle from the marketplace. He looked down at the ground.

"Sora?" Donald asked.

"Are you feeling alright?" Indigo inquired.

Sora shook his head. "Sorry, guys. I don't remember how to get to the castle."

Amemi folded her arms. "How could you forget which way we need to do?"

"Bert showed us last time."

"Who's 'Bert'?"

"Do you mean 'Bert' from 'Bert and Ernie' on the show, '_Sesame Street_'?" Indigo asked.

Sora shook his head. "No. Not that."

"Gee," Goofy murmured aloud. "May-bee ya got all mixed up because of them Chocolate boards."

"Leon said 'Chocobos'," Donald corrected.

Sora shook his head. He was feeling totally downcast. He was not sure which way to go, let alone what to do. Here he was, supposed to be a leader. And yet, he was unable to find his way through the town. The place felt like a labyrinth, only in daylight. If only he had paid more attention before….

A deep voice chuckled. "Well, well! I ain't never seen anybody looking so sad in all my years."

The group whirled their focus to a nearby house. When he saw the umbrella-shaped gizmos on the roof, Sora knew it was Merlin's house. He led the others to the building. Sitting in a wooden rocking chair outside was an older man who looked familiar. Sora smiled, recalling this was Uncle Remus.

"Hey there, Uncle Remus!" he waved.

"Well," Remus said in a friendly tone-of-voice. "I haven't seen you since you left about one week ago."

Donald strode up to the older gentleman. "_What_'s so funny?!" he demanded.

"Ya'll found my laughin' place."

"_Huh_?!"

"What's a 'Laughing Place'?" Sora asked.

"It sounds like a figure-of-speech," Indigo tried to clarify.

Remus seemed a bit surprised. "Ya folks have never heard of a laughin' place?"

Sora and the others exchanged looks that seemed to read "Huh?" Knowing they had never heard of such a place, Remus smiled. "Once, Br'er Rabbit tricked Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear into letting him go by taking them to his laughin' place."

Goofy and Launchpad both burst out laughing. Sora turned to them. "What's so funny?" he questioned.

"I haven't heard that story in _years_," Launchpad replied.

"Me neither," Goofy added.

Sora wanted to roll his eyes. He had absolutely no clue what Uncle Remus was talking about, only that it did not make any sense to him. He shrugged it all aside and turned back to Remus. "Hey, do you know the way to the castle?"

"Sure do," Remus answered. He pointed to the right. "If ya'll follow that road, it'll bring you straight there."

Sora gave a nod. "Thanks."

He waved goodbye and headed down the street. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were directly behind. Remus chuckled as he watched the group disappear from sight. "That's why I called this spot my laughin' place," he said to himself.

* * *

As he and his team headed down the street, Sora had the feeling this was not the correct way to go. Nothing looked familiar to him. The further down the road they went, the more everything appeared to be closer and closer to be finished. The houses were becoming more and more complete. However, the castle was supposed to be surrounded by unfinished sites. Sora recalled all the construction crews and machinery he'd seen around the castle's base. He even recollected passing a stack of metal and plastic pipes.

Yet, _this_ area looked all built up. He gazed upward. A fountain of water could be seen from the top of the nearest tower. As he looked closely, Sora thought he saw Reno and Rude standing on the top of the tower's roof. He dismissed it as his complete imagination.

"Come on," he told the others behind him.

"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked as everyone hurried down the street. "This don't feel quite right."

Sora ignored the knight's comment and raced around a corner. He sprinted with such haste, he slammed straight into someone on the other side. Amemi was moving just as rapidly and also rammed into the unknown figure. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo quickly caught up with the two. They all came to a stop when they saw the young man before them; the figure was holding a large brush that resembled something used in a barber shop.

Sora looked up into the startled man's blue eyes. One look at his black hair, worn-out dark clothing, and the black cap on his head, and the seventeen-year-old immediately knew who it was. "Hey, Bert! Long time, no see!" he declared.

It took Bert a full minute before he realized who had run into him. He grinned and tipped his hat to them. "'Ello, Sora!" he said. "It 'as been so long since you was last 'ere. 'ow's things?"

"It's been good," Sora admitted. True, things _had_ ended up turning out good — _in the __**end**_. He had saved an entire civilization from a greedy commander. He had prevented a war. He had ended a judge's reign of terror. He had stopped a mad scientist from taking over the world. He had brought Christmas and Hope back to a whole castle. He had even rescued a young boy from a wanted poacher and two others from _Maleficent's Castle_. A _**lot**_ had happened, and he had the feeling his quest was only about half over.

There was just one week left before Christmas came, and he needed to ensure all the worlds were safely out of harm's way before the holiday itself arrived.

Amemi pointed at Bert with two fingers. "This is Bert?"

"Yes, ma'am," Bert nodded. He tipped his hat for the sandy-headed teenager. "Bert's the name. I 'ave been a sweep, artist, musician, carpenter, and plumber."

"Oh, so you're a jack-of-all-trades," Amemi smiled, sensing Bert was a kind-hearted fellow. She liked people who were sincere and friendly alike. "My name's Amemi," she introduced. "Sora's my brother."

Bert took a short glance between the two siblings. "I see," he acknowledged. "The resemblance is amazing…. "

"What do you mean?" Sora and Amemi said together.

"You both 'ave the same color eyes. Your faces look 'bout the same size, and you 'ave the same color skin."

Sora and Amemi both looked at one another. Their eyes may look the same, but Sora's were azure. Amemi's were a shiny-blue. Outside of that, everything else Bert had claimed was accurate. Apparently, it was easy to tell they were related, even if their personalities did not too much in common. Sora was a little naïve and held a strong sense of justice. Amemi was happy-go-lucky and self-determined to help everyone she could.

"So," Bert went on. "Can I 'elp you with anything?"

"Well, maybe," Sora said in answer. "We're on our way to the castle, but this area doesn't look familiar."

"No wonder it does not look right. You 'ave been 'eading in the wrong direction."

Donald scowled at Sora. Indigo folded her arms and stopped smiling. Amemi crossed her arms. Goofy and Launchpad both scratched their heads and shrugged. Jiminy hopped out of the brown-haired young man's hoodie and frowned. Taking all these looks into account, all Sora could do was show a nervous grin in return. "Sorry, guys. I guess I got us lost."

"I thought you said you knew the way to the castle," Indigo said.

Sora was shocked. "I never said—!"

"Why did you lead us _this_ way?" Amemi inquired.

"You got us _**lost**_, ya big palooka!" Donald snorted.

"Well, he _did_ say he didn't know thuh way," Goofy pinpointed.

"Maybe he needs a compass rose," Launchpad blurted. "But there aren't any flowers close by. Where can we find a rose?"

Bert smiled. "I can show you the way, I suppose."

Sora gave a nod. He placed his hands behind his head and relaxed. "Thanks, Bert!"

Bert led the way down the street. "Come along. I'll take you there."

Before long, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo were following Bert down the street. The well-built houses started to transition into half-finished structures that lacked paint. Pieces of lumber and steel pipes were lying on the sides of the road amidst crates of this and that.

As she strolled along, Amemi kept an eye on the scenery. This place seemed more and more like a slum back home on the _**Destiny Islands**_ than a town under construction. Fearing the Heartless would jump out at any time for a surprise assault, the teenage girl kept in step with the others. Her mind started to wander. She recalled how Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were supposed to be from another world. Knowing what Sora had told her before about everyone in this place being from various worlds, she started to ponder deeper.

"Excuse me, Bert," she said. "What world are you from?"

Everyone slowed their pace, but they did not stop moving. Sora stared at his sister. He had not thought about it much, yet he had wondered what worlds most of the townspeople in the _**Radiant Garden**_ came from. Several of them were wayfarers — not from this world. Scrooge McDuck, Merlin, and Willoughby Whitfield were among them. Now, he was questioning if Bert and Uncle Remus were also from other worlds. If so, where were they from? What about that girl Amemi had met? What was her name? Sabrina? He thought that was what he had heard Amemi say at one point.

Perhaps over half of this world's population consisted of the former residents of other worlds. What worlds they were and what had become of those worlds were mysteries Sora knew no one really wanted to discuss. That was especially true for those whose worlds had been lost to the Darkness.

He knew how _that_ felt. His home — the _**Destiny Islands**_ — had been attacked by the Heartless at one time, too. He knew there were lots of worlds that had been attacked at one time or another. Each of the _**official**_ Sleeping Worlds had been attacked and destroyed, too. To think, _**Corona**_, _**Pixie Hollow**_, _**Rascal's Dreamland**_, _**Camelot**_, _**The Country of The Musketeers**_, and _**The Symphony of Sorcery**_ had all been lost to Darkness. Chances were, so had _**The Land of Dragons**_, _**The Pride Lands**_, _**Port Royal**_, _**The Beast's Castle**_, _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_, _**Jamestowne**_, and _**Middleton**_. He had never visited any of those worlds during his first adventure with Donald and Goofy. They had all been restored back to their original states once the three, King Mickey, and Riku had sealed the Door To Darkness.

"Well now," Bert began, tearing Sora away from his deep contemplation. "I used to live in the city of London. I was working the streets. That is where I met the most beautiful woman you would 'ave ever laid eyes on — Mary Poppins."

"'Mary Poppins'?" Sora asked. In his peripheral vision, he saw Donald scolding Amemi for what the duck called "'meddling in other worlds' affairs'".

"Why, yes. If you ever met 'er, you would be on another jolly 'oliday. 'er imagination is strong enough to make the most impossible things 'appen. She asked me to join 'er, but I stayed with my first love — the London rooftops."

"Yeesh!" Launchpad declared. "Sounds like you were on Cloud Fifty-nine!"

"Yeah," Goofy remarked, equally amazed.

Donald rolled his eyes. Sora shook his head and smiled at their reactions. He turned back to Bert as Amemi asked him another question. "Why did you love the rooftops?"

"I'm glad you asked," Bert looked up at the bright, blue sky up above. Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo all did the same. "_Up where the smoke is all billered and curled_," the black-haired man said in a style that sounded a little like he was singing. "_'Tween pavement and stars, is the Chimney Sweep world. When there's 'ardly no day, nor 'ardly no night, there's things 'alf in shadow and 'alfway in light_."

Sora paused as he tried to picture what the man was saying. It appeared the rooftops of "London" in the world Bert was from mainly consisted of chimneys and lots of soot and smoke. With all that smoke, he could imagine the view would largely be darkened. Yet, he also knew there would be those times when the Sun's light would shine through the soot and provide a bit of warmth to the workers as they cleaned the dozens of chimneys. The description Bert had given was so picturesque, the spikey, brown-headed Keyblade wielder could see an image in his mind of what world the former had come from.

Knowing how Bert was a "'appy-go-lucky chap" as he would put it, Sora had to smile. He knew this meant the chimney sweep enjoyed what he did, even if it was not the cleanest job in any world. There was nothing more important to a person than doing a job they loved. It was clear the "'_Chimney Sweep world_'" was the young man's passion. Now, he would more-than-likely be doing the same at the _**Radiant Garden**_ — once the town was finished.

"_On the rooftops of London_," Bert added. He smiled, as though reminiscing his former home. "_Coo! What a __**sight**_!"

Through the corner of his eye, Sora saw Indigo cross her arms. She had her head slightly tilted and leaning against her left hand. Her antennae were slowly moving around like they were a submarine's periscope trying to locate an enemy ship to sink.

Sora's mind continued to wander. He wondered if anything Bert was saying sounded familiar to the angel. After all, she probably had been to many other worlds before he'd found her in that castle. Maybe she had met this "Mary Poppins" Bert had mentioned? Or perhaps she'd seen that world for herself?

The group rounded another corner and stopped. Bert pointed into the distance. Down a long, dirt road was the castle. Sora noted how red flags marked the road's outline, something he had not noticed before. His mind had probably been preoccupied the last time he and his friends had travelled this way.

Still, like before, there were lots of construction crews hard and work. An entire layout of foundations had been laid on in one area, and a foreman was busy checking the plans to ensure the buildings would look like the blueprints depicted them.

On the other side of the street, several workers were taking a break. Even though they were a distance away, Sora and his friends could hear their laughter. Several long, plastic pipes were stacked beside the workers; they were tied in place, clearly to prevent any from sliding done and crushing somebody.

Closer to the castle, a group of workers were using their construction vehicles to smooth the land and make the hill steadier. The bluish rock was being pushed aside and leveled out.

Sora then looked up at the castle. Not much had changed in regards to the building's appearance. The same cranes were still located along the base. The outside walls were just as silver as before, although the slight shade of pinkish-red coating along the foundation had spread across the entire first floor. The top of the structure was finished and bright yellow paint covered the tallest tower. A second tower was leaning out from the other side and the framework for two additional towers were still jutting out from either side of the castle a few stories above the base. The two lowest towers were partly covered by metal plates and some other things; Sora was not sure what they were called.

Sora turned to Bert. "Thanks, again."

Bert tipped his hat and smiled brighter than ever. "Like I said, 'I am just willing to 'elp'. G'day to you all!"

As the young man walked off, Sora led the way down the road to the castle. Indigo, Amemi, Launchpad, Goofy, and Donald were not far behind. They rushed past the resting construction workers. The workmen stopped their joking and watched as the group sped on by.

"What's their hurry?" one asked. The others shrugged. They returned to what they had been doing before. Laughing and sipping their coffee.

* * *

The castle's entrance was as empty as it had been the first time Sora had set foot upon it. Even though the group was outside, the area remained untouched. After charging up the flight of marble steps, the group took a few minutes to catch their breath. They had just run nearly a mile or two or three.

And what a run! Not far down the road, they had encountered some Heartless on the prowl. They had slashed, slammed, shot, and froze the creatures into oblivion. At one point, one of the Heartless had snatched Indigo's right wing. Amemi had spun around and fired her slingshot at the monster, terminating it in a flash. At another point in the frenzy, Goofy had shielded Launchpad from a charging Defender Heartless. Donald had also been forced to using a _Cura_ spell on Sora when three Flying Squirrel Heartless had ambushed the Keyblader. Despite emerging victorious from that battle, Sora knew the Heartless were getting stronger with every battle they were doing.

He did not wish to think about what still lay up ahead on their quest….

After the battle, Sora and his team had headed down the rest of the road. At one particular spot, Sora had felt a strange presence. He had stopped for a moment; everyone else had continued, not even noticing he had halted. That same sensation of Light and Darkness mixed into one crossed his mind. When he had looked towards the castle's foundation, Sora had realized nothing looked out of the ordinary. He had then shoved the feeling aside and continued on his way.

Now, he was becoming curious about what he had sensed. Since when did Light and Darkness mix together? Usually, they remained separate. It was the _same_ feeling he had felt the last time he had gone down this road. Deep, deep down, he had a _very_ bad feeling something terrible was happening underneath the castle. Could it be Xehanort? Or was Maleficent up to her old tricks?

He decided to leave those questions for another day.

Sora led Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo to the entranceway. Dilan and Aeleus were still standing guard. After showing their red, VIP cards, the group was allowed into the castle. As they strode through the front door, Sora noticing something seemed different about the entrance hall. He looked up at the ceiling. Large, plastic snowflakes were placed on the second floor railings. Lots of colorful lights were strung around the room. At first, it seemed the lights were blinking. It turned out the lights were flashing in accordance to a song playing in the background on a set of speakers installed on the walls.

"_Oh, the weather outside is frightful_," it went. "_But the fire is so delightful. And since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, __**let it snow**_!"

Sora had to smile. He knew that song anywhere. The actor, Dean Martin, had sang it years ago. "_**Let it snow**_" — _that_'s what it was called! He enjoyed that song. His Mom always played it every Christmas, specifically when the group was setting up the tree and getting ready to open presents.

He wondered what his Mom was up to right now. She was probably worried about him and Amemi. That was common. She tended to become frantic when one of her children was not around, and she had no clue where they were. He imagined she was in total panic mode when the _**Destiny Islands**_ had been attacked by the Heartless. Chances were, _if_ she was concerned right now, it was because Amemi had stowed away aboard _Herbie_.

In the space between the two staircases, a large, evergreen tree was set up with gifts all around it. Ornaments of every size, shape, and color decorated the tree, along with silver garland, non-flickering lights, and a shiny, white angel on top. Seated on a wooden bench beside the tree was Leon. He appeared to be relaxing; he _had_ been waiting for a long time.

When he saw the group approaching, the brown-haired young man smiled. "So, you made it."

"Yeah," Sora said, showing his famous grin. He scratched the side of his cheek with his right index finger. "Sorry about that. We got a little lost."

"That is _**not**_ correct!"

The two swung their eyes to the left. Indigo was standing before the tree with her arms at her sides. She pointed at the angel on the top of the tree. "That is _**not**_ what an angel looks like!"

Sora wanted to shake his head. It was true. It would take some time for everyone to understand what an angel truly _was_ like. Violet and Indigo had broken the stereotype most people thought of when they pictured angels. The two sisters lacked halos and their wings were not feathery. They did not carry golden harps around with them. They also were not wearing white robes.

If anything, the angels partly resembled butterflies. How else could Sora describe the shape of their wings and their antennae? It was not easy. He was terrible at choosing words to describe things. He had failed English class two years straight, and he had the feeling he had failed it once again this past semester.

Leon shook his head and smiled. Judging from the man's reaction, Amemi had the feeling some of her brother's personality had rubbed off on him. That was far from uncommon. Sora tended to have a similar effect on lots of people.

Leon rose from the bench and picked up his Gunblade. He put it over his shoulder like it was a towel. "Let's go," he told the group.

Sora nodded. He led Indigo, Amemi, Launchpad, Goofy, and Donald up the stairs after Leon. They all headed down a short corridor and ended up in an enormous room in the middle of the castle. One look up or down, and it became clear how massive the building was in reality. Down below, there was nothing except dark shadows. Straight up, a giant, stained-glass window could be seen. Goofy grinned when he saw the distinct pattern on the window. "A-Hyuck! Sparkly!"

Leon led the group to a platform with a curved cage-like top. Everyone stepped aboard the platform. Leon shut the door and pushed a button on a small, rectangular box rising from the floor. The top face of the box was tilted at an angle, providing easy access to the controls on it.

The caged platform started to move. Up it went, higher and higher into the castle. Sora quickly realized they were on an elevator-lift — just like the ones the Beast, Goofy, Donald, and him had used to transport themselves through this castle. Back then, this place had been swamped with powerful Heartless. That was when Maleficent had been in control of this world.

After going up a few stories, the elevator-lift stopped at another landing. Leon opened the door and led Sora, Amemi, and the others off and down another corridor. It was not long before they reached a doorway. Leon and Sora pushed the large doors open, revealing a rather dark chamber.

One look around, and Sora believed his recognized this room. It resembled a hall, with a narrow corridor leading into a large, circular space. The floor was tiled with a silver coating. The walls were made of faded, white stone. The ceiling matched the walls, only with stone beams holding up the ceiling. Black lines representing black vines decorated the walls at regular intervals.

As he swept his eyes around, Sora suddenly remembered why he knew this room. This was where he had faced Maleficent around two years before. She had transformed into a dragon after Riku had used that Keyblade to unlock her heart. In the end, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and the Beast had struck her down, and the dark fairy had seemingly vanished into the Darkness. Later, a strange figure in a black-hooded coat had shown up in this same room.

This was the Castle's Chapel.

As he led the way through the room, Sora noticed two people at the far end. One was a young woman with golden hair that flowed gently down to her shoulders and pale skin. She was wearing a red dress with short sleeves that was decorated with lots of yellow daisies, blue boots, and had a green ribbon in her hair. She also had a shadowing on the upper part of her green eyes

When he saw a couple sparkles on each of her cheeks, Sora knew this was Myrna.

The other was an older, young woman sporting shoulder-length black hair and dark-brown eyes. She was wearing a long, sleeveless, blue sweater, a pair of matching arm warmers, a black tank-top, a denim skirt, a black ribbon on her left arm, black shorts, and a pair of silver-buckled black boots. When he saw her necklace with a ring on it, Sora knew this was Rinoa.

As the group drew closer, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo saw Myrna was kneeling on the floor with her hands folded. Rinoa was standing and gazing at the far wall. Her right hand clutched her necklace, even though it was around her neck.

Leon stopped and turned to Sora. "I have somewhere to be," he whispered. "I'll let you handle the rest."

Before Sora could speak, Leon turned and rushed out the door. Sora's team watched as the young man disappeared down the hallway beyond. Sora was stumped. Why did it seem Leon did not want to be anywhere near Rinoa? He had noticed this before, after Rinoa had called Leon "Squall" twice. Leon had mentioned _something_ about Kairi and Sora belonging together… or something like that. Then, nothing. The man had not finished the conversation. It felt out-of-character for Leon to act this way, at least as far as Sora was concerned.

Curious if the two might have had a fight after he had departed before, Sora strode over to where Rinoa was standing. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad trailed the young man all the way. Amemi and Indigo walked over to Myrna; the young woman saw them and smiled.

Rinoa was not smiling. Sora tapped her on the shoulder. The woman spun around. She relaxed when she saw it was just Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. With a hint of a smile, Rinoa placed her arms behind her. "It's good to see you again, Sora."

"Yeah, you too," Sora gave a nod. That was when he decided to get serious. "Rinoa, what're you doing?"

Rinoa's smile faded. She sighed deeply. "I was thinking about my cousin. This has happened every day for the last ten years…. "

Launchpad looked puzzled. "Why does this 'cousin' mean so much to you? I only have _one_ cousin, but she doesn't crash."

"We were so close," Rinoa explained. She turned around and shifted her eyes to the ceiling. "We both loved to pick flowers, hear stories about the Light, and make things. I also can't forget how strong her Light was. It was brighter than anything else I've ever known…. "

Sora crossed his arms. For some reason, the more he listened to Rinoa, the more he thought he could hear Kairi's voice speaking to him. He knew that was impossible. Kairi was at Master Yen Sid's tower, training how to use her Keyblade. Then again, his heart was connected to hers. Maybe _that_ was how it was possible?

He shook it off. Perhaps there was just one solution. He needed to help Rinoa leave her depressed state. To do that, he could only think of one option. "_I'll_ find your cousin!" he blurted.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad stared at him. "You shouldn't make so many promises," Donald stated, shaking his finger at the seventeen-year-old.

Sora shrugged with a smile. "How hard could it be? She said her cousin has a strong Light, right? All we have to do is find a girl with a strong Light."

Donald and Goofy both looked at one another. They exchanged looks with Launchpad. Jiminy leapt out of his spot in Sora's hoodie. "Hmm," the cricket pondered aloud. "It seems to me, we should do what it best for everyone."

"I know," Sora said. "But I've already made up my mind. We'll _find_ Rinoa's cousin!"

Rinoa showed a brighter smile. Sora had never seen her this pleased before. It almost looked like she had been switched out for someone with an opposing personality. "Thank you, Sora," she said. "When you find my cousin, you'll know it is her."

Sora gave a nod. Although he was not sure what Rinoa meant exactly, he decided not to let it bother him. Leave it to his heart to figure out. He never like riddles anyway.

Knowing he still needed to round up his sister and Indigo, Sora led Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad over to where the two were chatting away with Indigo. As they approached the three girls, Sora and his friends heard some giggling.

"I wonder what's so funny?" Goofy commented.

Donald put a finger to his bill. "Shh!"

The duck's shushing echoed through the otherwise silent hall. Myrna, Amemi, and Indigo all whirled their focus to Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. The three girls stood up straight and smiled. "Sora," Amemi said.

Myrna waved to Launchpad. The duck-pilot waved back; he had an immense grin showing on his face. She then turned her attention over to Sora. "Did you and your friends come by to help plan for our upcoming '_Christmas Celebration_'?"

Amemi slid over to her older brother. "I volunteered the two of us to sing, '_The First Noel_'. What do you think?"

Sora was startled. He had not expected someone else to make such a hasty decision for him. Knowing how much his little sister enjoyed that song, he nodded in return. "Okay," he agreed.

Donald raised his hand. "I wanna sing '_Hark! The Herald Angels Sing_'!" he pointed his right thumb at Indigo. "And I'll do it with her."

Sora and Goofy both shook their heads. They recalled how Donald had had a _**terrible**_ singing voice during that Undersea Musical in _**Atlantica**_. His voice was not just off-key, it had too much "'_QUACK_'".

Indigo shook her head and waved her arms into an X-like form in front of her. "_**No**_ _**way**_! I do _**not**_ like going on stage."

Donald slapped himself in the face. "Aw phooey!"

Sora had to smile. As he and the others laughed at Donald's reaction, a thought crossed the young man's mind. He turned to Indigo. "There's nothing to worry about," he told the angel. "If it's gonna help, I'll play the keyboard for you."

"You would do that?" a surprised Indigo asked.

Sora nodded. "C'mon! How hard could it be?"

"And _I_'ll play the drums!" Donald boasted.

Launchpad sighed. "I guess Goofy and I will be on the guitars, again."

"Yup," Goofy nodded in agreement.

"Can I play the triangle?" Amemi asked.

Indigo paused for a short minute. She finally smiled and nodded. "Okay," she said. "I shall give it a try."

Sora gave the angel a thumbs-up. "Great!"

Myrna stepped into the middle of the group. "Do you want to say 'Hi' to Aerith?" she inquired.

Amemi swiftly beamed and nodded. "Yes!" she declared with delight. She had enjoyed meeting the young woman. She did not know why, yet she had sensed some kind of connection between the two. She still wondered what it was.

Myrna headed for the exit. She signaled for the others to follow. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo trailed her out of the room and over to a flight of stairs leading down into the castle's lower floors.

* * *

Myrna pushed the doorway open. After strolling down a white hallway, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo expected to end up in a plain, white room. To their surprise, the had ended up in a decent-sized waiting room with yellow walls and a golden ceiling. The floor seemed to sparkle with its yellow and blue tiles. A row of chairs lined two of the walls. In the middle of the room was a table covered in magazines and comic books.

On one side of the room, there was a doorway. Beside it was a glass window. A blood-red cross was emblazoned on the wall, indicating this was the castle's medical wing.

Sora had to admit, this area looked completely different compared to rest of the castle. It felt much brighter and nicer. As he looked around, he noticed a few more rows of chairs were stacked beside the doorway. "What's all this for?" he asked, gestured to the furniture.

"We haven't finished setting it up yet," Myrna informed the spikey-haired youth. She led the group to the next room. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad decided to stay in the waiting room and look at the books on the table. Only Sora, Amemi, and Indigo followed Myrna into the next room.

On the other side of the doorway, Sora, Myrna, Amemi, and Indigo found a wide space. Several rolling beds were set up. Curtains were attached from floor to ceiling. Large windows were placed along the wall to the right of the group. The ceiling was nearly twenty feet up in the air, so Sora was amazed the curtains were not falling down. He turned to Myrna. "How come everything is lined up like this?" he asked.

Myrna crossed her arms. "Once the castle's finished being restored, we'll have individual rooms for each of these beds."

Sora gave a nod. Being the leader of the _Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_ meant he needed to check on things like this. It was a good thing Myrna was easy to talk to. If it had been someone like Cloud, he would _never_ have gotten an answer.

Myrna led the group to one of the beds. There, they found Aerith standing beside the bed. Sora and Amemi noticed the red cross marked on a white sleeve-like badge on her arm. Sora was not sure what it was called, yet he had seen people wear them in movies that took place during wartime.

"Is she going to be alright?" Myrna asked.

Aerith gave a nod. "She's okay, just unconscious."

Sora looked at the bed. A girl around Amemi's age was lying under the cream-colored sheets. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be dozing. Her skin was rather pale compared to the Keyblader wielder's, and she had short, reddish hair that seemed to point downwards on either side of her head and the back. She had two bobby-pins stuck in her right bang; they criss-crossed each other in the form of an "X". Her face seemed smooth and her chin came to a point above her neck. Her head turned slight, revealing she had the back of her hair tied into a small ponytail.

Indigo was nearly alarmed. "Who is _this_?!" she exclaimed.

"We don't know," Aerith responded. "We're calling her '_Jane Doe_' until she wakes up."

"What happened to her?" Sora asked. He reached out and placed the back of his right hand against the girl's cheek. She did not move. He removed his hand and started to wonder who this really was. She almost looked like one of the character's in a Japanese anime show Kairi's sisters watched. Maybe… she _was_ one of those characters? Stranger things _had_ happened!

"She was attacked by the Heartless," Aerith explained, keeping her eyes on the girl. "Leon and Yuffie tried to help her, but she was thrown into a wall. She probably will have amnesia when she wakes up."

Amemi leaned against the side of the bed. One look at the girl, and the sandy-haired teenager sighed. She could not believe a Heartless could do such harm to someone. She felt angry at whatever Heartless had done this. She wanted to make those creatures pay. Whoever was responsible for allowing the Heartless to commit such actions _**needed**_ to be stopped! The only question was, _who_ was behind all those monsters? She had the feeling it was someone _**very**_ dangerous and ferocious!

Amemi leaned close to the girl's ear. "Don't worry," she told her. "I'll help stop whoever did this to you."

The girl did not respond. Amemi sighed and looked down. She felt something on her hand. She looked up and saw the girl had reached out and touched her hand. She stared at the girl. She thought she saw a hint of a smile on the girl's face.

Amemi smiled. She knew the girl's heart had heard her voice. That was enough for her.

At that moment, Myrna rushed out of a nearby doorway. To Amemi, Sora, and Indigo's surprise, she was wearing her white uniform with the First-Aid logo. Sora remembered that outfit. He had seen Myrna wearing it more than once before.

Amemi rose from the bed's side and turned around to face Sora. "She touched my hand," she told her brother.

Sora crossed his arms in thought. He wondered if there was some type of connection between his sister and the mystery girl. If there was, he wondered what they were. Perhaps Amemi had already met the girl a long time ago? That did not seem likely. Chances were, their hearts were connected. Simple as that!

"Sora! Come on!" a perky voice called from the doorway. Sora, Amemi, Indigo, Aerith, and Myrna all whirled their attention to the doorway. Yuffie and a young man Sora recalled was Zell were standing just inside the room. Through the open doorway, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were gazing through the opening.

"Hey, what's up?" Sora asked.

"You have to come with _us_!" Zell declared.

"There's something we have to show you," Yuffie explained. "Everyone's waiting in Ansem's study. Come on!"

Yuffie and Zell headed back through the doorway to lead the way. Recalling how he still needed to talk to Ienzo about the town's security systems, Sora shrugged and followed suit. Amemi and Indigo were directly behind him.

They all had the feeling this was something _**very**_ important!

* * *

**A/N: Are you wondering what Yuffie and Zell have to show Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo?**  
**THAT SHALT HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL CHAPTER 35, WHICH SHALL BE COMING OUT SOMETIME IN EARLY 2017!**

**Before I close out, I have some things to go over.**  
**(1.) The named character at the opening scene was supposed to be Demyx's Somebody. I chose the name "Medy" simply because that sounds a little like "Melody", which matches Demyx's personality and "'_Dance! Water! Dance!_'" Style.**  
**(2.) Much of Huey, Dewey, and Louie's characterizations and dialogue came from the Disney's "_DuckTales_" T.V. Series - the one from the 1980s. I wanted to point this out since Disney is going to be releasing a "_DuckTales_" Reboot sometime next year.**  
**(3.) I know you know who most of the characters in there are from! In case you forgot, I recommend going over Chapter(s) 4, 5, and 6!**  
**I WILL point out (again) how Phoebe Forest, Mike Millard, Chelsy, and Myrna are ALL among my Original Characters!**  
**(4.) I enjoyed including the scene with Bert, the Chimney Sweep from Disney's "_Mary Poppins__ (1964)_". Every time I hear that part of the song in This Chapter, I feel a sense of mystery, spookiness, and magic - DISNEY Magic, to be exact!**  
**(5.) For those of you who did not notice, the "Mystery Girl/'Jane Doe'" is actually NOT one of My Original Characters! In fact, she does NOT belong to Disney, let alone _Square-Enix_! In other words, she is part of a [partial] Crossover I did not announce at the Start of This Story. The reason why I did not announce it? I came up with it earlier This Year - she is from an animated show I had not seen at the time I wrote This Story's Storyline Summary!**  
**I WILL Tell You All THIS MUCH! IF YOU WISH TO LEARN THE IDENTITY OF THAT CHARACTER NOW, LOOK UP THE ANIMATED SHOW ON NETFLIX!**  
**Not enough information? Here are the show's initials: "GF"!**  
**STILL Not enough information?! Here is a HINT to help you figure it out!**  
**HINT: "SHE IS ONE OF FIVE GIRLS WHO TRY TO SAVE EARTH AND THE 'KINGDOM OF [FAIRYTALES]' FROM A GROUP OF DANGEROUS VILLAINS! THEIR MAIN GOAL IS TO BRING ABOUT HAPPY ENDINGS! THEY LIVE IN A REAL-LIFE FAIRY-TALE, AFTER ALL!"**  
**I HOPE THAT IS ENOUGH INFORMATION TO HELP YOU PINPOINT WHO THE CHARACTER IS AND WHERE SHE CAME FROM! I SHALL BE REVEALING ALL OF IT AT A LATER DATE - SOMETIME IN 2017!**

**So, I believe I STILL have to say these!**  
**Willoughby Whitfield is from Disney's "_Herbie Rides Again (1974)_". FUN FACT: The actor, Ken Berry, played that character in the movie!**  
**Sabrina Spellman and Salem are from "_Sabrina -The Animated Series__-_". FUN FACT: The ONLY reason why "_Sabrina -The Animated Series__-_" ended up being a Disney show was because Disney owned "_DIC Entertainment_". I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THAT SHOW IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE ARCHIE COMICS CHARACTER! THIS VERSION IS SEPARATE! AFTER ALL, THERE ARE STORIES ON THIS WEBSITE THAT ARE BASED ON THAT SHOW!**

**Okay! I HAD to state that last point! I do NOT want to come on here one of these days, only to find out This Story was removed because those two characters were in it!**

**With all that said and done, I do not have anything else to say now. To think - I ran out of things to say just as 2016 comes to an end!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!" In Addition, "HAPPY NEW YEAR"!**

**I SHALL RETURN AND HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN - STARTING IN 2017!**


	35. Ch35 - The Hidden Chamber

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HEY THERE! HI THERE! HO THERE! YOU'RE AS WELCOME AS CAN BE!**

**WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY! HERE IT IS - THE FIRST CHAPTER FOR 2017!  
HIP-HIP-POOHRAY! HIP-HIP-POOHRAY! HIP-HIP-POOHRAY FOR ME AND YOU - AND PIGLET, TOO!**

**So, to start things off, I wanted to congratulate all of you who have helped me get This Far in This Story. "Why?", you ask?  
BECAUSE THIS HAPPENS TO BE ABOUT THE HALFWAY POINT! THERE IS ONLY APPROXIMATELY 35 CHAPTERS LEFT TO GO!**

**To THAT end, I decided to try to keep This Opening Segment a little shorter. Nevertheless, I do have a few things to state here first.**

**(1.) Shortly after I posted Chapter 34, I noticed I somehow missed two other well-known actor(s)/actress(es) who passed away last year. Therefore, I am including them at the Start of This Chapter.  
(A.) Garry Marshall (November 13TH, 1934 - July 19TH, 2016; AGE 81) - He was best-known for creating the Classic Show, "_HAPPY DAYS_", its spin-off, "_LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY_", and developing Neil Simon's 1965 play, "_THE ODD COUPLE_" for Television. He also was the voice of Buck "Ace" Cluck in Disney's "_Chicken Little__ (2005)_".  
I find it interesting that his sister is Penny Marshall \- the actress who played Laverne DeFazio on "_LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY_" and Oscar Madison's Secretary, Myrna, on "_THE ODD COUPLE_".  
(B.) Richard O. Linke (October 23RD, 1917 - June 15TH, 2016; AGE 98) - He is often described as the one who "Discovered Andy Griffith". He served as the Producer/Executive Producer for "_THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW_", "_MAYBERRY R.F.D._", "_THE JIM NABORS HOUR_", and "_GOMER PYLE: USMC_".  
I was quite shocked when I learned about his death - especially since "_MAYBERRY R.F.D._" is my favorite Classic Show.**

**(2.) If you think that was all saddening news, I am afraid I have some more. Already This Year (2017), one actor from one of a Classic Show I enjoy a lot is gone, and an actress I enjoyed is also gone.  
I am going to list both here - now.  
(A.) Richard "Dick" Gautier (October 30TH, 1931 - January 13TH, 2017; AGE 85) - He was probably best-known for playing Hymie on the Classic Show, "_GET SMART_", and for starring as Robin Hood in the short-lived television series, "_WHEN THINGS WERE ROTTEN_".  
(B.) Mary Tyler Moore (December 29TH, 1936 - January 25TH, 2017; AGE 80) - She was best-known for playing Mary Richards on "_THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW_", and as Laura Petrie on "_THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW_".  
I HAD to include her since she passed away just this past week. In fact, it was the day after "_Kingdom Hearts 2.8 -HD Final Chapter Prologue-_".  
Plus, I also saw her voice Granny Rose in the animated movie, "_How The Toys Saved Christmas__ (1996)_".**

**(3.) So, with all THAT aside, I also wanted to point out how I added a NEW POLL to my Profile Page! Go Check It Out! It Might Very Likely Have To Do With The Future OF This Story Series!**

**(4.) Yes, I got "****_Kingdom Hearts 2.8 -HD Final Chapter Prologue-_". To be honest, I was expecting it to be a little longer than it is. In other words, I thought the new additions ("_Kingdom Hearts -0.2 Birth By Sleep ~A Fragmentary Passage~-_" AND "_Kingdom Hearts X -Back Cover_" were a little shorter than I had anticipated.  
Well, at least I have a better idea what direction "_KINGDOM HEARTS III_" is headed in!**

**(5.) IT IS TIME TO READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! HAVE FUN! PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 35  
****The Hidden Chamber**

The state of the circular study was the last thing Amemi had expected. The room was very neat and tidy. A set of bookshelves seemed to surround the room from the floor up to about half her height. On one spot of the wall was a large portrait of a man with long, blonde hair, a matching mustache and beard, and blue eyes. Across the rest of the walls were various monitors showing information regarding the town, its defense, and many other things.

A group of people were gathered in the circular study. One of them Amemi easily recognized as Leon, thanks to his long, black hair and that scar on his forehead. Seated at a computer placed on a curved desk in the middle of the room was an older man with short, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a very, very thin goatee on his chin. His outfit consisted of a white T-shirt, baggy blue pants with a very wide, orange waistband, grey socks, and black shoes. He had a necklace with a rectangular charm, reddish-brown goggles, and matching gloves. Amemi noted the toothpick the man was constantly chewing on. For some reason, the man seemed to resemble a pilot.

Behind the blonde-haired man was a rather tall man sporting long, blonde hair with a shorter bang on either side of his face, and bright, light-green eyes. He was wearing a long white lab coat, grey vest, white collared shirt, black pants, silver-lined boots, and a purple ascot.

There was another man also standing in the study. His steel-blue hair was styled into long bangs that covered the whole right side of his face, leaving just one of his bright, blue eyes visible. He was decked on it a white lab coat, purple ascot, black V-neck shirt, and large, silver-trimmed boots.

Amemi's mind started to move. Two of these people reminded her of the villainous Dr. Two-Brains — one of WordGirl's enemies. Their white lab coats seemed to have the same design, with the notable exception of their pockets being deeper. Plus, neither one had messy, white hair, let alone a mouse brain attached to the side of the temple. Therefore, it was probably safe to presume they were far from mad scientists.

Sora strode up to the desk. The pilot and scientists looked up. The man with the toothpick grinned. "Hey! Look who decided to come all the way down to _this_ level!" he said.

"Hiya!" Sora waved. He smiled using his oversized, sideways-crescent moon-shaped mouth. Amemi had to shake her head slightly when she saw this reaction. Her brother was still being himself. Despite everything they had been through, one thing would never change. And that was it.

The two scientists did not smile. The one with the long, blonde hair gave a curious grin as he eyed Amemi and Indigo. He placed his hand against his chin like he was in deep thought. "_Very_ intriguing," he commented. "Who might your latest companions be?"

Sora gave a blank look at the scientist. "Huh?"

"He means, who are your new friends?" the scientist with the steel-blue hair clarified.

"Oh!" Sora gave a nod of understanding. He gestured to the sandy-haired teenager beside him. "This's my sister, Amy."

"'Amemi', he sister quickly corrected. "Sora, when will you learn to introduce me properly?"

Sora rubbed the back of his head. He gave a large grin and his eyes shifted to the ceiling. "Uh, well…. "

He hastily turned his attention to Indigo. The angel was standing to his right, the opposite of his younger sibling. "This is Indigo," he announced, placing his right hand onto her shoulder. "She's an angel — the one we were looking for."

Indigo rapidly slid her feet to the right. Sora's hand slipped from her shoulder. When he realized she had widened the gap between the two, he shook his head. The angel turned to the group at the desk. "My name is Indigo," she introduced. "The Angel of Hope."

The long, blonde-haired scientist's interest seemed to grow. His grin grew larger. "An angel who resembles a butterfly," he observed. "This _really_ piques my curiosity."

Indigo crossed her arms. "I am _not_ a butterfly," she stated. Her smile turned into a frown. It almost looked as though she was going to start scolding the scientist for making a ridiculous assumption. This sight made Amemi want to roll her eyes and smile. It seemed like Sora influenced everyone he met.

Sora gestured to the group around the desk. He gestured to the two scientists, then at the man at the desk. "This is Even, Ienzo, and Gramps."

The pilot-man slammed his fist onto the desk with such force, the papers on it shuffled around a little. "I told ya _not_ to call me 'Gramps'!" he sternly stated. His teeth crunched his toothpick so much, it snapped in half. "The name's _**Cid**_!"

Sora gave a quick nod. "Oh, yeah! So, what's up?"

"Tron found something of interest," Even replied.

"It was locked deep inside the database," Ienzo added.

"But yer friend sure knows how to hack his way around wit' ease," Cid grinned. He opened a paper box on the desk and picked up another long, thin toothpick. He causally placed it into his mouth and continued to chew. His arms flew behind his head and he leaned back in the chair.

Leon shook his head. He strolled up to Sora. "Cid used to be a chain smoker," he grinned. "But toothpicks are the next best thing for him."

Sora was a bit lost, yet he nodded anyway. He had no idea as to why Leon had chosen then to share that piece of information. Then again, he _had_ learned how the founder of one of the greatest animation companies in the known universe had smoked on a regular basis most of his life. The only main times he hadn't were whenever he was around children. Yet, in the end, he had developed an illness from all the smoking. That illness ultimately led to his demise.

Indigo stepped forward. "So, what you are telling us is someone named 'Tron' found something unexplainable inside a computer system?" she inquired.

"Exactly," Ienzo nodded.

"Tron is a program our former ruler, Lord Ansem, modified after acquiring an old system drifting throughout the endless space between worlds," Even added. "He still exists inside the computer system. Just the other day, he found a hidden file deep within the database, and we have reason to believe…. "

The scientist went into so much more detail, Sora nearly started to doze off. His eyelids became heavy and started to close. He already knew what Even was saying. After all, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo had not there in _**The Grid**_. They had not explored the Non-Sleeping World, so they would certainly be a little lost with _that_ much. Plus, Launchpad, Indigo, and Amemi had never been inside the computer, too.

"…To put it simple," Even finished. "Tron has uncovered a secret file inside the system. It may lead to someplace deep within the castle's basement."

"The room where Xemnas tended to wander off to," Ienzo specified. Even turned to gaze at him. Ienzo returned the stare. "That's what Xigbar told me."

Sora paused in thought. He wondered what room the pair were talking about. Recalling how he had learned the two had used to be members of Organization XIII, he had the feeling the room was of some significance to Xehanort. If Xemnas had often wandered off to it, chances were it contained some clues as to what else Xehanort had in store.

After all, it now appeared the corrupt, yet powerful, Keyblade wielder's scheme was much more complex than ever before. Whatever he was planning _now_ might have something to do with that chamber. Even if there was nothing recent in there, perhaps there was a clue to Xehanort's past and his true ambitions.

Sora gave a nod. "Okay! We'll check it out!"

He glanced at his team. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all gave nods in return. Sora turned back to the desk. "So, how do we get inside this room?"

"Ya'll need some passwords," Cid informed him. He scooped up a piece of notebook paper from the desktop and held it out. "Even and Ienzo wrote them all out on here for ya."

Sora nodded to the pair of scientists. "Thanks," he said as he accepted the paper from Cid. He looked over the text on it.

_**Keyblade**_

_**Kingdom Hearts**_

_**Vanitas**_

_**Angels of Light**_

_**Book of Prophecies**_

_**Heartless**_

_**Midnight Town**_

His eyes grew. There were a total of seven terms. Sora recognized a few of them. The rest looked either completely new or just did not seem to make any sense whatsoever. He had the feeling there was some significance behind each of the seven passwords Xehanort had inserted into the computer's database. He had never met an evildoer who did not have a reason for creating such things.

When he saw the term, "Angels of Light", his mind jumped back to when Violet had first told him about such. Perhaps he _had_ been hastily in calling her a liar — and "The Stupid Demon of Nightmares". If such a password was on this list, chances were those "Angels of Light" truly _**did**_ exist!

"Follow me," Leon said. He headed for a bluish-black corridor in the side of the study. Ienzo was directly behind him. With nods of approval, Sora, Amemi, Indigo, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all trailed along after the twosome.

* * *

Not far down the corridor, Amemi looked down. She stared in complete astonishment. The lime-colored floor was transparent, like a thick window. She could see all the way down to the very bottom of the massive room. The sides of the chamber were lined with scarlet-colored lasers that were pointing at the floor far below. The space in the room was so immense, the world-renowned luxury liner, _**RMS TITANIC**_, could easily have fit inside — with several feet to spare.

Although she was awestruck at the view like a tourist seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time, Amemi quickly followed the others a few more steps until they were all gathered in another, small room. On the right wall (behind them) was a large device that seemed to resemble a laser of some type.

Amemi did not really notice it. Her eyes had descended upon a large computer with a sea-green monitor and large, black keys. She was amazed, having never seen such a Hi-Tech computer. Back on the islands, the nicest computer she had seen was a smaller, yet not as nice, system.

"This is amazing!" she declared, rushing forward to the keyboard.

"_Hey_!" Donald snapped as the teenager bumped into him in a hurry.

Amemi slid to a stop. Her feet screeched against the floor as she halted. She threw her hands onto the keys. "Okay!" she said aloud. "Computer! Where is my homework?"

Nothing happened. Donald and Goofy exchanged looks of perplexity. Launchpad just stared at the computer. Indigo had her arms crossed. Sora looked a little worried and uncomfortable.

Amemi failed to notice. She pressed a key. When she saw it had made a small window appear on the monitor, she smiled with delight. She pressed another key. Once more, nothing happened. She started pounding onto the keys like a concert pianist. A long series of complete gibberish appeared on the screen.

_**m Mkv';,s,';cmldl;":v,ml;L:dmvm:fnklcdcdnk'/ mkvf'[;mlc'. Mkc ;.MLcmlkmcd,lxsnkcl;csmkx,';zsmlzs. Mkdvmlcl;cl'c.;,vmm;cvmlvdnvdlvdmnkvml,vldml;m SD;lmvmlv; l,;mlvfnll[]k [;**_

"Give it a _rest_!" Even shouted.

"Take it easy!" Ienzo said in turn.

Amemi immediately stopped her pounding. She slowly spun around to see the two scientists scowling at her. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all were hiding snickers. Launchpad was just grinning. Indigo had her arms crossed and eyes closed; she was grinning and slowly shaking her head. Leon was standing in the back with his arms crossed.

Taking all this into account, the sandy-haired youth gave a shy smile and threw her arms before her chest. Her hands started to fidget against each other. "Sorry… I've never seen a computer like _this_ one before."

Leon shook his head and smiled. He could tell Amemi was acting just like Sora. When Sora had first seen this exact computer, he had behaved in the same manner. The only difference was Sora had nearly broken the machine. Amemi had come close, yet she was still a long way off. Either way, they had acted in a similar manner. Like brother, like sister!

Amemi stepped to one side. Sora and Ienzo approached the computer. The latter conducted a few, long keystrokes before a window appeared on the screen. It contained a dark-grey circle surrounded by seven rectangles. The cursor was highlighting one of the rectangles like it was a clue. With a grin, Ienzo turned to the brown-haired seventeen-year-old. "It's all yours," he said, gesturing to the keypad.

Sora gave a nod. He took a step closer to the machine. Ienzo stepped a few feet back, still keeping his eye on the computer. Sora leaned over the keyboard as tapped the keys with his index fingers. He was not as accustomed to such Hi-Tech technology like this machine, so he still did not know how to "speed-type" as he had decided to call it. After he typed in the first term on the list, the cursor moved to the next rectangle. The same thing happened once the young man finished the second password. One by one, Sora calmly typed in the seven passwords. Once he had done each term inscribed on the list, he gave a large smile and stood straight and tall. "There!" he declared with pride.

Ienzo folded his arms. "Didn't you forget to do something?"

Sora swung his focus to the scientist. "Huh?"

Ienzo shook his head slightly. He uncrossed his arms. He then leaned over and pressed the _**ENTER**_ key. A message appeared on the screen, indicating the computer was in the process of loading the data the passwords had accessed.

Sora could only grin. His arms hastily flew behind his head and his grin grew larger at the same time. "Right! I knew that."

"Yeah, right," Donald teased.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy chuckled.

Sora spun around. "Hey!"

The three burst out laughing. Launchpad found himself laughing along, although Amemi had no idea why he was. Indigo simply shook her head, knowing the three friends were acting silly.

The sight sounded like something that was common amongst the spikey-haired teenager, the duck magician, and the knight.

A dinging sound came from the computer. Everyone whirled their attention directly to it. The message on the monitor read,

**PASSCODES ACCEPTED  
CHAMBER PASSAGE UNLOCKED**

"What's this?" Sora enquired, strolling back to the machine. He stared at the text as though looking for a hidden word or two. Recalling the computer had once shown messages about the data inside being all messed up, he wondered what _this_ could mean. What "chamber passage" was it referring to? Did it lead to the room Even and Ienzo had mentioned? The one they had claimed Xemnas had gone to on a regular basis?

The room suffered a slight quake for a brief second. It was short-lived, yet still enough to make everyone jump, except for Even and Ienzo. Donald hopped onto Launchpad's shoulders until he realized he was clinging onto the pilot. He quickly leapt off. Goofy grabbed the nearest handrail and clung onto it. He peered over the edge of the walkway, his eyes grew wide in surprise.

"Hey, fellers!" he called. "Thuh floor down there is openin' up!"

All eyes turned to the tall, anthropomorphic dog. Sora, Donald, Launchpad, Amemi, Indigo, and Leon hurried over to see what the knight had. Sora's azure eyes grew wide as he gazed deep down into the bottom of the enormous underground room. At the bottom was an oval-shaped landing.

That was what had seized their attention. The middle of the landing was opening up like a car's sunroof. The metal floor just slid aside, revealing a dark corridor with a ramp leading down.

"That must be the way down," Sora surmised. He had a feeling the mysterious passage would lead straight to whatever chamber Xehanort had built in this world.

He turned to Even and Ienzo. "How do we get down there?"

"There is an elevator on the other side of the computer station," Even explained. "Just push the blue button to go down. Use the red one when you wish to come back up."

Sora gave a nod. He gestured for his teammates to follow. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all chased the Keyblade wielder past the computer and to the walkway on the other side. They rounded a few corners and came to a stop. The doorway before them was shut.

"How does it work?" Donald asked.

Sora took a step closer to the door. It opened. He took a quick look inside. Seeing nothing unusual inside the elevator, he signaled for the others to join him. They all nodded and did so. Once everyone was inside the elevator, Sora pushed the blue button. The doors closed. The lift shook a little as it proceeded down, down, down, down into the castle's basement.

The silence seemed unbearable. Sora felt a yawn coming on. He fought against it, but it won out. Due to the lack of Heartless and Nobodies to face inside the castle, he had begun feeling bored. If this was the peaceful state Leon and the others wanted, they could have it. He would rather be out and about, slaying Heartless and taking down evildoers.

The platform stopped. The doors opened. Sora's team casually strode off the elevator and onto the landing. From here, the oval-shaped platform looked enormous. Sora gazed back up and saw the computer station looked puny being so high up. He knew it was because of the room's massive size. Still, he wondered how deep they had ventured into the castle's basement. Plus, how much further would they be travelling underground?

The group came to a halt when reached the opening in the landing's center. It now looked large enough to swallow _Herbie_ when he was flying through space. The passage looked a little brighter, yet the pathway seemed to curve around. In fact, as he peered into the opening, Sora noted how there was a deep shaft leading straight down through there. The walkway appeared to be circling it like a wide, spiral staircase.

He turned to his companions. "C'mon," he told them.

The others gave nods of approval. Goofy took out his shield, just in case anything happened. Sora turned back to the passage. He readied himself to charge inside.

"Wait," called a rather monotonic voice.

Sora and the others whirled their head back to the elevator. There was Leon, running their way. Ienzo was directly behind him. The two stopped when they reached the passage's opening.

"Hey, what's up?" Sora questioned.

Leon stepped in front of him. "We need to make sure this passage is safe," he replied. "We don't want anything happening to the leader of the _Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_."

Sora gave a nod. He knew Leon was just trying to ensure his safety. He knew he sometimes would get himself into trouble, even if it was by accident. The worst time had been when Goofy, Donald, and him had nearly become those hyenas lunch back in the _**Pride Lands**_. If Scar had not summoned the hyenas at the last second, the three friends _would_ have ended up as mince-meat and that world would have been forced to fend for itself. Not to mention, Xemnas and the rest of the Organization would have gotten their hands on the power within people's hearts.

He and the others watched as Leon and Ienzo knelt down to examine the entrance. Ienzo reached into one of his pockets and held up a flashlight. He flipped it on and pointed the beam down into the shaft. "It looks dangerous," he remarked.

Leon gave a nod. He rose to his feet and turned to the group standing by. "Sorry, guys, but this doesn't look safe."

Sora pounded the side of his chest. "We can handle it."

Ienzo flipped the flashlight off and stood up all the way. "You may make it down the ramp, but you might not make it past any traps down there."

Sora was startled. "Huh? What… 'traps'?"

"I remember when Xehanort built this place. He and Braig spent a _lot_ of time planning it out. I never saw the plans myself, but I remember them talking about adding traps. Braig liked the idea, saying it reminded him of the movies."

Ienzo smiled. "He always was a fan of Indiana Jones…. "

Sora folded his arms. "So, what you're saying is, we can't go down there until we disarm those traps?"

Leon reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, handheld device. "Right," he approved. "And we have a '_Master Trap Maker_' in the committee."

He flipped the top of the gadget open, revealing it to be an older flip-phone — one that you flipped the top up to open the cover (like Zack Fair used in "_**Final Fantasy VII -Crisis Core-**__** (2007)**_"). After a few minutes of talking on the device, Leon put it away and turned back to face Sora and the others. "Yuffie's sending Sam Simon and Chelsy," he informed them. "They should be helpful down there."

Sora nodded in acknowledgement. He recalled who Chelsy was. That young woman had shown how skillful she was at a bow and arrow. She did not seem to have a very high-spirited attitude, and she seemed to unleash quite a bit of fury onto the Heartless when they had attacked the town's marketplace. Even so, Sora had the feeling her heart was in the correct place, which would explain why she was a member of the _Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_. He also knew she was one of the leaders — under himself, of course!

As for Sam Simon, the brown-haired young man had no clue who _that_ was. He had never met anyone with that name before. He wondered who else on the committee he had not met now. Maybe the team was growing so quickly, it would take him _years_ to learn the identities of every single member. Except, he had no intention of staying in this world for such an extensive period of time. He would rather be stuck in a classroom back home than wandering through a foreign world constantly. True, he _**did**_ hate the idea of classwork, yet it still felt a tad more enjoyable than repetition in his adventures in these other worlds.

Time now seemed to go slowly. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all peered down into the passage. When they saw the dark-purple arrows at the start of the ramp, they gulped (just not at the same time). "This _does_ look dangerous," Donald commented.

Goofy tugged his collar. "Gawrsh…. "

"Let's hope there aren't any real dangers waiting down there," Launchpad added. "Mister McDee and I explored plenty of lost temples to know where traps and where they aren't. But this one seems to have another _Prak-Ti-Kal Doiker_ inside…. "

Indigo was standing a few feet away from the three. Her arms were crossed and she gently tapped her right foot against the greyish metal of the landing. At least her tapping did not echo about the space….

Several feet from where the angel stood, Sora and Amemi both sat down beside each other. They kept their eyes on the group, still wondering when the two Yuffie had sent would be arriving.

"Sora?" Amemi asked. "Do you have idea what to expect down there?"

Sora shrugged. "I've never been down _there_ before," he admitted. "I haven't been in a lot of caves or tunnels in all those worlds, but the ones I have seem to have lots of Heartless in them."

Amemi looked away. "Oh," she sighed.

Sora smiled and put his hand on his sister's shoulder. "Don't worry! Once Chelsy and that other guy get here, we'll be handling it together."

Amemi swung her head around. "You sure?"

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah! I've _**never**_ lost a fight against the Heartless!" he paused. "Well, at least not in a cave or tunnel like _this_ one. Maybe the ones in Atlantis were a little strange…. "

"'_**Atlantis**_'?!" his sister nearly jumped. "You've been to _**Atlantis**_?!"

Sora gave another nod. "Yeah!" he took out his cellular phone and turned it on. He switched to the photo gallery and found the image he had taken while on the cliffs opposite the ancient city's ruins. He held it up. "See?"

Amemi stared at the image. Her eyes grew wide in amazement. "Wow! All this time, we were told it was a myth."

"Not anymore. I met Princess Kida, too!" he paused. "Well… now she's _Queen_ Kida. I saved that world's Light."

Amemi gave him a nod. She paused for a few moments. "When did you go there? _I_ wasn't there!"

"It was before we found you. You know, in Pocahontas's world. The world before that was Atlantis."

Amemi buried her face into her hands. "I miss out on _all_ the fun!"

"That's not true! You were there when Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and I stopped that war! You helped me stop that giant Heartless Frollo was controlling. I can't forget how you bought that yellow dress at Kim Possible's favorite store. And, you _did_ help the Beast forgive Belle and stop Forté."

Amemi paused (again) to think. Perhaps her brother _did_ have a point. She had had a larger role in saving those worlds than she had given herself credit. After all, they were not just world travelers. All these worlds were clearly calling for help and, unless they got some, they would be left in ruins — or worse, destroyed.

She nodded herself. A smile formed upon her lips. "Thank you, Sora. You know how to cheer me up."

Sora gave his sister and nod and smiled himself. From the perspective of the sandy-haired teenager, her brother's smile seemed to be the brightest it had been in a long time.

A series of footsteps seized everyone's attention. Sora, Amemi, Indigo, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all turned their attention into the direction of the elevator. A pair of young people were quickly strolling over.

Sora stood up. He recognized one of them as Chelsy, thanks to her long, somewhat messy, reddish hair, yellow eyes, and her colorful, Medieval-designed outfit. Plus, there was that sky-blue bow and those violet-tipped arrows. Overall, he thought her appearance was a dead-giveaway as to her identity.

That, and he had never seen her smile, let alone grin or smirk.

The other figure stood out to him, although in a completely different way. It was a tall, young man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He was decked out in a pilot's uniform, which included the distinct brown coat with matching pants. His boots were a light-brown color, and there was a navy-blue helmet placed on his head with matching goggles. His thick, winter-like gloves were a dark shade of green; they seemed to match the color of the evergreen tree species. His goggles were pushed up onto his helmet, revealing his smiling face and deep, blue eyes.

"Sam, Chelsy," Leon said to the two. "We'll leave you two to handle things here."

"No sweat!" Chelsy agreed.

"We can handle _anything_!" the pilot affirmed. He nudged Chelsy in the latter's right arm. "Am I right, Chels?"

Chelsy rolled her eyes. The look on her face told Sora she did not approve of the young man's remark and/or nickname.

Leon gave a nod to them. "Take care down there."

He headed for the elevator. Ienzo was directly behind.

Now alone on the landing, the pilot and Chelsy turned their attention to Sora, Amemi, Indigo, Donald, Launchpad, and Goofy. "Hi there," the pilot introduced with a wave and enormous smile. "I'm Sam — the world's _**best**_ pilot!"

Launchpad scowled. "Hey!" he announced, striding forward. He stopped when he was face-to-face with the young man. He pointed to himself. "My crashing skills are better than anything _you_ can come up with, buddy!"

Sam scowled back. It appeared the two pilots were at a complete stalemate. Neither one would be backing down until the other did. Donald rolled his eyes. Goofy ahyucked. Amemi shook her head. Indigo crossed her arms.

Sora shook his head, knowing they did not have time for such nonsense. He approached Chelsy. "So, how're we gonna explore this place?" he asked, referring to the passage.

Chelsy held out her bow. "It won't be easy heading into such unknown territory," she declared. "_I'll_ lead us safely through this dungeon!"

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Hey! This is _my_ team! _**I'll**_ lead us!"

Amemi nearly jumped back. She had never seen her brother get so assertive over something like _**this**_! Then again, it was more-than-likely due to him being accustomed to leading the team everywhere they went on their quests.

Sensing another standstill stuck on them, Indigo uncrossed her arms and marched up to where Sora and Chelsy stood. She shoved her way between them and used her hands to hold them back to the sides like a referee barging into the middle of a boxing match. "_Cut_ it out — _**both**_ of you!" she barked.

Sora stared at the angel in complete surprise. Until now, Indigo had come across as being rather calm and shy. He had not seen her being so forceful. Her antennae were curved in a way that they resembled a submarine's periscope watching an enemy's ship.

Then again, he and Chelsy _**had**_ mixed up into a heated debate. Perhaps it had been too much for the angel to tolerate. Violet had also shown herself to possess a breaking point. He remembered how Violet had once scolded him for eating so sloppy. He still did not see the big deal with such behavior. His Mom had told him the same thing, but "manners" and "etiquette" still sounded like pointless rules as far as _he_ was concerned.

Indigo strode through the pair and stopped when she reached the open passage. Her eyes followed the ramp leading down deep into the castle's foundation. She spun her attention directly to Sora and Chelsy. "I recommend _both_ of you lead. Plus, my decision is final, so it is _**not**_ a request!"

Donald and Goofy exchanged confused looks. Had the angel just said two different things in the same line? It sure sounded like she had. The last time either of them had seen such an incident was in that classic show about a patrol boat's crew during World War 2. In one episode, the boat's commander had told the crew they were going to throw their base's captain a birthday party. When the crew had rejected the idea due to being on foul terms with their main commanding officer, the commander had told them _exactly_ what to do; he had finished by saying, "And you're going to do all this of your own free will — and _**that's**_ an _order_!"

Oxymorons…. What would _**anyone**_ do without them?

Knowing they had no choice, what with the angel taking a stand, Sora and Chelsy both gave in.

* * *

The shaft was dark, yet still illuminated enough by the bluish and reddish colors in the thin columns for everyone to see as they strolled down the ramp. The walkway seemed to spiral down like a motionless carnival spinner. Or… something like that.

Sora kept his eyes on their surroundings. The shaft was a black color, although it was still slightly brighter than the night sky from _**The World That Never Was**_. The ramp was decorated with irregular black shapes. None of the designs looked familiar to him. It all looked so random.

As he looked around, Sora started questioning why Xehanort had constructed such a place. It felt really gloomy, which made sense. Yet, outside of that, there was nothing that stood out about it. Just like Xehanort's scheme. Everything the Keyblade wielder had done had seemed to lead up to him gaining access to the χ-blade. The Door To Darkness…. Organization XIII…. His meddling in others' lives…. Still, with all the harm he had done, surely there was _more_ to his conspiracy that it seemed. What else did he have in store? What was he going to do once he got his hands onto the χ-blade? He did not know, nor did he truly _want_ to know. Chances were, it might be something so terrible, he would wish he had not learned about it.

After a long walk, Sora and Chelsy reached the bottom of the shaft. Before them was a large doorway with a faded silver coating. A pair of dark-purple arrows were situated on the door and pointing to the ceiling. It almost felt like they were telling the two to proceed.

Sora looked back. Amemi and Indigo were almost to the bottom of the ramp. Sam was directly behind. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were a few yards behind him. Goofy was touching his chin and gazing around the area. The look in his eyes told the brown-haired youth how uncomfortable he was feeling.

After a few minutes, everyone was gathered at the doorway. Sora turned to face the silver door. "Let's keep going," he declared.

The others nodded in turn. Sora took a step forward. The door opened like a hatchway from a military establishment in a science-fiction movie. The group headed inside. They found themselves strolling down a long hallway. The ceiling was a whitish color, similar to a certain castle Sora had once explored a long time ago. He just could not recall the castle's name, only its appearance.

He had been having such memories coming to him ever since Riku and Violet had saved him from Xehanort's trap in the _Realm of Sleep_. Still, where they had come from in the first place?

The dark-purple tiles of the floor seemed to form an endless grid. To Sora, this resembled the inside of Ansem's computer. That was particularly the case for the infamous _Game Grid_. The walls seemed to have a pattern between the two designs. Both sides matched each other like a mirror's reflection.

Each of the white spaces also contained a doorway. A barred, diamond shaped window indicated the room had probably been used as a cell… or at least it was intended for such use. A pair of chains criss-crossed near the floor, preventing any possible access to any of the rooms. To top it off, each door also possessed a white box-like device to the side. The device resembled a control panel with a keypad and large, black button.

Sora kept his eyes peeled for trouble. Ienzo had told them Xehanort and Braig had probably rigged this place with traps. Recalling how Ienzo had remarked about Braig's fascination with Indiana Jones, Sora had to shake his head. He knew about the clumsy, yet still extremely intelligent, archaeologist. He had seen three of those movies. His Mom had always enjoyed Harrison Ford's acting. She told him repeatedly how he was one of her favorite actors because his performances always felt so genuine.

He hoped they would not end up having to flee from a giant boulder. Unless Braig had taken the fictional stories literally.

"This place sure is spooky," Goofy muttered in a soft voice.

Sora had to admit, the knight _did_ have a valid point.

A blast of air rushed past his face. Everyone froze. Sora swung his head to the right. A spear had stuck itself straight into the wall. The weapon's handle wobbled like it had just been flung at a target. "_**Whoa**_!" the seventeen-year-old exclaimed.

Donald and Launchpad rushed behind Goofy's shield. Amemi jumped behind her brother. Indigo froze and her antennae stood up on end. Sam whirled around and pulled out a small, black, rusted handgun.

Chelsy was the only one who took the initiative to inspect the spear. When she was close enough, the young woman touched the weapon. The handle wobbled again. That was when a second blast of air occurred. Seeing that a second spear was headed her way, the reddish-haired woman leaped to one side. The spear missed and slammed into the wall — four inches away from piercing her chest.

"Just as I thought," Chelsy announced, nodding to the spears. "This whole place _must_ be booby-trapped."

Sora gave a nod of understanding. He had seen spears like those ones before. Except the last time had been in one of the movies about that fictional archaeologist. _If_ he recalled correctly, there had also been a rolling boulder to avoid in that sequence, too.

Boy, would they be in trouble if Xehanort and Braig had actually chosen to fortify this place exactly like that ancient tomb!

Chelsy took a step forward. Another spear shot across the room, missing her by several feet. She looked down at the floor. Sora did the same. To his surprise, the young woman had repeatedly been planting her feet on floor tiles that were a little brighter than the rest. He saw many others in the room that were set in the exact same color. They were hard to make out, mainly since the floor was covered in black tiles. Yet, there were still plenty with a shade of black that seemed to resemble extra-dark gray. He wondered if this had been Xehanort's way of getting through the passage without setting off any of the traps.

"Let's keep going," Sora told the others. "But let's be careful not to step on the lighter tiles."

"Uh, what lighter tiles?" Goofy inquired, lowering his shield. "Them floor-y tiles all look the same."

Amemi squinted as she swept her eyes across the corridor. Her eyes suddenly lit up like Thomas Edison's first incandescent lightbulb. "I see them!" she declared.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her new, metallic slingshot. Using a small stone, she aimed for one of the farthest tiles. She released the band. The stone soared all the wall down the hall and bounced directly off the tile. A set of sharp blades swooped in from the ceiling and sliced through the air before coming to a halt.

Donald and Launchpad both yelped in total shock. Indigo gave a nod. "Okay," the angel said. "As long as we avoid tiles with _that_ color, we shall be safe and sound."

Everyone else gave of nod. They all had the feeling the angel was correct. Sora gave a nod in return. "Let's go!" he decided.

The group proceeded down the corridor. As they hurried along, Goofy and Donald each nearly stepped on a lighter floor tile. Fortunately, Launchpad shoved Goofy to one side. Indigo grabbed Donald and temporarily held him back.

At last, the group neared the end of the passage. To their relief, they had passed most of the trigger-happy floor tiles. Only a few more of them awaited ahead. At the end of the hallway ahead was a large doorway. It was curved, like the shape of a wooden doorway from a Medieval castle. However, this one was white and contained two distinct markings on it. One of them was clearly the logo of Organization XIII. The other was the same shape, only upside-down. The perimeter around the doorway was decorated with a silver-colored chain.

"This must be it," Sora realized. He had the feeling through this very doorway was the chamber Ienzo and Even had described. The one where Xemnas had tended to wander off to visit. Perhaps they would find some clues as to what Xehanort was up to now.

Maybe, just maybe, he could learn what the terrible Keyblade Master had done to his Aunt Shelly. Following his adventure in the _Realm Of Sleep_, Sora had learned from Violet how Master Xehanort had harmed several other Keyblade wielders in addition to them, Riku, and King Mickey. It turned out, his Aunt Shelly had been among them. He knew that meant Xehanort was the very reason why his Mom had not seen her sister in years.

He knew he _needed_ to learn what exactly had happened to her. Then, and only then, would he be able to track her down and rescue her from wherever she was being held. He was quite certain Xehanort was holding his Aunt Shelly someplace. He could just imagine the reaction his Mom would have when she saw him coming home with her older sister.

Sora took a step towards the door. A dark portal suddenly appeared in the corridor, a few feet from the doorway. Sora halted in his footsteps and summoned his Keyblade. Donald got his wand ready. Goofy held up his giant shield. Launchpad readied his dark-purplish-colored gas-gun. Amemi aimed her slingshot. Indigo's mystical wand appeared in her hand. Chelsy readied her bow. Sam checked if his handgun was loaded. It was, so he pointed it for the dark portal.

A figure emerged from the dark portal. To Sora's shock, it was a young man sporting short, brownish hair and green eyes. A navy-blue headset covered his head like an air-traffic controller. If it was not for his black-hooded coat, Sora might not have made the connection so rapidly.

"_**You**_?!" Sora declared. He recognized this guy from one of his previous quests. He remembered how the man had stolen the Olympus Stone back at _**Olympus Coliseum**_. Later, he had somehow barged his way into the battle in _**Hollow Bastion**_.

The man halted in his tracks when he saw the group. "_**You**_!" he shouted in alarm. A bluish iPod fell out of his hand and clattered onto the floor.

"What're _**you**_ doing here?!"

"What are _**you**_ doing in this hallway?!"

Sora and the man stared at one another. They scowled. "_**Stop**_ saying what _**I'm**_ saying!" they scolded simultaneously.

When the two young men continued to scowl at each other, Amemi stepped forward. "Okay, you two. Break this up!"

Sora and the man shifted their gazes to her. The former was caught by surprise. When was the last time he had seen his little sister get so assertive? Then again, it _**had**_ seemed like a lifetime ago! That, and he had been arguing with a former member of the Organization XIII.

The sandy-haired teenager turned her focus to the brown-haired young man in the black coat. "Who are _you_ supposed to be?" she interrogated, crossing her arms. She still had her slingshot in hand.

"I'm Medy," the man announced. He beamed and waved to the girl.

Amemi waved back. She did not know why Sora was acting so mean to this guy. He was not an enemy. He was too friendly for that. Well, then again, Erik had seemed the same way back at Middleton High School, and yet he had turned out to be one of Drakken's minions. She wondered if the same thing was true here.

She folded her arms and turned her eyes specifically to Medy. "Why are you here?" she questioned.

Medy hesitated in his response. "I… I was… I was looking for some guy called 'Genesis'?"

The young man's large grin caused Sora to scowl some more. "I _**knew**_ it!" the spikey, brown-haired teenager barked. He pointed his Keyblade at the man in black. "_**You're**_ trying to keep us from going inside!"

Donald brandished her wand. "But we'll _stop_ you!"

Medy shook his right index finger at the group. "You don't want to go through all that again," he furrowed his brow. "Remember? I told you not to judge anyone by their appearance."

Sam lowered his weapon. "He _has_ a point," the pilot indicated. He gestured to the others one-by-one. Everyone else shook their heads or crossed their arms. He sighed. "Why doesn't anyone ever agree with me?"

Sora jumped into his signature fighting stance. "I stopped you before. I can do it again."

Medy's scowl swiftly transitioned into a glare. "_**Silence**_, you stupid traitor!"

In a flash of Darkness and water, a droplet of the latter suddenly showed up in the young man's hands. It swiftly transformed into a bluish item that resembled a guitar in the form of Organization XIII's logo. This was Medy's sitar, his own, distinct weapon. Once it had appeared, the man spun around a few times like he was rockstar. Goofy and Launchpad's eyes followed the instrument's twirling until they became dizzy.

After one final twirl, Medy positioned his sitar to his hands and called out, "_**Dance**_, _**water**_! **Dance**!"

Before Sora could rush over and deliver a singly attack, dozens of water clones appeared in the space. Sora sighed deeply, recalling this trick from before. While everyone else focused on eliminating the clones one at a time, Sora rushed around until he found one shaped like a musical note. He seized the watery thing and spun it around like it was a chain. The clone slammed into a few dozen other clones and eradicated them.

He hurled the note-shaped clone into the horde. The clone smashed into several more clones, eliminating all of them in no time flat. He then proceeded to the next musical note and repeated the same process. It took a few note-shaped clones, yet in the end, all of the water clones had been terminated.

Taking note of how Medy was now a little worn out, Sora dashed over and slashed his Keyblade through the enemy. The young man yelped with each blow the Keyblade wielder dealt.

"_**Water**_!" Medy suddenly shouted. A series of giant raindrops descended from the ceiling. Sora found himself jumping back to avoid getting hit by most of them. Goofy slid over across the now-drenched floor and protected the young man from the rest.

"_**Fira**_!" Donald hollered. A blast of flames flew from his wand and struck Medy in the side. The young man yelped as he leapt into the air in surprise.

Amemi found herself sliding across the floor. Just as she was about to lose her balance, she aimed her slingshot for the enemy. Her shot bounced clear off Medy's head, causing the man to get distracted long enough for Sora to bang the side of the Keyblade against him.

Chelsy slid over to the sandy-haired teenager and helped steady her. The golden-haired woman shot an arrow at Medy. She did not miss her target. The arrow struck Medy in the back, forcing him to jump in alarm.

Sam fired his handgun at the enemy. His shot knocked Medy back onto the floor. Launchpad used his gas-gun the same way and caused their opponent to start coughing. When he saw the eerie-green smoke rising from the bullet, the duck-pilot checked his weapon. He gave a grin. "I forgot I added the poison magic to it…. "

Now, it was Indigo's turn. With her soaked wings dragging along behind, she ran up to Medy and jumped. She flipped over and over as she flew over his head. She pointed her mystical wand at the young man and shouted, "_**Light**_!"

A burst of Light-filled energy swarmed from the wand's star-shaped tip and slammed into Medy's eyes. He was blinded long enough for Sora to rush over and slice his Keyblade in a diagonal swipe across the former Nobody's back.

Medy's sitar fell from his hands and clattered along the floor. He grasped his left shoulder and winced in pain. "Blew it again," he deeply sighed.

The room shook. As the vibrations grew, Sora's eyes grew wide. "Woah!" he heard Goofy yelp. "We'd better take cover!"

Knowing the knight was correct, Sora and the other members of his team dashed to the side. They reached the nearest doorway in the side of the hallway and Sora pointed his Keyblade to it. To his relief, the weapon unleashed a beam of Light that unlocked the doorway. Once the chains fell from the entrance, the group rushed inside. They all whirled around in time to see what was the cause of all the commotion.

* * *

Medy rose from the floor and picked up his sitar. "Huh?" he asked, noticing the group hiding in the side room. He wondered what Sora and his friends were hiding from. The loud rumbling from behind drew his attention. He glanced back in time to see an enormous ball of granite heading his way. "_**Uh-oh**_!" he yelped.

He immediately began running for his life.

* * *

The gigantic boulder continued down the corridor. Medy was fleeing directly before it. Sora had to shake his head at the sight. Clearly, Braig and Xehanort _**had**_ taken those movies to the literal standpoint. He could not think of any other reason why the boulder had been there. It made sense that they two had indeed taken inspiration straight from the "_**Indiana Jones**_" franchise.

"Looks like the coast is clear," the seventeen-year-old young man declared. He turned to the others. "We can keep going now."

He stared in surprise. In the middle of the dark room, he saw Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, Indigo, Chelsy, and Sam all gazing upon a metal bed. A white sheet was draped over it. As he drew close, Sora noticed the sheet's shape resembled that of a human. "Hey, what's up?" he inquired.

"I think we're in someone's grave," Sam mentioned.

Chelsy rolled her eyes. "Of _course_ we are!"

"We was wonderin' who this was," Goofy explained.

Amemi took a step back. "Don't look at me! _I'm_ not uncovering somebody's dead body!"

Indigo stepped back in turn. "Please forget asking me! I cannot stand the sight of a decaying person."

Donald held his nose. "And it _stinks_!" he complained.

"Well, it takes some getting used to," Launchpad grinned. "This reminds me of all those temples and tombs Mister McDee and I explored."

Jiminy Cricket hopped onto the spikey-haired youth's shoulder. "Sora, what should we do?"

Sora sighed. He _knew_ it was all up to him. It always was. Only _he_ could make the decision to see who the mystery person was. He reached for the cover. His hand froze. Was this a good idea? Somebody had probably been buried here who knows how long ago. He could still make out the stench of rotting flesh. It did not really bother him much, not after wandering through that massive Elephant Graveyard.

Then again, maybe this person had been put here for a reason. Even if they were deceased, perhaps Xehanort had left a clue behind. For all he knew, this was probably one of the bodies belonging to many innocent people Xehanort and the others had experimented on during their research regarding the secrets of the heart and the Heartless.

He held his breath and yanked the cover up enough for him to see. He hastily threw it back down. After taking a few moments to catch his breath, he turned to the others. "They have a light-blue dress on," he informed. "Must be some girl Xehanort experimented on."

Indigo turned back to face him. "Who was her name?"

Sora shrugged. "I don't think I want to know."

Deep down, he had the feeling he probably _did_ know the figure's true identity. He had caught a glimpse of a rusted nametag on the tattered dress of the skeleton's remains. Despite the corroding, there were enough letters available to make out the name, "_Jewel Forest_". The only person he knew who shared that particular last name was Mike's niece, Phoebe. Recalling how Mike had explained about the loss of Phoebe's parents during a plague years ago, Sora wondered if this was the place where Phoebe's mother had been buried.

If so, did that mean all those other doorways down here contained more of the people Xehanort and the others had harmed? Why would they leave their bodies in such a place? Perhaps they were trying to cover their tracks? He did not know.

What he did know was all this harm had been brought about because that old Keyblade Master wanted to get his hands on the legendary χ-blade and start another Keyblade War. He had already hurt a multitude of others, destroyed many worlds at one time or another, ruined countless lives, and now he was getting ready to destroy the whole universe.

And only the spikey, brown-haired seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder and his friends could stop him. They **needed** to stop him — _**no matter **_**what**_** might happen**_!

He turned to the exit. "C'mon!"

The others followed him back into the passage. Medy and the boulder were nowhere in sight. Rather than ponder over whether or not the young man had managed to escape from the enormous stone, Sora decided to keep his focus on the goal. He turned to the doorway at the end of the corridor and raced for it. The others were directly behind it.

When he reached the door, Sora pushed against it. The doors would not budge. No matter how much pressure he put against the doorway, it remained shut. "Looks like it's a no go," he sighed.

"Must be locked," Goofy pinpointed.

"Every lock has a key," Chelsy stated.

"Yeah!" Sam declared. "A magical key — like in the video games!"

Everyone stared at him. The pilot grinned. "That was a line from one of my favorite video games," he added.

Chelsy rolled her eyes. She leaned in close to Sora. "Sam's a huge fan of the new '_**Final Fantasy XV**_' video game."

Sora gave a nod, even though he was a little lost. The only other person he knew who liked that video game series was Riku. However, the silver-headed young man was a fan of "_**Final Fantasy VII**_".

"Try using your Keyblade, Sora," Amemi spoke up.

Sora gave another nod. He pointed his Keyblade straight to the doorway. Following a beam of Light, the door opened. Sora led the way into the room. As he stepped inside, the new surroundings quickly caught his attention.

The room was a circular chamber with dark-grey walls and a matching floor and ceiling. The walls were decorated with lots of huge shapes that resembled the logo of Organization XIII. Each of the shapes seemed to be attached to long, white chains that led to a large, dark throne in the center of the chamber.

Sora took a few minutes to examine the throne. He thought he had seen something like it at one time. He had no clue why, yet it felt like his heart was telling him there was something "special" about this seat. Was he supposed to sit in it? Or was this all just something he would have to ask King Mickey and Master Yen Sid about later? Maybe so. Those two _always_ seemed to an answer or two for just about everything.

A colorful piece of torn paper caught his eye. It was stuck partly under the throne. Wondering what it was, Sora got down and pulled the paper free. He stared at it in astonishment. The colors were bright and cheerful, unlike the rest of the room. There were illustrations and lots of text filling up the page.

It did not take long for the seventeen-year-old to realize he was holding a page from _**The 100-Acre Wood**_. He instantly slipped it into one of his jacket's pockets.

Sora returned to his feet and took a longer look around the underground chamber. Goofy was eyeing the logos on the wall. Sam and Chelsy were standing guard at the doorway, even though they were facing into the room. Launchpad was slowly searching the ceiling for… something or other.

A fallen suit of bluish armor caught his eye. The armor bore shades of silver, black, grey, and blue colors. It included a silver breastplate in the form of an upside-down crescent moon. There was a dark-visored helmet that including two, silver prongs on either side that angled diagonally downwards

Stabbed into the floor beside it was a key-shaped sword with a circular guard that was somewhat jagged around the edges. The upper half of the guard was black, the center was gray, and the bottom was white. The handle featured a simple, gray rod. The shaft was thin with a navy-blue color and silver tip. Two diamond-shaped bumps were attached to the base of the shaft. The weapon's teeth were comprised by a rectangular frame lined with four short, blunt spikes; all were a navy-blue color, too. The teeth had three silver pieces bent at right angles — two on the inside corners of the frame, and one on the inside center.

When he saw the sword had a set of keychain links with a waterdrop-shaped charm, Sora's eyes lit up. He took a few steps toward the weapon. That was when he saw Amemi and Donald were observing the armor and weapon.

"Sora?" Amemi asked. She pointed to the sword. "That looks like your Keyblade."

Donald shook his head. "That's _**not**_ his Keyblade!" he gazed at the weapon himself. "But it _is_ a Keyblade."

Sora turned his full attention to the Keyblade. For some reason, the shape of it felt familiar. He was not sure why, just that it did. "I wonder whose Keyblade this was," he softly said.

Indigo approached the spikey-headed young man. When she saw the Keyblade and armor the angel cautiously neared the former. She reached out her hand and grasped the Keyblade's handle. Sora, Amemi, and Donald all watched in awe as the angel easily picked up the weapon, removing it from its place. A small gap remained in the floor.

Indigo eyed the weapon. "This is an interesting weapon," she commented. She turned to Sora. "It looks a little like your Keyblade."

Sora had to smile. "It _is_ a Keyblade."

Indigo's eyes lit up. She took another long look at the weapon in her hand. Realizing the young man was correct, she nodded in comprehension. "I did not know Keyblades could look so different," she admitted.

A loud yawn flooded the chamber. Everyone swung their focus to the middle of the room. Launchpad was stretching with his eyes closed. He moved his arms so slowly, it seemed quite dramatic, almost like the pilot was dozing off on a stage before a live audience during a comedy show. He leaned back and sat down into the throne.

A wave of energy rushed through the room. Sora and the others jumped in complete surprise. The brown-haired youth took note of how the chain-like designs along the walls and floor were starting to glow. It looked as though electricity was flowing from the throne through the chains to the shapes along the walls.

"_Launchpad_!" Donald yelped.

As if on cue, Launchpad hopped out of the throne and onto his large feet. The glow stopped suddenly and faded out. The room became as dark as it had when the group had first come inside.

Sora was puzzled. Had Launchpad done something to the throne just by sitting in it? He had no clue what exactly had happened. There was just not enough information to explain the bizarre display they had witnessed.

Donald was shocked. He scowled at Launchpad. He had the feeling the pilot _had_ messed up the chamber's throne. He did not know how, just that it was the only explanation that did make sense. He had witnessed the duck pilot's flying for _years_, and he _**still**_ doubted King Mickey's decision to make the latter the head of the castle's Royal Air Force.

Goofy was perplexed. Once Launchpad had plopped down in the throne, the room had glowed so unexpectedly, the knight had literally jumped and landed on one foot. Having feared the worst, he was now curious about the cause of the glow. Where had it come from? There weren't any Heartless close by. Were there?

Indigo was a little shaken. When the room had begun glowing, her antennae had started wobbling. A strong sensation of Darkness had appeared in the room. While she was unsure where it had originated, she _did_ know it had something to do with the throne at the center of this underground chamber.

"_That_ was cool!" Sam declared aloud. He waved his arms into the air with excitement. "Do it again!"

Chelsy reached her arm out, blocking the pilot. "_Not_ so hasty!" she stated. "This requires some additional investigation."

Sora gave a nod. "I had the same idea."

"Yeah," Donald approved.

"But, uh, how are we gonna find out without sittin' on thuh throne?" Goofy inquired. "We ain't no kings."

Sora crossed his arms. Perhaps the knight had a valid point.

* * *

As she watched the others debating what to do, Amemi rolled her eyes. She could (somehow) feel a strong sense of curiosity growing from deep inside. She was not sure how it was possible, only that the feeling was strong and had a tight grip. Just like that one song the singer, Jack Johnson, had sang. The Curiosity was impossible to stop. Just like the little monkey, Curious George.

She _**had**_ to know what was going on here.

She strode up to the throne. Her head shifted to the others. They were still in the midst of their discussion. Clearly, none of them had arrived at a specific plan-of-action. As long as it was still up in the air, she might as well try to figure things out on her own. What harm could come from trying something new?

She turned and slowly leaned backwards into the throne. The moment she sat down, she could feel a strange presence. Her eyes could make out the chains along the floor starting to glow again. The strange feeling she was having started to grow in power. The longer she sat, the stronger the feeling became.

"_**Amy**_?!" she heard Sora declare.

Amemi watched as her view quickly blurred and became as black as the moonless, starless night sky. That was when she saw a series of images pass through her mind. She could feel strong emotions and dark feelings as the scenes flashed by.

She wondered if these visuals were also passing through her heart as well as her mind….

* * *

_On a distant shoreline was a young man with silver hair that was spiked. He was staring out at the sun; the star was setting faster and faster. He smiled and what seemed to be a look of curiosity filled his golden eyes. He said to no one in particular, "This world… is just too small."_

"_Yes, it is," a deep voice said to his left._

_The young man shifted his gaze. He was now face-to-face with a figure completed covered from head-to-toe in a brown robe. "Who are you?" he inquired._

"_I am you," the figure replied. "Or, I am what would __**eventually**__ be you."_

_The young man raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing on my island?" he demanded to know._

"_I came to see __**you**__," the figure answered. "And to seek the door to this world. This world has been connected. Tied to the Darkness. Soon to be completely eclipsed."_

_The young man a sinister smile._

* * *

_The ruined building appeared to have once been a gigantic structure. Pieces of gears and chains were strewn about the debris. Through the gaps in the cracked and half-crumbled walls, sand had drifted inside. The heat was so intense, it felt like it could melt even the tiniest piece of an ice cube._

_The sound of shoes crunching against the ground could be heard. An older man with silver, balding hair and a matching goatee was strolling through the ruins. His skin was a dark tone and his eyes were yellow. His back was crooked and he hunched over as he walked. __His clothing consisted of a white and black coat with an inner red lining worn over a white shirt with two thin black belts, white gloves, and tall, black boots that reached all the way up to his calves._

_The man approached another figure in the shadows. His pace slowed as he drew closer. The other individual turned to face him. It was an older woman with long, raven-black hair and lime-colored eyes. She was decked out in a long, black dress that seemed to perfectly outline the sides of her slender figure. A long, black cape dangled behind her, and she had a pair of black heels strapped onto her feet. Her long eyelashes seemed to flutter when she saw the man coming closer. Her bluish lips turned into a sneaky grin. "Hello again, Xehanort," she said in such a soothing voice, it felt like the devil was speaking in her place._

"_Yes," Xehanort nodded in return. "It's been a while, Mizrabel."_

_Mizrabel opened her arms wide. "Come closer, dar-ling."_

_Xehanort stopped dead in his tracks. "I don't have time for this. I came to warn you."_

_Mizrabel's grin sank. "What's wrong, sweetie?"_

"_Yen Sid and Eraqus __**know**__ you have survived. They are planning to stop you. You must flee while you can."_

_Mizrabel gave a nod. "Thank you for your warning, but I can handle myself, dearest. You need not worry about your dear, old mother."_

_Xehanort gave a nod. "Yes, I suppose not."_

_Mizrabel held out her hand. With a few black swirls of magic, a black-hooded raincoat appeared. "__**This**__ ought to prove useful until we can see each other again."_

_Xehanort gave another nod. He knew the older woman was correct. He would certainly have a use for the raincoat, its color, and its distinct design…._

* * *

_The Sun was streaming down before the large, golden-white castle. A man was seated on the first step. He was a tall, young man sporting spikey, brown hair, blue eyes, and slightly-tanned skin. He was wearing a black, skintight shirt with red straps that criss-crossed over his chest, wide tan pants, and golden-black shoes. He had a plain, black wristband on his right wrist, and there was a piece of golden armor with was appeared to be a on button on his left arm. A small, golden emblem was attached to his belt; it resembled the logo of Organization XIII, only upside-down._

_He was frowning. "There is Darkness in me," he muttered to himself. "So what does __**that**__ matter? I know I'm strong enough to hold it back."_

"_Yes," a deep, gruff voice declared. "You are indeed strong. The Darkness is nothing to fear."_

_The man jumped to his feet at the sound of the voice. He spun around. Standing at the top of the staircase and before the castle's main doorway was a tall, hunched, older man with a silver goatee and bald head._

"_Master Xehanort," the younger one realized._

"_And yet," Master Xehanort spoke. He started down the long flight of steps. "How frustrating that Eraqus refutes its power. Why, you could train with him forever, and still, you'd never be a Master in his eyes."_

"_But why?" the brown-haired man inquired. "Help me understand, Master Xehanort — what is it that I have failed to learn?"_

_The older man reached the last step and strolled on by. "You are fine as you are. Darkness cannot be destroyed. It can only be channeled."_

_The younger man nodded and bowed politely in respect to the elderly Keyblade Master. "Yes. Thank you, Master."_

_A long bell rang out through the land. The brown-haired man nearly leapt in surprise. He spun around and raced back up the stairs to the castle's entrance. As he left, the older man gave a sneaky grin. A dark portal opened before him. Just after he stepped through, the opening vanished without a trace._

* * *

_The landscape looked dustier than a desert. In reality, it was a dusty wasteland where lots of wind blew across the ground. In the distance, an occasional dust-devil could be seen spinning around like a twister._

_A bright light appeared in the sky. A small, orange-brown-golden vehicle flew into view. Seated on it was a young man all clad in armor that matched the vehicle's color. The man was sweeping his eyes around. All at once, he stopped and stared down below. Standing on a high plateau was a tall, hunched, older man with a silver goatee. The figure seemed to be awaiting the young man's arrival._

"_Master Xehanort," the young man realized. He circled around the area to the other side of the flat-topped rise. He came to a stop. His vehicle and his armor quickly vanished. There he was, back in his spikey-brown hair, black shirt, wide tan pants, and black-golden shoes. "I have been to other worlds. I know all about the things you've done. I just don't understand why."_

_The older man looked down. "Someone had to safeguard the Light… from the demon I unleashed," he sighed. "You must know about the boy by now — the one in the mask. His name is Vanitas. A creature of pure Darkness."_

_He clenched his hand close very tightly as though recalling what had happened. "One of my making."_

"_Vanitas," the brown-haired man repeated. "Are you telling me he came from __**you**__?"_

"_He came from Ventus."_

"_**Ventus**__?"_

"_Yes. Vanitas is the Darkness that was inside your friend. It was an accident. While training with me, Ventus succumbed to Darkness, and there was but one way to save him — strip that part of him away. And thus Vanitas was made. In the process, I damaged Ventus's heart in the most horrific way. So, I did what I felt was right and left him with Eraqus. I knew the boy could not stay with me, the man who did him such grievous harm…. "_

_The older man turned away. He covered his face with his hand. The young man sighed deeply, knowing how the other one felt. "Master Xehanort," he said. "Ventus has gotten a lot better since then. You shouldn't blame yourself for trying to save him."_

_The older man glanced at the brown-haired one. "Well…. Thank you, lad. You know how to put an old man's heart at ease."_

_The younger man grinned, knowing he had done something to help the older one. A thought crossed his mind. His grin faded. "Master… why is Vanitas still free?"_

_The older man turned around to face him. "Ah yes. Well, I did my best to contain him the moment he emerged, but…. "_

"_He managed to escape," the younger one finished._

_The older man nodded. He started to walk on past the brown-haired young man. "Vanitas uses the Keyblade to sow seeds of Darkness. And now, you see — the worlds teem with his ghastly underlings."_

_The younger man gasped. "The Unversed!"_

"_He has no control over the Darkness in his heart. The Keyblade is not his to bear. He is an abomination beyond hope of salvation," The older man stopped and turned around. "Led me your strength, Terra," he pleaded. "Right this wrong that I have wrought."_

_The younger man paused in thought. "But I have no idea where to find him."_

"_What I can tell you about Vanitas amounts to this," the older man said. "His Darkness is drawn to the Light, which he seeks to disrupt… and then destroy. It seems to reason that he will strike next in the City of Light, Radiant Garden."_

_The brown-headed man jerked his head up as though he had just had a dark vision. He shook it off and frowned with a serious look in his eyes. "Don't worry, Master. I'll take care of Vanitas."_

* * *

_The underground purification facility was a rather large, rather empty place. It almost looked like a massive, man-made cavern beneath the town's outer gardens._

_As he strolled across a large, steel platform, a young man sporting spikey, brown hair and blue eyes. He looked both ways as he continued across the landing. He grinned, seeing nothing bad around him. He reached the railing and stopped. As he leaned over to see what was below, something caught his eye. He spun around, spotting the tall, hunched, older man with a silver goatee and bald head chained to a pipe high above._

"**Master Xehanort**_!" he declared in alarm._

"_The old coot certainly knows how to take punishment," came a voice. "Just like I know how to deal it out."_

_The young man swung his eyes to the walkway leading to the landing. A man was heading down below. He had brown eyes, upturned eyebrows, and dark, shoulder-length hair that was slicked back. He was decked out in a guard's uniform with a dark-grey jacket, a black belt, and white gloves that were decorated with a curled heart symbol. He also had black, knee-high boots and a tattered, red scarf. In his hands were a pair of Arrowguns shaped like crossbows. They were silver-colored with metallic purple lines. The same curled heart symbol decorated them._

_The spikey, brown-haired man scowled. "You __**monster**__!" he snarled, summoning his Keyblade. "What're you after?!"_

_The guard grinned and pointed to the Keyblade. "That thing right there. It's called the 'Keyblade', isn't it? Yup, it seems like these days, everybody's got one of those," he glanced up at the older man chained to the pipe. "Even grandpa there. When I nabbed him, he told me all about it — what a weapon like that can do," he turned back to the young man. "How could I not want one?"_

_The young man furrowed his brow and started to clench his teeth. "Well you'll find they're __**picky**__ about their owners."_

_The guard only grinned. "Ha! If I heard the old guy right, you're what they call 'Keyblade Master' material. So if I defeat you, that makes me the __**real**__ keyslinger, if you catch my drift."_

_He lightly tossed one of his weapons into the air and caught it. "Not the most-polite way to go about it, but what can you do?"_

_The young man lurched forward, ready to swing his Keyblade at the guard. The latter jumped back. "Uh-uh!" he shook his finger as a warning. "One more step and the coot goes __**boom**__. You think I'm gonna fight fair? As if! That key's too powerful for us to go mano-a-mano."_

_The young man glared with intensity. The guard readied his Arrowguns and fired several bullets. The brown-haired man held up his Keyblade and managed to deflect most of them. When the guard started firing another round, the young man lost his balance and tumbled backward onto the platform._

"_For a Keyblade Master, you're not very — what's the word — good," the guard scoffed. He gave a sinister grin._

_The young man started to sit up. A sharp pain shot through his back, stunning him for a brief moment._

"_What are you __**doing**__, Terra?" the older man shouted from above. "__**Fight**__!"_

_The young man jerked his head up. "But Master, you'll—!"_

"_Never mind me! You must __**fight**__! You can't let this ruffian win! Think of your Master, Eraqus! The shame he and your fellow pupils will be forced to bear! __**Use**__ the Keyblade!"_

_The brown-haired young man rose to his feet. He readied his Keyblade and started to glare darker and darker. The guard smirked at the sight. "Pfft! So much for the bluff," he remarked._

_Before the guard had a chance to strike, the young man reared back. With a stern expression, he leaned forward and sent a powerful blast of dark energy flying from the tip of his Keyblade. The dark blast slammed straight into the guard's face and knocked the latter onto the platform. The guard grabbed the right side of his face. He groaned in agony. He looked up with his other eye and gasped. A second blast of Darkness was about to shoot out of the Keyblade. The blast went flying through the air and struck the chains holding the older man. The chains easily fell off._

_The guard returned to his feet. He was in so much pain, he bounded out of the facility as fast as he could jump._

_The brown-haired young man was appalled, realizing what had happened. "This power…. "_

"_Well done, Terra," the older man congratulated as he strolled over. "You have taken yet another step forward."_

_The young man seemed to be filled with shock. "But I was consumed by anger… hatred. __**That**__ was the power of Darkness!"_

"_Darkness that you channeled!"_

_The brown-haired man shook his head. "No," he stated, allowing his Keyblade to disappear from his hand. "I succumbed to it — just like when I stole Princess Aurora's heart of Light. I can never return home now. I'm a failure."_

"_Then don't," the older man extended his hand and grinned. "You can be __**my**__ pupil."_

_The brown-headed man looked up in total astonishment. The older man continued as he drew closer. "Master Eraqus, you see, is so afraid of Darkness, that he, too, has succumbed — not to Darkness, but to Light. It shines so bright, he forgets that Light begets Darkness."_

_The young man gasped, certain the older one had a valid argument. "And Aqua and Ventus," the older man went on. "Their lights shine too bright."_

_He pointed to the other man's chest. "It is only natural that they cast shadows on your heart."_

_The young man looked down. He seemed to be in deep thought. The older man continued to speak. "Eraqus…. He is such a __**fool**__! Light and Darkness, they are a balance — one that must __**always**__ be maintained. Terra…. __**You**__ are the one who shows the true _Mark of Mastery_, but he refuses to see it."_

_He turned to face the brown-haired man directly. "And I know why. It is because he fears you. Join me."_

_He clasped their hands together. "You and I can do the worlds much greater good, by wielding Light and Darkness in equal shares."_

"_Master Xehanort," the young man started to say._

_The older man nodded. He started towards the exit and stopped. "See more worlds, seek out the Darkness that upsets the balance, find Vanitas, and bring an __**end**__ to him…. "_

_He squeezed his fist shut as he emphasized the word "end". He turned to the brown-headed young man. "__**Master**__ Terra."_

_The young man jolted into full focus as though a bolt of lightning had sent a high amount of electricity racing throughout his body. When he saw the older man's grin, he politely bowed into submission. The older man turned away and strolled off._

* * *

_The large, desert wasteland came into view once again. That was when the small, orange-brown-golden vehicle soared into view. The same young man all clad in orange-brown-golden armor was seated on it. He flew against the gusts of dusty wind and quickly reached a high precipice. Standing at the top was a tall, hunched, older man sporting a silver goatee._

_The older man looked up as the vehicle drew close. "Master," the armored man said. "You wished to see me?"_

"_There is no time to lose," replied the older man. "I have terrible news. Ventus has stumbled upon the secrets of his origins."_

"_**Ven**__? I just saw him. Did something happen?"_

"_Ventus is on his way home. If you could have seen the fury in his eyes, I fear he is capable of anything. I fear the boy may try to force the truth out of Eraqus."_

_The older man looked directly at the younger one. "Terra, you must go see to your friend's safety."_

_The young, armored man nodded. "Of course!"_

_He soared away into the sky. He failed to notice the older man giving a soft, sinister snicker._

* * *

_The sky was on the verge of sunset. The tall, golden castle still remained attached to the sides of the mountain peaks. Those long chains had managed to hold it in place all those years…._

_The brown-orange-golden vehicle flew overhead and started to take a dive towards the stone plaza just outside the castle's main entrance. The armored young man stared straight ahead in alarm._

_Two figures were gathered on the plaza. One of them was a young man sporting brown hair that was spiked in the back and blue eyes. He was wearing __a short-sleeved jacket, black pants with beige leggings, and armored boots._

_The other was an older man sporting __black hair that was tied into a short topknot with one bang falling to the right side, a short beard, and a mustache. He was decked out in a white, red lined full-length coat with a hood, a navy-blue shirt, and large, armored shoes. There were jagged scars over his right eye and left cheek._

_To the alarm of the armored man above, the older man with the black hair was raising a Keyblade towards the brown-haired teenager. "…But you must exist no more!" declared the older man._

_He swung his weapon at the teenager. An attack of golden chains flew at him._

_The man in the air had seen enough. He swiftly transformed his vehicle back into his Keyblade and dove in. "Ven!" he shouted as he landed between the two._

_The attack vanished. The older man looked up in shock. "__**What**__?!"_

"_Master!" the man yelled. "Have you gone mad?"_

"_Terra! I command you — step aside!"_

"_**No**__!" the young man's armor disappeared, revealing his spikey, brown hair, black shirt, and wide, tan pants._

"_You will not heed your master?"_

"_I __**won't**__!"_

_The older man looked down. "Why do all my attempts to reach you fail? If you do not have it in your heart to obey, then you will have to share Ventus's fate."_

_A tear slid down the man's cheek. He rushed forward. The spikey, brown-haired man quickly found himself locked in a heated clash against the black-headed man._

"_**Enough**__, Terra!" the brown-haired teenager shouted. "He's right!"_

"_**Quiet**__!" the brown-headed man shouted back._

"_Terra…. "_

_The older man jumped back. He reared back and set a powerful blast of Light flying at the two. The young man and teenager went flying backward. As the former stood up, he grabbed the latter. He stared straight ahead, seeing the older man was about to launch another attack. With a deep breath, he scowled. "You may be my Master," he declared in a strong tone of voice. "But I will __**not**__ let you hurt my __**friend**__!"_

_The older man gasped. "Has the __**Darkness**__ taken you, Terra?!"_

_The younger man pointed his Keyblade behind him. A portal suddenly appeared. He tossed the teenager into it. As the portal closed, the brown-headed teen raised his hand out. "__**Wait**__, Terra!"_

_The portal sealed shut. In a matter of seconds, the two Keyblade wielders were locked in a long series of blows. Each time one of them tried to overtake the other, their opponent would block and counter-attack. Before long, they resorted to utilizing magic. The brown-haired young man launched attacks covered in pitch-black Darkness. The older, black-haired man continued to use various forms of pure Light._

_After several minutes, the two were so fatigued, they could hardly stand up. As they gasped for breath, the younger one stared in complete shock and alarm. "What have I __**done**__?! Master! I just… wanted to keep Ven safe."_

"_No, you were right," the older man returned. "I failed you, Terra. Perhaps I've no one to blame but myself for the Darkness inside you. And now, I've done worse — raised my Keyblade against you and Ventus."_

_He looked down. "My __**own**__ heart is Darkness!"_

_A blast of dark energy slammed into the older man's back. He fell to his knees, dropping his Keyblade in the process. The weapon clattered as it landed onto the stone plaza. The young man knelt and reached out his arms. The older man fell forward. His body vanished away before the young man could catch him._

_The young man gasped in alarm. He fell to his hands and knees and started to shed tears. "_**Master Eraqus**_!"_

_He started to mourn his teacher. A series of footsteps followed. They stopped short. "What a sight," murmured a deep voice. "Why do you trouble yourself with remorse, Master Terra? The man was bent on doing harm to your friend, his __**own**__ pupil."_

_The brown-headed man looked up and gasped. Standing before him was the tall, hunched, older man with the silver goatee and yellow eyes. "__**Master Xehanort**__!" he exclaimed in complete alarm. "_**Why**_?!"_

_The older man turned away and strolled to the edge of the plaza. "You know, at times I find your progress quite striking. But you __**still**__ fall short. Let __**all**__ that anger out, my boy. Give your heart over to __**Darkness**__!"_

_The younger man raised his Keyblade. "What do you mean?!"_

"_Still so blind," the older man spun around. He now had a stern look in his eyes. "Then I will __**make**__ you see. Come to the place where all Keyblade wielders leave their mark on fate — the __**Keyblade **__**Graveyard**__!"_

_He reached out his hand. A large weapon appeared in it. It was __a Keyblade __with__a spikey, black guard that resembled demonic wings, a horned, demonic head just above the handle, two barbed shafts, and teeth resembling a battle axe split into three nearly claw-like protrusions. In the middle of the blade was a demonic eye. "There you will watch your dear Ventus and Aqua meet their __**ends**__, and the __**last**__ Light within you __**will**_**die**_!"_

_Without another word, the older man pointed his Keyblade into the sky. A beam of Darkness surged from the weapon and created a small ball of Darkness in the air. The ball rapidly grew in size. Before long, the sunset had been replaced by a strong, hallowing, dark wind. The wind rushed all around, shaking the long, golden chains attached to the castle._

_The older man gestured all around. "You __**won't**__ need a home anymore where you're going!"_

_The brown-haired young man looked around in alarm. "__**What**__?!"_

_He turned back in time to see the older man leaving through a dark portal. "_**Xehanort**_!"_

_He rushed at the portal. The older man was too quick and the portal sealed shut behind him. The young man was left all alone. He found himself watching as the castle's entire right wing broke free and got dragged into the dark sphere above. The plaza shook so suddenly, he lost his balance and had to stay down as an entire section of the plaza was torn away like Cookie Monster had taken a bite out of it. The wind grew stronger, tearing away the long chains from the castle and the nearby summits._

_He looked up in time to see the castle's far left tower get pulled into the Darkness. Now knowing what the older man was capable of, he scowled and carefully rose to his feet. He reached into his pocket and held out a small, orange trinket. "Aqua, Ven…. I __**won't**__ let him hurt you!"_

_He clutched the item as tightly as he could. With his closed fist, he jabbed the button on the armor attached to his shoulder. He brown-golden-orange armor returned. He tossed his Keyblade into the air. The weapon transformed into the same vehicle as before. He hopped onto it and rode into the air._

_Before long, he was well out of sight._

* * *

_It was after nightfall. The brown-haired young man was atop his vehicle and soaring up to the top of a tall rocky tower. When he landed, his vehicle turned back into his Keyblade and disappeared. His armor also vanished, revealing his clothes underneath._

_He scowled straight ahead. There was the tall, hunched, older man with the yellow eyes. "Admirably done," the man approved. "I __**knew**__ this was a journey you could make — over the unseen wall that divides Darkness and Light."_

_He extended his arms in delight. "And I was __**not**__ wrong, Terra!"_

_The brown-headed youth clenched his teeth. His Keyblade appeared in his hand. "My friend, Ven…. You tell me, Xehanort, what did you __**do**__ to him?!"_

"_Why," the older man said in a rather calm tone of voice. "I did him a favor and freed the Darkness inside him. Alas, poor Ventus __**never**__ had the fortitude for such __**strenuous**__ trials."_

_The young man could not hold back any longer. "_**Xehanort**_!" he yelled in a state of total anger, rage, and hatred._

_He rushed forward and swung his Keyblade at the older man. The latter held out his own Keyblade and stopped him short. He turned his gaze to the right. "Go take what Ventus owes you. And take Aqua's life."_

_The brown-haired man turned around. There was the boy in the black mask — Vanitas. The boy raced to the edge of the cliff and dove over the side. "_**NO**_!" the young man declared._

_He shoved the older man back and hurried to stop the boy. Just as he drew close to the cliff's edge, the older man appeared. The brown-headed man jumped back, realizing his enemy had warped over._

"_You see how powerless you are to save them?" the older man asked. He raised his arms into the air. "__**Savor**__ that rage and despair. Let it _**empower**_ you!"_

_The young man could no longer hold in his anger. "You will __**pay**__, Xehanort! Was my Master — no, my father, Eraqus not enough for you?" he declared. He started to show signs of strong Darkness emerging from within. "__**Leave **__**my**_**friends****ALONE**_!"_

_The older man grinned at the sight of the other man's Darkness. "Yes, boy, that's it! __**More**__! Let your whole heart blacken with __**anger**__!"_

_The brown-haired young man clenched his fists and teeth. With a loud yell, he began unleashing a tremendous amount of dark energy. With all that Darkness under his control, he charged at the older man and struck him over and over again. The villain retaliated, only to get blocked and countered repeatedly._

_Within two minutes, the older man collapsed. He gasped for breath. The younger man approached him, ready to deal a final swing and eliminate his opponent._

_A great quake shook the area. The older man looked up in marvel. He pointed behind the younger one. "__**There**__! You see?"_

_The younger man looked puzzled. He turned around and gasped when he saw the fiery column towering into the sky._

"_The χ-blade has been __**forged**__!" the older man declared._

_The brown-headed youth was appalled. "__**Ven**__!"_

_The older man rose to his feet. He turned his Keyblade toward his chest. "And now, Terra, it is time for the __**final**__**union**__!"_

_The younger man whirled around in time to see the older one using the Keyblade to unlock his heart. "_**What**_?!" he exclaimed._

"_At last, our moment is here," the older man said as his Keyblade vanished. His heart left his body and drifted into the air. "Out with the __**old**__ and brittle vessel, and in with a younger, stronger __**new**__ one!"_

_The young man looked completely speechless at the display._

"_I swore I would survive… and be there to see what awaited __**beyond**__ the Keyblade War," the older man continued. He pointed straight at the brown-haired young man. "And now it is __**your**__ Darkness that shall be the ark that __**sustains**_**me**_!"_

_In one, swift action, the young man hastily pressed the button on his shoulder. His armour appeared. He froze, the older man's heart already having taken possession inside him. At the same time, the older man gave a dark grin as his body disappeared from sight._

_The younger man removed his armor, one piece at a time. There he was, standing proudly upon the rocky tower. The only exceptions were his now-white hair, his amber eyes, and his darker skin tone._

_With a grin of his own, the man said, "This heart belongs again to Darkness. __**All**__ worlds begin in Darkness, and __**all**__ so end. The heart is __**no**__ different. Darkness sprouts within it. It grows — consumes it. Such is its nature. In the end, __**every**__ heart returns to the Darkness whence it came."_

_He looked up in delight. "As you can see, __**Darkness**__ is the heart's __**true**__ essence!"_

* * *

_To say he was feeling more than pleased would be an understatement. Minutes before, the pair of scientists had been struck successfully and were fading away into Darkness. With both of their hearts turning into Darkness, he knew his current objective had been accomplished._

"_**Hey**__!" a voice hollered from the other side of the room. In came a tall man with a long, black ponytail. Although he was wearing the same purple-colored uniform as the rest of the city's Royal Guard, he also had an eyepatch over his right eye socket and a scar on his left cheek. "__**Xehanort**__! You wanna fill me in on this '_**unethical**_ experiment' of yours?"_

_He summoned a Keyblade. It's dark appearance and bat-like design was more than enough to make the soldier feel uneasy. "I am… "_

"_Wait," the soldier exclaimed. "Do you remember now? Or did you __**never**__ lose your memory?!"_

_Instead of answering, he rushed over and stabbed the soldier in the left side of the latter's chest. "That's __**not**__ my name! I'm not 'Xehanort'!"_

_Moaning in agony for a couple minutes, the soldier muttered something inaudible before collapsing onto the floor of the lab. A heart escaped his body as he began to be consumed by Darkness, too. He gave such an evil smile, it would've driven Maleficent into a state of discomfort._

"_My name is… _**Ansem**_!"_

_A small flash of something to the right drew his eye. He strolled over and noticed a glowing circle above the computer's monitor. He reached out his hand and touched it. A projection appeared within the circular shape._

_In it was an image showing a vast portion of space. Not the space __**he**__ was familiar with. It resembled outer space, only with countless zeros and ones strewn about. Various "worlds" could be seen. In one spot, he saw the name "_**Cyberspace**_" listed._

_The image changed to one showing a large island in the middle of nowhere. It was completely surrounded by water. For a moment, he thought it looked familiar. __**That**__ was when he saw the various buildings on the island were constructed from plastic bricks. Even the residents resembled plastic toys. He could hear a voice saying, "__**And you're listening to L.E.G.O. Radio — reminding you, if you're not listening to L.E.G.O., you're not listening to the radio!**__"_

_The image changed again. A large, two-story school came into focus. The flagpole outside flew a flag bearing a rocket-powered school bus. A group of people — eight students, one teacher, and one green lizard — all climbed into the bus. The bus suddenly transformed into a space shuttle-like design and flew into the sky. There was a loud, "_**WAHOO!**_"_

_The image changed once more. __**This**__ time, it showed a large, well-built city. That was when a gigantic meteor headed for the skyline. At last moment, a girl about ten years old soared into the sky and caught the meteor. She was decked out in a reddish body suit with a matching helmet and yellow cape. The symbol on her suit's chest resembled a golden star in the middle of a shield._

_A voice shouted, "_**WORD UP!**_"_

_The image changed, again. __**This**__ one showed a large, greenish turtle flying through the air. The top of the shell looked like a glass sunroof. Beside the turtle, two falcons were flying by. They both had human faces and a paw-print on their chests. One was blue and the other was a dark-green. A voice declared, "_**ACTIVATE CREATURE POWER!**_"_

_The projection faded and the circle vanished from sight. Having seen all this, he gave a sinister smile._

* * *

_With the __World of Choas__ destroyed and most of his power gone, he rose up into the air. Well, it was not exactly "air". The area was called "The Endless Abyss" for a reason. All around was nothing except pitch-black emptiness._

_Before him were a group of three individuals. One was a teenage boy sporting spikey, brown hair, azure eyes, and wearing oversized yellow shoes, white gloves, red shorts, and a crown necklace._

_Another was a short, anthropomorphic duck with white feathers and blue eyes. He was wearing a blue magician's uniform._

_The third was a tall, anthropomorphic dog sporting large eyes with nearly-connecting pupils, a big snout with two teeth, and huge feet. His outfit consisted of a green sweater, black vest, baggy yellow pants, and armored shoes. He also had a pair of tiny, reddish goggles pushed onto his forehead. There was a large hat atop his head._

_He gasped for breath as he turned to face the three who had defeated him. "It is futile," he stated. "The Keyblade alone __**cannot**__ seal the Door To Darkness."_

_He spun around. In the distance was a large set of white doors. The design above them resembled stained-glass windows. "Kingdom Hearts," he declared, reaching for the doorway. "Fill me… with the power of Darkness!"_

_The doors opened. Flakes of Darkness started to appear from the other side. As it flowed out, he gave a grin. "__**Supreme**__ Darkness!"_

"_You're __**wrong**__!" the young man behind him yelled. "I know now — without a doubt — Kingdom Hearts is __**Light**__!"_

_As if on cue, beams of Light came streaming from the other side of the doorway. He shielded his eyes from the Light. When he could look again, he gasped. "What the…? Light…? Huh…? But why… ?"_

_He never received an answer. A brilliant array of Light burst through the doorway. The Light struck him directly. He could feel himself being engulfed by the bright rays of sunshine. He could also sense his being fading away. In just a matter of seconds, he was gone — __**vanquished**__ by the Light's __**powerful**__ rays._

* * *

_He was alone in the underground chamber. As he sat down, he could sense another presence in the room. His eyes wandered to the fallen suit of armour before him. Just looking at the shape brought back so many memories. His life as a Keyblade Master. His time as a Heartless. His dealings with the other people he had encountered at one time or another._

_With a smile, he nodded to it — and the Keyblade struck into the floor beside it. "It has been a long time, __**friend**__…. "_

* * *

"**AMY!**" Sora hollered as loudly as he could.

There was no response. There was his sister, slumped in the throne. She was not moving, let along breathing. He rushed over. He grabbed each of her shoulders and shook as fast as he could. Her head only fell forward as though she was unconscious or…. He refused to _**think**_ about it!

Donald charged over and held his wand high. "_**Curaga**_!" he shouted.

A flowery shape appeared over the sandy-haired girl's head. She stirred for a moment. Then, she stopped, again. Sora looked down in disbelief. He could not believe his luck. After all they had been through, it now seemed his sister was gone… for good. She was not waking up, just lying slumped in an underground chamber. "Amy," he said, tears starting to form in his eyes. "_Please_ get up!"

"She must be knocked out," Goofy suggested.

Sora turned his head to the knight. "What do you mean?"

"She ain't wakin' up. She must be off in them Sleepy Earls."

Donald frowned at the tall dog. "That's '_Sleeping __**Worlds**_'!"

"Oh yeah! A-Hyuck! Just like when I got Ventus's name mixed up."

Donald slapped his face so hard, his hand left a mark over his large, right eye. "_**Now**_ — after _twelve_ years, you get his name right!"

Sora shook his head and jumped to his feet. "What's the _**matter**_ with you guys?!" he yelled. "Amy's _not_ waking up! We _**know**_ that! But she's…. she's my _**only**__ sister_!"

Donald and Goofy exchanged looks of surprise. They had not foreseen their friend lashing out his frustrations on everyone else. Goofy and Donald paused. They now wondered if Xehanort truly _**had**_ done something _terrible_ to the spikey-haired young man. It would certainly explain why he had been acting so serious these days. He had shown signs of wanting to stab Rourke with the Keyblade way back in _**Ancient Empire**_. He had nearly given up trying to resolve the problems in _**Jamestowne**_. He had fought — and shoved — Judge Claude Frollo off the cathedral rooftop in _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_. In _**Middleton**_, it had seemed Sora was starting to _like_ school — something that was completely out-of-character for him. He had almost left the _**Beast's Castle**_ in the hands of Forté, without even giving a second thought. He had also attacked Mortimer back in _**The Outback**_.

Clearly, _**something**_ was _definitely_ going on here. They just were not 100% sure what it was. Hopefully they could find the underlying cause of this mystery before it was too late. For all they knew, Xehanort had implanted the Darkness to rid himself of Sora altogether. They knew only time would tell.

And — _hopefully_ — time itself was on _their_ side.

Indigo strode past the two. "Let's take her upstairs to the medical wing," she offered. "Aerith and Myrna can look after her while _we_ try to solve this mystery."

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah! Good idea!"

He had the feeling Indigo's choices were always going to be better than his own….

* * *

Time was moving slowly. Sora slouched in his seat as he looked at the blank, yellow wall across the waiting room. Donald was pacing back and forth before him. Goofy and Launchpad were seated side by side in two chairs a few feet away. Both had picked up some _Highlights_ magazines and were flipping through them.

Sora gave a deep sigh. He looked up at the wall. A large, diamond-shaped clock was fastened in place where all could see it. He wondered why the clock was moving so slowly. Had time itself actually slowed down? It even looked as though Donald's pacing had slowed. Perhaps time was literally moving at a snail's pace. Maybe even at a sloth's pace. Maybe it was about to stop altogether. He _**hoped**_ not!

If time itself suddenly halted, then Christmas Day would never arrive. Plus, he would never learn whether or not his sister was alright. After leaving the chamber, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo all encountered Aerith and Myrna at the bottom of the ramp. The two had quickly strapped Amemi to a stretcher and rushed her back upstairs. The group had followed behind. Only Chelsy and Sam had remained down below. The two were determined to find any possible clues in the underground chamber. Whatever the clues led to, no one knew. They just had to find _something_. Perhaps Tron could help them make sense of it from there?

He wondered if that was what Leon, Cid, Merlin, and the others had in mind. Then again, probably not Merlin. He was whole-heartedly _**against**_ computers and any Hi-Tech machinery.

He continued to gaze at the wall. Through the yellow paint, he found himself seeing a large, crooked tree. Sparkles of light shimmered through, leaving long trails of magical dust. The more he watched, the bigger the sparkles of light became.

One of the sparkles stood out to him. It resembled a human being, only with wings. Their gold hair was tied into a bun, and they were wearing a strapless, green dress and matching shoes. They had white pom-poms on their shoes.

Another sparkle flew up beside the first one. _This_ one also resembled a human being, only they had whitish hair that was spiked. They were decked out in a cyan strapless tunic, teal knickerbockers, and a pair of flat shoes on their feet. Like the other figure, this one also had white pom-poms on their shoes.

Sora's mind froze. Was he seeing this correctly? Could it all be in his imagination? Or was the world telling him something? He was totally unsure. After all, one of those figures resembled his friend, Tinker Bell. That could not be correct. She was nowhere near the _**Radiant Garden**_! …Or was she? No, she could not. She was either staying at Peter Pan's hideout, or she had returned home to Tinker's Nook.

His mind continued to wander. The last time he had visited Tinker Bell's world had been when the world itself was trapped deep in slumber. Now that he, Riku, and Violet had awakened all those Sleeping Worlds, he wondered what had become of them. Were they all _really_ safe and secure? Or was this new threat endangering any of them? He had been to several worlds so far, and he was yet to see any of those worlds from the _Realm Of Sleep_. Deep down, he had the feeling they were all out of harm's way.

Either way, he hoped he would get to visit at least _one_ of them on this quest. He could see the world when it was awake for a change. Maybe he could see how Rapunzel and Eugene were getting on. Perhaps he could check in with Tinker Bell and her fairy friends. Jiminy Cricket would be delighted to see Pinocchio and Geppetto safely at home. It would be interesting to see what became of Wart — Arthur, knowing he most-likely was currently the ruler of _**Camelot**_. He wondered whatever would have become of the Musketeers, now that Princess Minnie was _Queen_ Minnie. What about all those creatures living inside the songbooks of the _**Symphony of Sorcery**_?

He had a feeling it would be sooner rather than later. He would get to revisit one of those worlds on this new quest of his. He was excitedly wondered which one he would get to see. Who would he meet? What new adventures would await him?

"Sora?"

He felt someone tapping him on the shoulder. He swung his head to the left. There was Indigo. The angel had been sitting beside him the whole time. Last he had checked, she had been reading a book all about mythical creatures. He wondered if Tinker Bell was among the ones listed in there….

"What is it?" he asked.

"Myrna called us back," the angel replied. "Let's go!"

Sora gave a nod. He followed Indigo out of the waiting room. They strolled through the doorway leading to the infirmary. Myrna was waiting for them. Sora noted how she was wearing her nurse's uniform.

The teenager led the group down a row of beds to one where Aerith was already busy. When she saw the group coming, the brown-haired woman rose to her feet.

"So, what's up?" Sora enquired.

"Amemi is okay," Aerith told him. "Her heart was overloaded with memories."

"_Dark_ memories," Myrna specified. "Those can be _very_ dangerous!"

Sora paused in thought. If what the two said was true, then somehow some of those "_Dark_ memories" had slipped into Amemi's heart while she was sitting on the throne. How was that possible? He wondered if Xehanort had put them there. Why? Had Xehanort been up to something dangerous in that chamber?

Aerith turned her focus straight to Sora and Indigo. "I wish I knew how this happened."

"She was sitting in a throne in the underground chamber," Indigo explained. She shuddered a little at the thought of the passage leading to the room. "I always thought it was a little spooky down there."

Sora gave a nod. He could tell the dark corridor had given the angel a sense of insecurity. Of course, he knew it was _**nothing**_ compared to _**Halloween Town**_!

Amemi started to groan. Everyone spun their attention to the bed. The sandy-haired teenager was tucked under three layers of blankets. She sat up and gently placed her left hand against her head. "What… happened…. ?"

Sora turned to Aerith. "Should we tell her?"

Amemi looked around the room. She suddenly gasped. Her eyes grew big and her mouth hung open. "He's _**back**_!" she shouted. "He's coming for us!"

Sora leaned in close. "Amy? What're you saying?"

His sister grabbed his jacket and pulled him in close. Her eyes were wild and she was taking in very short, very light gasps of air. "He's going to _**destroy**_ _**everything**_!"

Sora stared at his sister. What did she mean? Had something startled her? He hoped she was still recovering. It was not like her to panic like this. Although, based on what she had just said, she was relatively calm, all things considered. Then again, that last statement did not make sense to him. Why had it even crossed his mind?

Aerith rushed to the bedside. Sora found himself bumped into as the young woman hurried on past. She leaned in close to Amemi. "It's okay," she said in a soothing voice. "You're safe here. No one's going to hurt you."

Amemi stared at her. Sora thought he saw a flicker of something amber-colored in his sister's eyes. "Xehanort…. He's lurking," she said between gasps of air. "Here… in the shadows… close by… I… I… I can feel him…. "

She leaned back and fell onto the pillow so suddenly, the outside part of the pillow burst. Several feathers flew all over the immediate area. One of them landed on Indigo's antennae. The angel grabbed her nose. With a series of jerks, she unleased a giant sneeze. Dust flew from the floor and landed over everyone.

Myrna brushed off her arms. "What a mess," she commented. "Aerith, I'm going to get Bert."

Aerith gave a nod. "Okay. Please hurry back."

Myrna smiled. "You know I will," the sparkles on her cheeks seemed to be glowing. She turned to Sora and Indigo. "The exit is behind you two."

Sora and Indigo followed the golden-haired teenager down the row of beds. Sora glanced back at his sister. He hoped she was okay. For all he knew, something tragic had occurred down in that chamber. The look in her eyes reminded him of how Riku had looked when he had finally found his friend in Organization XIII's castle. Back then, Riku had possessed the appearance of Ansem, The Seeker of Darkness.

He just hoped there was no correlation between what happened to Amemi and what Riku had gone through.

They strode through the doorway. Sora took one last look back. That was when he noticed Amemi's bed was situated directly beside the "_Jane Doe_" girl from before. Curiosity returned to his mind. He still wondered who that mystery girl was. Her short, reddish hair kind of reminded him of Kairi….

He shrugged it all aside and followed the others out into the waiting room. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were all there, awaiting their return.

"Well?" Donald asked.

"How's yer sister doin', Sora?" Goofy inquired.

"She's gonna be fine," Sora replied. "Something really weird happened down there."

"I hope she was not possessed by a Demon," Indigo said. Sora noticed how the angel had tucked her wings around herself like a blanket. Her eyes were huge and her mouth seemed to be quivering. He wondered if she was completely concerned about something or other.

Launchpad raised an arm. "Maybe she was possessed by that 'Zen-ha-court' guy!"

Donald glared at the pilot. "That's '_**Xehanort**_'!"

Launchpad crossed his arms. His grin became a frown. "Yeesh! Last time I say anything to you!"

Donald's glare swiftly turned into a sneaky smile. "Good!" he said. He shook a finger at the pilot's beak. "I don't like your 'comments'. You're just a _big_, _**fat**_ palooka!"

Sora had heard enough. It was bad enough having seen Donald yell at Goofy throughout their adventure. _Now_, the magician was taking it out on Launchpad. How long was all this going to continue? He could not handle it much more.

"Guys," the brown-haired youth declared. "_Cut_ it out — _**now**_!"

Donald and Launchpad swerved their eyes to the Keyblade wielder. Sora saw the shocked looks in their eyes. His eyebrows rose, complete confusion in his mind. "Huh? What're you looking at?"

"Gawrsh, Sora," Goofy blurted. "You was bein' mean."

Sora nearly jumped into the air. "_**Hey**_!"

Indigo sighed and rolled her eyes. When Donald and Sora started to yell at one another, the angel had heard enough. She scowled and slammed her left foot down with all her might. The noise it create drew everyone's attention. "_**Stop**__ it_ — _**all**_ of you! You are _**all**_ getting off-topic! Let's keep our train-of-thoughts on schedule! _**Alright**_?!"

She glanced at each of the others one at a time like a sergeant in the U.S. Marines inspecting each of his men. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all stared back at the scowling Indigo as though they were soldiers. The reaction Indigo was giving reminded Sora of a show about a marine soldier named Gomer Pyle. The look on her face resembled that group's leader, Sergeant Vincent Carter. At least the angel was truly a _**lot**_ nicer that Sergeant Carter.

Once Indigo saw she had everyone's attention, she crossed her arms. "Now, let's all apologize to each other."

Sora turned to Donald and Goofy. "Sorry, guys. I don't know what came over me."

"Aw phooey," Donald said with a smile.

"You're just bein' you, Sora," Goofy complimented. "It's like I always say, 'Ya can't be nobody but yerself'!"

Donald turned to the Captain of The Royal Guard. "You never say that."

"But I meant ta say it."

Donald slapped himself in the face.

Myrna shook her head. She stepped over to Sora. "For the record," she told him in her very high-pitch voice. "I don't remember 'Xehanort', but I _do_ remember Aeleus and Ienzo both talking about him."

Sora crossed his arms. He had the feeling the reason why Myrna did not know much about Xehanort was simply because she was a newer member of the _Radiant Garden Reconstruction Committee_. Well, as far as he knew, she was. Or had she also been a member way back when? He did not know, and he probably would never know. Besides, it more-than-likely was unrelated to what was happening now anyway.

Sora turned to Myrna. "So, what do we now? Just hang out around here?"

Myrna shook her head. "There's still Heartless causing trouble outside. You should go help Leon and the others in town. It's getting serious."

Sora had to admit, Myrna had a point. The Heartless population had seemingly doubled since the last time he had been there. He wondered if something strange was going on….

He shrugged it all aside. "Okay," he said. He stepped to the door. He gestured to Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo. "C'mon, guys!"

The others nodded and hurried after him. Sora watched them all head out the door. He turned back to Myrna. "We'll be back later. Have fun!"

"Thanks!" Myrna waved goodbye. Sora followed his companions out of the room. The young woman sighed. "How is cleaning floors fun?" she muttered to herself.

She shrugged it all aside and headed out. She had one task to complete now. Find Bert and ask him to help clean up the dust and scattered feathers.

* * *

The sun was bearing down a little more than earlier. The dust clouds from all the construction crews hovered from close by. All the workers and machinery created so much racket, it seemed to echo all around.

Fortunately, most of the noise was too distant to bother anyone at the castle's entrance. Sora strolled out of the castle and past the guards, Dilan and Aeleus. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo were directly behind.

Sora was walking at his normal pace. His hands were tucked into his jacket pockets. His head was tilted forward and he sighed softly ever few minutes. He was having a challenging time keeping his mind on the current objective. Although he knew he needed to focus on resolving the _**Radiant Garden**_'s Heartless crisis, he could not help worrying about Amemi. He had made a promise to his Mom that nothing terrible would happen to his little sister. He had kept it all these years….

And yet, it seemed he had now failed to keep that promise.

Behind him, Donald and Goofy kept giving each other looks of concern. Ever since Goofy had mentioned the possibility of some of Xehanort's Darkness still dwelling within Sora, the two had silently decided to keep an eye on him. Despite all the major, and sometimes hostile, clashing the pair had been through (particularly in _**Ancient Empire**_), they had maintained their focus on the spikey-haired seventeen-year-old they had befriended a few years before.

They had the feeling Goofy's theory might actually be correct. If Xehanort truly had implanted Darkness into Sora's heart, what then? How would they get rid of it? What should they do? Maybe King Mickey could be of some help….

Launchpad's mind was in a completely different place. He pictured himself flying with his family in one of their many flying shows. How he longed to soar like a bird once more. To be free among the clouds. Being the head of the _Disney Royal Air Force_ just was not good enough for him….

Indigo was keeping an eye on the space around the group. She rubbed her arms every now and then. Her antennae wobbled here and there, indicating the presence of Darkness was nearby. She knew the Heartless were in town, and she had the feeling the source of the majority of this power was coming from somewhere just outside the city's limits.

Deep, deep, deep, deep down, she had the sensation some of that Darkness was also inside Sora. She had sensed it back at the _**Beast's Castle**_ — just after she had met the young man. She hoped she was wrong. Yet, still, she had the feeling she was not. Chances were, something — or _someone_ — had put that Darkness inside him. She wanted to know _who_ it had been and _why_ they had done such a terrible act.

The group headed down the steps to the dirt road below. As they strode along the dusty path, a strange feeling passed through Sora. He froze, sensing what seemed to be a jolt of some kind. It appeared to be a mixture of both Light and Darkness. He knew he had felt this same sensation before. He just did not know how or why. What was going on here?

"Sora?"

Sora spun around. The others were eyeing him closely. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all seemed completely baffled. Indigo stood tall with her arms folded. "Huh?" he asked. "What is it?"

"You stopped walking," Donald indicated.

Indigo cocked her head a tiny amount. "Are you sure you are feeling alright?" she asked, her right eyebrow rising in suspicion.

Sora gave a deep sigh. There was no point in holding it back any longer. He pointed to the castle's foundation. "Every time we walk by, I get this… feeling. I dunno why, but it feels… weird."

"Are ya sure?" Goofy asked.

Sora gave a nod in return. "Yeah!"

Launchpad took a quick sweep of the immediate area. "There's nothing around but those workers and their equipment. Maybe one of them's a mind-controller?"

Donald rolled his eyes at the duck-pilot's statement. He shook his head. "Nothing seems out of the ordinary," he said.

Indigo stepped over to Sora. She looked him straight into the eyes. "I can sense you are telling the truth, Sora," she told him. "I can see it in your eyes."

Sora grinned. He was relieved that at least _one_ member of his team did not have any doubts about what he was talking about. He leaned back and placed his hands behind his head. "I dunno why, but this feeling's so familiar to me."

Indigo nodded to him. She stepped past the Keyblade wielder and took a few angel-sized paces (which are rather small compared to a normal-sized human's paces) closer to the castle's foundation. She stopped and squinted. Her eyes followed the entire side of the castle's exterior.

Her eyes halted not far from the castle's entrance. Amongst the building's stone foundation, a large crack was present in the wall. It seemed large enough to drive a semi-truck inside and back out again. That was not all. She sensed a feeling of… strong _Darkness_?!

She whirled around to the others. "There is a cavern underneath the castle," she informed them. She pointed her left hand into the direction of the cave's opening. "I can sense a strong Darkness coming from inside."

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all approached the angel from both sides. To their surprise, there was the opening. To Sora, it looked like a gigantic drilling machine had tunneled its way into the castle's foundation.

"That must be it," Sora remarked.

"That looks dark," Donald pinpointed.

"Yeah," Goofy gulped. The knight, duck-mage, and Launchpad all quivered at the thought of going into the unknown cavern. For all _they_ knew, it was loaded with tons of Heartless and other monsters. Maybe even… the legendary "_Children of The Night_"!

Sora strode towards the entrance. "Let's check it out!"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all looked down in despair. It seemed Sora was absolutely fearless when it came to exploring dark, dismal, and possibly dangerous places. It did not matter if it was a completely undiscovered territory. He was willing to wander around in it for hours — _if_ they would let him, that is.

The brown, spikey-headed youth gestured for the others to follow. "C'mon!"

He raced for the cavern. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were seconds behind.

Indigo was about to do the same when her antennae began vibrating even faster. Her eyes grew wide. She hastily cupped her hands around her mouth. "_**Sora**_!" she shouted, using her hands to magnify her voice. "Let's _be_ _**careful**_ down there!"

There was no response. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were already approaching the cave's entrance. With a dismayed sigh, Indigo slowly trailed along.

"When shall he learn to look before he leaps?" Indigo murmured to herself. "He is _so_ naïve!"

Deep, deep, deep, deep down, she believed that was just the way Sora would always be. The naïve Keyblade wielder she had come to call her friend.

* * *

**A/N: SHEESH! THAT WAS QUITE A LENGTHY CHAPTER! NOW, WASN'T IT?**

**Of course, for a Chapter of such SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE, perhaps I should go over some things Here - And Now!**

**(1.) Yes, Amemi's behavior with the computer was inspired by the way Sora treated it in "_Kingdom Hearts 2_". Why not have her do something similar? After all, she IS supposed to be Sora's Sister!  
****PLUS, all that gibberish Amemi typed was something I made up on the spot. In fact, I pounded [(lightly)] on my own keyboard the way Sora did. THAT is what I ended up with!**

**(2.) I might have Broken The Fourth Wall a handful of times in there. I will not state exactly where, in case anyone decided to read the Opening and Closing Segments first!**

**(3.) Okay, so I HAD to include all that "_INDIANA JONES_" Stuff in there! I am not a fan of "_S__TAR WARS_", yet I NEVER said anything about "Indiana Jones", now did I? Besides, I thought it gave some Comic Relief, too!**

**(4.) Yes, yes! Medy is supposed to be Demyx's Somebody! I purposely chose that spelling since it is the closest to the English word, "Melody". That, and the name "Myde" has been used a little too much for my liking.  
FUN FACT: The actor who voices Demyx is Ryan O'Donohue, who also played Randall Weems in Disney's "_RECESS_"!**

**(5.) I MIGHT have stated this before, yet I might as well do it again.  
CHELSY AND SAM SIMON ARE TWO OF MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**(6.) The part where Sam Simon mentions "A magical key — like in the video games!" is a reference to Prompto Argentum from "_Final Fantasy XV_"!**

**(7.) I think you can take a guess at what "unknown chamber" Sora's Team found themselves investigating!**

**(8.) All those memories Amemi witnessed (and technically felt) were mostly from "_Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep_". The rest were either original, or they were based around scenes from other KH Games.**

**(9.) DO NOT WORRY! Amemi is alright! Like Aerith and Myrna said, She just suffered from exposure to an overwhelming amount of memories.**

**(10.) So, what do YOU think is up next? What "_CAVERN_" are Sora, Donald Duck, Goofy, Launchpad McQuack, and Indigo headed into?**

**YAWN! That was a LOT of information to go over, was it now? To THAT end, I shall make This Part brief.**

**In other words, I have nothing more to say.**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!" In Addition, "FLY WITH YOU ALL LATER!"**


	36. Ch36 - The Cavern OF Remembrance

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE! SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET THIS CHAPTER DONE! Things have been, well... a little hectic in my life these days.**

**Plus, I have been working on some Original Stories of my own. Yes, I FINALLY feel confident enough to start them! YIPPEE! YES!**

**Since this is an IMPORTANT Chapter, I shall not linger around up too long.**

**I just wanted to remind you about The POLL on my Profile Page. Please Respond To It! It May Affect The Order These Stories Are Written In!**

**I also wanted to point out how I agree with those of you who enjoyed seeing all the "_Indiana Jones_" references in Chapter 35!  
Would you like me to include one (or more) of the "_Indiana Jones_" movies in one (or more) of my upcoming KH Stories? Please let me know!**

**In addition, I wanted to state how I am looking forward to seeing "_Kingdom Hearts -1.5+1.5 HD Remix-_" coming out in March! I wonder how much time it will take to play through all those titles?  
Yes, I am planning to see Disney's "_Beauty And The Beast__ (2017)_". I am also looking forward to the second half of Season 6 of ABC's "_ONCE UPON A TIME_". I have the feeling that show's storyline is finally drawing to a close...**

**There is also another movie I am looking forward to coming out. Yet, I am not going to disclose its title, mostly for "confidential" reasons.**

**For the record, didn't I promise a certain "Crossover" in This Story? Let's see... which one was it?**

**So, how about I let you read on?  
Please keep in mind: to picture some of these scenes as "Cutscenes", you may have to picture the style used in "_Final Fantasy XV_".**  
**PLEASE READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! MAKE SURE YOU REVIEW, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 36**  
**The Cavern OF Remembrance**

Sora raced into the cave. After roughly ten or fifteen yards, the passage opened into a large chamber. He came to a halt, taking in the new surroundings.

The space was so massive, it seemed to rival his school's gymnasium; _that_ room was three stories tall and about the length of a soccer field! He noticed some oddly-shaped stalactites hanging from the ceiling. On the sides of the cavern walls was the occasional column rising into the emptiness. Due to the lack of light protruding through the chamber, he could not see much else. In fact, most of what he _did_ see was thanks to his eyes making out some silhouettes.

The whole area was as dark as a natural cave. He looked down at the ground before him. Tire tracks. And treads, too. He had the feeling someone had once drove a truck or two through this place. There were multiple tracks, yet one of the trails was deeper than the others. He figured _that_ one had been used the most.

Sora stopped and crossed his arms in thought. Had this been an important place at one time? It almost reminded him of a mining tunnel. He tried to picture miners down here, hacking away at the rocky walls, trying to locate certain types of ore, minerals, or any other substance with value or use to them.

Still, why was such a place located beneath the castle? For that matter, why would anyone be mining through a building's foundation? He had the feeling there was more to all this than it appeared. And he knew he needed to find out the truth.

He had just uncrossed his arms when something slammed into him from behind. It was followed by another ramming. He suddenly found himself face-down on the bluish stone of the cavern floor. A voice gasped — a girl's voice.

"Are you alright?"

Sora rose his head off the ground. He saw Indigo there, standing so tall, she seemed to be towering over him. She leaned forward and reached out to the seventeen-year-old's head. "Hey!" he declared. "Cut it out!"

Indigo jumped back. Sora wiggled his body. "_Get __**off**_!" he demanded.

The two "things" slid off and landed on either side. To his surprise, Donald and Goofy had slammed into him — in the same order. He had to shake his head, knowing this was no different than the times the three had used this same technique to activate those special "Trinities".

"Heh, heh," Launchpad chuckled. He shone a bright beam into their eyes. "Usually, _I_ am the one who makes these messes."

A stubborn Donald waved his hand at the pilot. "Aw, shuddup!"

Launchpad crossed his arms and frowned. "Yeesh! _Another_ tough crowd!"

Sora calmly returned to his feet. Donald and Goofy did the same on either side of him. Once the brown, spikey-haired young man was back on his feet, he saw Indigo rushing back over. The angel got so close, he nearly stepped back. "Whoa! Take it easy!"

Indigo grabbed the young man's mouth and yanked it open with her hands. As she looked inside, Sora was completely startled. What was the angel _**doing**_?! Was she trying to be his doctor now? He certainly _**hoped**_ not! His Dad often complained about how much their family doctor was "overcharging them" for basic appointments.

The angel released her grip on the teenager's mouth and proceeded to inspect his forehead and the sides of his cheeks. "Does anything hurt?" she enquired.

"Not really," Sora muttered, rolling his eyes.

Indigo paused when she noticed something on his head. "You have a small bruise on your forehead," she informed him. "It looks bad."

She gazed straight into his eyes. "Did you take a direct hit in the head a while back?"

Sora stopped to recollect. The only time he could think of such an event happening was when he had tumbled over back in _Bueno Nacho HeadQuarters_. He had fallen onto his face, slid across the floor, and slammed into the wall. He vaguely remembered the ceiling tile falling from above and crashing down upon his scalp.

He looked down. "Yeah," he sighed. "Back in Kim's world. I fell over and got hit by a tile from above."

Indigo stepped back a few feet. "Unless you get that taken care of soon, you could develop a serious concussion."

Sora now felt perplexed. "How do you know all this stuff?"

Indigo looked to her right. She rubbed her right arm with her left hand. "My Mom. She taught me everything I know."

"You mean, Violet's mom, right?"

"Yes and no," Indigo sighed and turned away. She looked up at the shadowed ceiling. Her left hand reached for her necklace. "Violet, Teal, and I were split up many years ago. We were so young, I can only remember their names. Yet, I know we were _very_ close."

Her head fell. Her eyes closed as though trying to remember what had happened. A tear slid down her cheek. "I have not seen my sisters for more than ten years…. Until I met you, I… I only had limited contact with Violet. Sometimes, I felt her presence in my dreams. I knew she was _still_ alive — somewhere else. That helped me feel relief, knowing I was not the only Angel of Light left in existence."

Her voice started to break. Another tear slid down her face. "Yet, Teal…. "

She fell to her knees and buried her face into her hands. Her antennae drooped low. Even her wings sagged. The loud sounds of sobbing filled the immediate area. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all fell silent.

Sora gave a deep sigh. Before his journey through the _Realm Of Sleep_, he had always been told angels were creatures of legend. Of mythology. Yet, he had met not one, but _two_ angels. And "Angels of Light", nevertheless! Violet and Indigo. Sisters.

He recalled how Violet had cried when she had mentioned what could happen if everyone were to suddenly stop dreaming. Even though she had not finished her sentence, he had the feeling he knew what she was going to say. If everybody stopped dreaming, she would probably cease to exist.

Indigo, on the other hand, was struggling to recollect a memory of some kind. For the looks of it, it was an especially _hurtful_ one. Either that, or she was just being a little _too_ emotional. He rapidly threw that explanation out of his mind.

Remembering how Indigo had mentioned a third sister named "Teal", he started to wonder if anything had happened to this yet-to-be-met angel. Based on Indigo's reactions, something terrible had happened to "Teal". He did not know _what_ had happened, only that something tragic must have taken place. This was not like Indigo to suddenly collapse in tears.

That was _**his**_ job!

Nevertheless, he knew Violet and Indigo's sister was probably either missing-in-action, or worse…. She probably did not exist anymore. He sincerely _**hoped**_ that was _**not**_ the case!

With a deep sigh, Sora strolled over to Indigo. He got down on one knee and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry about your sister," he said.

The angel lowered her hands. The brown-headed youth could see the tear-trails streaking down her face. She shook her head. "It is not your fault," she replied. "I simply do not know if Teal is alright, in serious danger, or if she no longer exists…. "

"What happened to her?" Donald asked.

Indigo shut her eyes again. "I cannot remember. I can only remember the cold wind and the snowy ground…. "

"Must've been Winter," Goofy indicated.

"I also remember my Mom being there. It was the last time I was ever with Teal and Violet. I wish I knew what became of _both_ of them."

Sora looked down. He understood how Indigo felt. He had felt just as depressed when he had learned Kairi had been kidnapped by Organization XIII. Back then, he had _still_ not found Riku, and he had just lost all hope of asking King Mickey about the silver-haired teenager's whereabouts.

He had been so upset, he had nearly given up all hope of finding his friends, let alone protecting the worlds from the Heartless and Nobodies. Not to mention Xehanort's Nobody, Xemnas. If it had not been for the encouragement Donald and Goofy had provided, he might have just retreated back home and done something terrible with his Keyblade. Or worse….

He tossed that train-of-thought of its rails.

He took a deep breath and offered his hand. "It's okay," he said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. "We'll find her. Violet's waiting for us back at Master Yen Sid's tower. Maybe _she_ knows where Teal is."

Indigo opened her eyes and turned her head to face Sora. The latter grinned so much, his teeth showed. She glanced at his hand. Then back to his head. Her eyes met his straight on. She saw a flicker of Light shining through his azure eyes. This was quite the pleasant display to see, considering all the Darkness she had sensed coming from his heart.

With a small smile, she grabbed his hand. Sora rose to his feet, helping Indigo back to hers. The angel took a deep breath and smiled. Her antennae returned to their "proper" positions. Her wings also righted themselves, allowing her appearance to return to its butterfly-like design. Her glow slowly became brighter.

There was something else, too. Sora sensed a strong Light radiating outward. It felt so warm and soothing. He imagined himself back on the beach, listening to the sounds of the distant waves. How he longed to hear them now….

"Thank you, Sora," Indigo said, shaking the spikey, brown-headed Keyblader's hand. "I am starting to feel like my old self, again."

Sora beamed with delight. He could feel some of the Light passing through their handshake. "Yeah, you know it!"

The two stopped shaking hands and let go. Sora turned to gaze to the right. "Whoa!" he exclaimed in complete astonishment.

The cavern was _**much**_ brighter now. As he had predicted, the tire trails led down a tunnel to the far wall. A large, metallic doorway covered the entrance.

"How'd it get so bright?" Launchpad wondered aloud. He clicked off his flashlight.

"My glow," Indigo realized. She glanced over her hands, feet, and wings. She stared at Sora in amazement. "By helping me feel better, you caused my glow to get stronger."

She folded her arms. "Sora, you are one _spectacular_ kid!"

Sora shrugged. "It's no big deal."

He headed for the doorway. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were moments behind. Indigo was a little startled. It seemed like the young man preferred to always be moving. Or completing some type of mission. Or both.

She shook her head. This was definitely going to take some getting used to. She calmly raced after the others. "Wait for me!" she shouted.

* * *

Sora was the first one to reach the far wall. He looked straight up at the door. The _heavy_ door, it seemed. The words "_**CHECKPOINT 1.2**_" could be seen inscribed upon the side of it. He also took notice of the pair of lights above the doorframe. One was green; the other was red. He wondered what they meant.

He turned around in time to see Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo catching up. "It think this door's locked," the young man admitted.

"Try usin' your Keyblade, Sora," Goofy suggested.

Sora shook his head. "There's no lock to open."

Donald crossed his arms. "Aw phooey…. "

Launchpad yawned. "Sounds like one of them new video games. I think it's called 'KH'… or something."

Sora's hands flew to the front of his face. He wanted to run off somewhere and never be heard from again. Why did this stuff keep happening to him? _Every_ time he was trying to resolve some puzzle or problem, one of his teammates would make a silly statement — often one unrelated to what they were doing.

He just wished they would pay more attention to the current mission instead of constantly getting sidetracked. After all, he had heard it was better to say nothing and have others wonder about your intelligence than to say something stupid and leave them no doubt. As far as _he_ was concerned, that meant anything unrelated to the current quest needed to be shoved aside — at least, for now.

"Sora?" Sora lowered his hands. Indigo was only inches from his face. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked.

Sora gave a quick nod. He did not want to worry the angel, let alone have her questioning him _now_. When he saw Indigo crossing her arms, he had the feeling his plan had failed. He had only roused her suspicion.

Indigo's antennae seemed to be pointing straight for him. "I think you are not telling me the truth, Sora."

"Of course, I am!" Sora pounded the side of his chest. He looked around the immediate area. That was when his eyes landed upon the large, metal staircase leading up the wall. "Look!" he called, pointing to the stairs.

Indigo, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all swerved their attention to the staircase. Before they could say a thing, Sora raced for it. Knowing they could not allow the young man to get away so easily, they all quickly followed.

Once again being first, Sora stopped and shifted his gaze straight up. The staircase seemed to zigzag back and forth all the way to the top of the wall. At the very top of the steps, he could make out the shape of some type of opening.

He turned to the others as they reached him. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all stopped to catch their breath. Indigo flew over, even though her feet were just a few inches off the ground. When she set down, she crossed her arms. The angel stood next to the Keyblade wielder and trained her eyesight to the top of the stairs. "This staircase is rusty," she observed. "It could collapse at any minute. It is _too_ dangerous."

"Man," Sora shook his head. "You're starting to sound like my Mom."

He put his foot on the first step. It creaked. That was all. With his large grin forming across his face, Sora felt proud. He had the feeling Indigo had been overreacting about the stairs falling to the ground. They were as sturdy as a mineral… or rock — _if_ you prefer.

He glanced back to his companions. "See? It's safe!"

"You haven't climbed it, yet," Donald pinpointed.

"Yeah," Goofy approved. "You gotta walk all the way to thuh top."

"It still does not look safe," an unimpressed Indigo stated.

Sora turned around. He shoved all his friends' comments aside. Why _should_ he worry? This staircase was perfectly sturdy and safe. Nothing was going to happen when he climbed it. Besides, what other choice did he have? There was no other way through this cavern.

He marched up the first flight of steps. "Nothing to it!" he declared, rounding the first bend. He hurried up the second flight. Same thing. He stomped up two steps at a time for the third flight.

After he dashed up the fourth flight, Sora felt like Indigo _had_ been worrying all for nothing. The staircase was _**still**_ standing. It was not wobbly. It was not shaking. It was holding up nice and smooth. Clearly, he needed to tune out that Royal Court Magician, the Captain of The Royal Knights, and The Angel of Hope more often. He just needed to listen to the voice inside his head.

As he started up the fifth (and last) flight of steps, Sora noticed something different. The stairs were creaking with each step he took. The handrail seemed to be vibrating. He held onto both rails as he continued. It almost felt like the staircase was starting to wobble….

"_**Sora**_!" Indigo shouted from below. "_Look_ _**out**_!"

Sora's eyes grew wide with alarm. He raced up the stairs. He could feel the railings shaking more and more as he hurried. He was only a few feet away from the opening. He needed to scurry before….

_**CRACK!**_ Sora jumped into the air. He reached out and grabbed the bottom edge of the opening.

_**CRASH!**_ The staircase — steps, handrails, and all — crumpled like twisted tin foil onto the cavern floor. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all rushed several feet away and ducked behind the knight's shield.

"_**Yikes**_!" Indigo exclaimed. She opened her wings and leapt into the air. She rose into the air, just as the debris clattered all over the spot where she had been seconds before.

Sora was appalled. Indigo had been correct the entire time. Not only had the staircase collapsed, his friends had been forced to take cover. Plus, he was dangling from the edge of the opening the stairs had once led up to.

Recalling what he had seen rock climbers do in the movies, the spikey, brown-haired youth reached his arms further into the opening. He swung his legs to the rocky wall. After getting a foothold, he clambered his wall up. Within a matter of five minutes (which it was), Sora found himself safely inside the opening. He sat down to catch his breath, the fright of what had almost happened slowly leaving his system.

A glowing shadow appeared. He looked back and relaxed. There was Indigo, hovering just beyond the opening. The angel stepped in and stopped when she was beside him. She knelt down and crossed her arms. "That was a stupid thing you did," she scolded, a scowl evident on her face.

"Come on, Indigo," Sora retaliated. "I still made it, didn't I? You have to give me credit for _that_!"

Indigo shook her head. "That is _not_ the point. What you did was so stupid, you might as well have pulled the fire alarm in a non-emergency situation."

"Hey!" Sora jumped to his feet. Now, _he_ was scowling. "Since when did you become my Mom?"

Indigo was on her feet in a flash. "I am not trying to be your mother, Sora."

Sora's scowl turned into a glare. "Then, leave me _**alone**_! I can handle _**myself**_!"

He stormed down the tunnel. He marched away so suddenly, he reached out his arms and shoved the angel aside. Indigo slammed into the wall, her head banged against the rock.

"_**SORA**_!" she shouted. Her eyes were filled with alarm. Not only had the young man gotten so flustered with her, he had talked very rudely, he had pushed her into the wall. She reached behind her head with her left hand. When she removed her hand, Indigo gasped. Her left hand was stained with something red.

She could barely speak. "He did not…. "

Indigo clutched her left fist as tightly as she could. She glared intensely into the direction Sora had gone. She reached out her hand. A spear-like weapon appeared. It was a greenish color with a dark-violet guard and matching handle. The tip of the weapon was so sharp, it could have punctured a stack of fresh bones easily.

Indigo could feel something she had never felt before. Okay, she _had_ sensed this before. Only this time, it seemed to be coming from inside. She hopped into the air and readied her lance. Away she flew down the corridor.

* * *

In the midst of a ruined building, an older man was watching a projection of Indigo in the rocky tunnel. The shadows concealed most of his appearance, so only his yellow eyes and silver goatee could be seen.

He grinned when he saw the angel summon the lance. He saw the flicker of something dark in her eyes. Perfect. This was something he was hoping would happen.

"Yes," he said to himself. "She is indeed strong — just like her mother. The time has not come yet, but it is coming soon."

His grin grew all the more. "She will fulfill her role in the war — just as I envisioned."

Not wanting to miss out on an excellent opportunity, he waved his hand over the projection. Flakes of Darkness drifted into the image. They started to surround the angel before entering her. She froze for a moment before proceeding, a darker scowl on her face.

He gave a sinister chuckle. Just as he had intended….

* * *

Sora raced down the tunnel. He could feel his anger growing stronger. It did not matter. He needed to get away from the bossy angel. He should never have agreed to bring her back to Master Yen Sid. He remembered all those fights he and Violet had shared. Indigo was no different.

Clearly, it was impossible to genuinely get along with angels.

He reached the end of the passage. To his surprise, he was running across a long, metal catwalk. Down below, he could see a large chamber big enough to swallow a tugboat or two. It appeared to be at least thirty feet deep, at least from where he stood. Lots of machinery and crates of supplies were scattered about. If it had not been for the flashlight in his hand, Sora would have missed it all. Drills, gloves, and… a generator?

Sora raced for the staircase ahead. He made a sharp left and headed down below. Unlike the other stairs, these ones were not rusty. In fact, these ones felt much sturdier. He wondered if the catwalk had helped keep these steps in place. He decided not to think about everything so much. He had a cave to explore.

He hurried into the direction of the generator. He was only a few yards away when his foot rammed into something. Sora tumbled over and landed on his face. He rubbed his head. Not feeling anything wrong, he hopped back to his feet. He looked back. To his surprise, he had tripped over a box labelled, "_Dynamite_".

His eyes grew large. He recalled how Vinny had used explosives like that to do various things. His eyes swept around the area. All this equipment seemed to have a single purpose. What was it?

His eyes lit up. "Of course! This is some kinda mine!"

"_**Look out down there**_!"

Sora veered his head to the catwalk. To his astonishment, there was Indigo, swooping in from above. That was when he saw the large lance in her hands. He also noticed something else.

Her sensation of Light seemed to have… vanished?

The angel thrusted the lance forward. Sora saw she was headed directly for him. Fearing the worst, he dodge-rolled to the right. Indigo slammed her weapon into the cavern floor, a few inches from where the teenager had been standing.

Sora could not believe his eyes. Had Indigo just tried to harm him? What was this? A munity? _He_ was the team leader!

Indigo charged at him. Sora summoned his Keyblade and blocked the attack. The angel was not backing down. In fact, Sora was having a difficult time keeping his guard up.

"Indigo, what's gotten into you?" he asked.

He looked into the angel's eyes. He froze and stared, seeing something he had not seen before. A flicker of Darkness. Not just _any_ Darkness. Strong Darkness. Like… Xehanort-level Darkness.

He gasped. "Xehanort…. "

"You hurt me," Indigo stated, her teeth gritted against each other. "Now, you shall _**pay**_ for betraying him!"

Sora shoved against the angel with all his might. Indigo went flying back. The brown-haired young man jumped back. Indigo hopped into the air and lunged at the Keyblade wielder. Sora readied his weapon and glared. "Let's _**do**_ this, Indigo!" he yelled.

In no time, Sora found himself trading blows with the angel. He could feel the powerful Darkness pushing against him. He continued to fight. The more he fought, the stronger the Darkness seemed to get. He knew what this meant.

Xehanort was most-likely controlling Indigo. He knew how this setup worked. He had been forced to fight a friend on more than one occasion. The last time had been when he had faced Tron in order to rescue him from CLU's control. He had taken on the Beast to save his friend from the manipulation of a member of Organization XIII. He had even fought Riku so he could break Maleficent and Xehanort's control over the silver-headed youth.

Only _this_ time, he was taking on an Angel of Light. That did not make a whole lot of sense to him. Since when did someone who was supposed to protect the Light have the potential of such extreme Darkness inside their hearts?

It did not matter. He _**needed**_ to break the Darkness away from Indigo's heart. The way to do that was by defeating her in a heated battle. And that was what he was doing now.

* * *

Donald was pacing around. This way and that way. He continually looked up at the opening where Sora and Indigo had ventured. He tugged his collar, feeling the sweat dripping down his neck.

The duck looked across the immediate area. Thanks to the lantern Launchpad had brought, there was enough light to illuminate the cavern. Goofy was slouched against the door, his eyes wandering to the ceiling. His hands were tucked behind his head.

Launchpad was lying flat on the ground with his legs crossed. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be snoring.

Donald looked back up to the opening. "Where _are_ they?" he muttered to himself. He started stomping as he paced.

"They must be busy," Goofy offered.

"Phooey!" Donald waved his hand at the knight so rapidly, it could have easily sliced through a piece of wood. At least, there was nothing except air between the two. And it was roughly five feet thick. "I'll bet the Darkness is involved."

Goofy sat up in awe, a surprised look written all over his face. "Really? Ya know, Xehanort _did_ put something strange in Sora's heart. I still say it was that there Darkness."

Donald _**hated**_ to admit it, yet it sure seemed Goofy had been right on the money all along. How could the knight have been so smart? Was he getting distracted? Or just noticing stuff the others were always missing?

Maybe he had underestimated the tall dog's knowledge…. No way! That was _**impossible**_! Goofy was as unintelligent as his name sounded. Donald was _certain_ that was the case!

Goofy rose to his feet and started to stroll around the room. His hands remained in his pockets and his head was angled down like he was just casually walking through the rain without an umbrella. At least he was not singing.

Within a matter of seconds, Goofy was only a few steps behind Donald. The duck mage turned and scowled. "What's the big idea?!" he snapped, his hands flying to his sides. His arms appeared to be formed into perfect right angles, only slightly sideways. "Stop following me!"

Goofy's hands flew from his pockets and rose into the air as though he was shrugging. The puzzled look on his face indicated he was not sure how to respond, let alone what was going on.

An enormous _**CRASH**_ made the two jump two feet into the air. They landed hard onto the ground and hastily stared in alarm.

There was Sora with his Keyblade in hand. He back-flipped into the chamber and landed a few feet in front of the pair. There was a determined glare on his face. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the knight and mage staring at him. "Guys! _C'mon_!" he shouted to them. "Indigo needs our help!"

"What do ya mean, Sora?" Goofy enquired.

A figure emerged from the shadows of the now-shattered doorway. There was Indigo, only without her usual indigo-colored glow. In fact, there was a strange glow in her eyes. It looked like a shade of amber. Her hands were wrapped tightly around a strange-looking lance. It was green with a dark-violet guard and matching handle.

"_**Waak**_!" Donald yelped in surprise.

"Are you looking for help?" Indigo asked. Her voice sounded more like an echo than Donald and Goofy remembered. "Get all the help you can. You shall _still_ fail to win!"

Goofy gasped. He pointed straight at Indigo. "It's thuh power of thuh Darkness!" he exclaimed.

Donald slapped the knight's arm so hard, the latter yelped. "It's _**not**_ nice to _point_!" he scolded. "How many times do I have to—?!"

The duck's words were cut off when Indigo jumped and angled her lance straight at him. Just as she was about to land, Donald took out his wand and rolled to once side. The angel landed just inches from where he had been. The impact resulted in a shockwave that shook the entire area.

Goofy held up his shield and deflected as much of the shockwave as he could. "Gawrsh," he muttered to himself.

Although he had been blown backward by the ground's movement, Sora flipped into the air and regained his balance. Once he was back on his feet, he shouted, "Let's _**do**_ this!"

Donald and Goofy were by his sides in no time. Indigo readied her weapon and hastily lurched forward. Goofy tossed his shield at the angel and managed to slam it into the latter's right arm. Indigo leaped back.

"_**Thundara**_!" Donald called. His raised his wand into the air. A few bolts of strong lightning rained down. One struck Indigo, stunning her for a few moments. She shook it off and glared intensely at the duck.

"You _**cannot**_ win!" she declared.

Sora rushed forward. When Indigo was only two feet away, he swung his Keyblade. The blade nearly hit its target. It would have, if the angel had not blocked his attack. Sora slid his feet around her and delivered a strong blow from behind.

"Ouch!" Indigo yelped as the Keyblade struck her in the back. She spun around. "You shall _**regret**_ that!"

Sora signaled over to Donald and Goofy. "_**Power**_!" he called in a louder-than-normal voice. Knowing what this meant, Donald and Goofy quickly nodded. They hurried over to him.

Sora held his Keyblade high. "_**Trinity Limit**_!" he declared.

A ball of Light started to form at the tip of his Keyblade. Donald and Goofy both raised their weapons and let them touch the blade. The result was a gigantic sphere of pure Light. Sora aimed his Keyblade at Indigo. The angel had leapt back several feet, her lance ready and waiting.

"_**Let's **__**go**_!" the brown-haired young man shouted.

He swung his Keyblade directly at where Indigo stood. The Light-filled sphere flew from his weapon and soared in a straight line over to where the angel was standing. The Light slammed directly into Indigo, exploding upon impact. Brilliant Light flooded the cavern for several, long seconds.

When it finally faded, Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked again. Indigo stood motionless for a few moments. Then, she collapsed onto the ground. Her eyes were closed and she did not appear to be breathing. Her wings were lying a little bent on the hard rock. Even her antennae was slouched. She was not moving, not even slightly.

Sora's eyes grew large. He gasped, realization filling his head. "_**Indigo**_!" he shouted in alarm.

He tossed his Keyblade to one side. The weapon vanished before it clattered onto the cavern floor two feet away. He did not notice. His mind was entirely focused on Indigo. Hopefully she was okay. At least when he had faced Tron in _**The Grid**_, he had sensed something that indicated his friend was alright. He had always figured it was the power of Light.

Yet now, he was feeling nothing. No Light. All he _could_ detect was the strong Darkness all around. He remembered how Riku had once explained how he was able to track the scent of Darkness to a particular source. The spikey, brown-headed seventeen-year-old wondered if the same thing had happened to him, considering what Goofy had told him about the Darkness he had supposedly been displaying here and there.

He screeched to a halt beside the angel. She was still lying on the ground. Her body looked like it had been thrown from a great height and slammed onto a hard surface, except without the multitude of bumps and bruises. "_**Indigo**_!" he yelled, still frantic.

Donald and Goofy were moments behind him. "She's not moving," Donald observed.

Goofy turned to the magician. "What about tryin' your magic, Donald?"

"Okay," Donald approved. He took out his wand. That was when he froze. The realization he had just agreed to something Goofy had suggested crossed his mind every-which-way. Was he losing his touch? He _**hoped**_ not!

"_**Cura**_!" Donald declared, pointing his wand straight up.

A magical, glowing flower appeared above Indigo. Just after it started to fade, the angel stirred a little. She gradually opened her eyes and groaned as she struggled to sit up.

"Ouch," she winced as a sharp pain stabbed her in the side. She flipped over onto her stomach. Her eyes rose until they were gazing upon the group. "What… took place?"

"It's kinda a long story," Sora replied. He was not sure he should tell Indigo all about her being possessed by the Darkness. If what Violet had said about the "Angels of Light" was true, he did not want to alarm his friend. The idea of someone who was supposed to be close to the Light utilizing the Darkness was not something he wanted to contemplate over.

He turned to the now-damaged doorway. There was a large gap in it, leaving enough room for the group to proceed. "It's not important," Sora told Indigo. He headed for what was left of the door. "Let's keep going."

Goofy strolled up to Indigo and held out his hand. The angel smiled and accepted it. As the knight helped her to her feet, Indigo stumbled a little before regaining her balance. "Thank you so much," she said to him. A large smile showed on her lips.

Goofy looked ready to blush. "Aw shucks…. "

Donald rolled his eyes. He found himself gazing at something against the cavern's far wall. "What about Launchpad?"

Sora stopped in his footsteps. He glanced towards the pilot. There was Launchpad, fast asleep with his legs crossed and muscular arms tucked behind his head. All the Keyblade wielder could do was sigh and shake his head. "Just get him up."

Donald marched up to the duck-pilot, rolling his sleeves up along the way. When he reached his destination, he leaned into the latter's ear. "**WAKE UP**!" he hollered as loudly as he could.

Launchpad jolted into the air. His head banged against the ceiling and he landed flat upon the ground. As he sat up, the pilot rubbed the side of his head. "Yeesh!" he grumbled, scowling at Donald. "Another rude awakening!"

Sora had to roll his eyes. He could tell his teammates were starting to get on each others' nerves, not to mention his own. This was slowly getting to him, just like it had back when they were in the world of _**Ancient Empire**_. He hoped nothing serious would come out of all this, recalling how Donald had once declared he was no longer going to fight alongside Goofy or Launchpad.

He shook the memories to the side of his mind. He could not allow all these problems to get in the way of them working as a team. That was the only way they would be able to finish their quest. Chances were, several worlds were _still_ counting on them! The Heartless were not going to go easy on them. They never did.

They needed to work together, even if it was just to be cautious throughout the remainder of this journey.

"C'mon," Sora announced. "Let's keep moving."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all nodded. Indigo had her arms crossed. "Let's be extra careful from now on," she indicated.

"Yeah," Sora swiftly replied in agreement. He headed for the gap in the doorway. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were directly behind him.

Indigo had to shake her head. "Sora…. When shall you learn not to rush into anything?"

With a smile forming on her lips, the angel had to flutter her eyes a little. She could tell Sora's struggle with the Darkness was most-likely not as much of a threat as she had been led to believe. Although she was still uncertain as to what had provoked her to attack him, Indigo shoved it aside. She strolled quickly along after the others.

She was sure Sora's mind was still in the correct place, even if his heart was starting to slip. She also knew, even if there was a growing Darkness inside him, such immense power typically took weeks, months, maybe even years to reach a point of no return.

Chances were, by then, she would discover the best way to rid the Darkness from the spikey-haired young man's heart.

* * *

He scowled as the projection faded. His fist pounded the wall beside him. A small shower of dust and flakes of peeling paint landed all around. He could not believe his eyes.

The power had failed. His control over the angel was ruined. He would have to wait quite some time before he could try again.

He stood up fully, an idea coming to his mind. "Her Light shines too bright," he declared in his usual, gruff voice. "But that doesn't mean her _sisters_' Lights are as strong."

He turned away and headed for the nearest doorway. As he strolled away, someone peeked their head in the doorway. It was a group of three, small rats with large noses; two had red noses while the third had a black nose. One was large and reddish-orange. Another was light-grey with a slender body, and the third was also slender with darker-brown fur.

With a sharing of sneaky grins, the three rats snuck up to the magical sphere on the pedestal in the center of the room. Two of them reached up and removed the glass sphere. The third replaced it with a small, brown walnut shell.

The three rats raced out of the room. As they left, a young, brown-haired man in a black-hooded coat stepped into the room. He yelped when he saw the rats leaving. "Great," he complained aloud. "First a boulder chases me. Now, there's rats. What's _next_? Snakes and a bottomless pit? Don't tell me I'm being sent into the Underworld, again!"

He gave an exasperated sigh. He leaned his head forward so suddenly, his navy-blue headset nearly fell to the floor. "They _really_ picked the wrong guy!"

* * *

The enormous chamber was darker than Sora recalled. Using his flashlight's beam, he led the others to the generator he had found earlier. He was careful to watch his step, just in case another crate of dynamite was lying around. When he reached the generator, the Keyblade wielder noticed a switch was flipped up. Certain this lever controlled the machine, he grabbed the handle and pulled it down.

Bright lights shone all around the area. After their eyes got adjusted to the illumination, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo all saw they were in a massive chamber full of drilling machines, digging tools (including a pile of rusted shovels), and three tall stacks of crates containing dynamite. Lots of metallic walkways seemed to lead around up above, even though it was impossible to make out exactly where they went, let alone where they started from.

"Gee," Goofy murmured aloud. His voice echoed all around the open cavern. "Looks like somebody's been diggin' here."

Sora had to admit, the knight had a valid point. Not too far away from the group was the edge of a steep cliff. He led the others to the edge.

As they peered down into the darkness, Sora gulped. The drop seemed to descend for miles and miles. "This looks bottomless," he realized.

"Why would someone be digging here?" Donald inquired.

Indigo turned her head to the left. A piece of shiny metal caught her eye. Sora noticed the angel strolling away and said, "What's up?"

"Look at this over here," Indigo answered as she reached the metal plate. She stopped a few feet from it and placed her hands directly above her chest. "It looks familiar…. "

With curiosity filling his mind, Sora hurried over. He stopped beside Indigo and turned his eyes to the metal plate. To his surprise, there was a large logo on the metal. It was shaped like a diamond with a red interior. A few, white Japanese characters decorated the middle of the diamond. Below the characters was a set of black text. The writing was old and seemed to be partly rubbed off.

**Shin-Ra E tric Pow omp y**

Sora knelt down to get a closer look. He used his right index finger to follow the lines of text and read it aloud. "'_Shin-Ra Electric Power Company_'."

He froze. Where had he heard that name before? It sounded _**so**_ familiar to him. Was it from a video game he had played? Or from a movie he had seen? Maybe it was… both? He was unsure.

Sora rose back onto his feet. He turned to see if he had the attention of Indigo, Launchpad, Goofy, and Donald. "C'mon," he called. "Let's keep going."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all nodded in agreement. Only Indigo did not nod. She folded her arms. Sora failed to notice the angel's antennae were eyeing him like a submarine's periscope watching an enemy ship.

The group proceeded through the chamber to a droplet-shaped opening on the other side. They continued through a short passage before reaching a long, metal bridge. Just as they were about to cross, the cave shuddered. Donald grabbed Goofy's neck and clung on in alarm. Indigo held out her arms to the sides and looked around. Sora found himself wobbling. He saw Launchpad was having the same kind of trouble.

"What was that?" Goofy asked. The only answer was a small cloud of dust raining down from above. Sora turned to the knight and put a finger to his mouth. Goofy covered his mouth in turn.

Sora carefully strode up to the edge of the bridge and put on foot on it. He had heard enough about underground tremors to know the sort of damage they could do. He recalled his Dad once watching a documentary about the time a major coal mine had collapsed back on the islands. Fortunately, that tragic incident had occurred many years before the spikey-haired youth had been born.

Even so, he had the feeling that last shake was not normal. He had never heard of earthquakes happening in other worlds. Yet, that did not mean they could not happen.

Sora took a moment to peer down over the railing. All he could see was pitch blackness. It even looked darker than a mass blackout in the middle of the night. Holding his breath, the young man pressed on.

He was almost to the other side when the ground began moving. "Sora!" came a shout from the other side.

Sora grabbed the handrail. He could feel the bridge shaking. "Guys!" he called. "Hurry across! This bridge won't last long!"

Donald was scurrying across the bridge in less than a second. Goofy and Launchpad hobbled their way along, using both handrails and scooting down the bouncing path. Indigo was the last one to take a step onto the bridge. The swaying structure made it difficult for the angel to maintain her steady walking pace.

Sora reached the end of the bridge. To his relief, the ground had ceased moving. He looked back to the bridge in time to see Donald and Goofy just reaching him. That was also when he saw the handrail was cracking apart.

"_**Look out**_!" he shouted.

Before Sora, Donald, or Goofy had the chance to react, the bridge snapped in half. Launchpad grabbed onto a handrail and quickly found himself swinging to the other side like a certain Wildman Sora had once known in the jungle.

Except the pilot missed his target. _**SPLAT!**_ "I meant ta do that," Launchpad remarked once he had peeled his head off the wall of blue stone.

It took both Donald and Goofy to lift the pilot to the top of the cliff. Sora stared out into the now-impassable crevice. "_Indigo_!" he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth.

A few, long seconds passed. Then, a familiar, indigo-colored glow appeared from the darkness. Up swooped the angel, her glow brighter than usual. "I am alright," she announced.

Sora gave a deep sigh of relief. If anything had happened to her, Violet would **NEVER** have forgiven him! He knew he needed to keep Indigo safe — no matter what happened!

Indigo came in for a very smooth landing. "You should see what is down there," she told the others. "It is an interesting sight. It looks like something from an IJ movie."

"What's down there?" a curious Donald asked.

"There is a large city — or, at least, what is left of it. It looks like a giant circle with a towering building in the middle. That sign we saw, it is all over the place," the angel shuddered. "It felt very spooky."

Sora crossed his arms. Was Indigo being serious? How could a massive city be buried deep beneath the Radiant Garden? Having noticed all that equipment down here, had someone been mining for it? One thing was for sure, _someone_ had been down here at one time or another. Maybe it was Xehanort. Or Ansem The Wise himself.

Whatever the case, he still knew this tunnel had not created itself. There was a lack of water and underground rivers for _that_ sort of thing to happen here.

This was no cave. It was a mining tunnel.

Sora turned his focus to the path ahead. "Let's keep going."

The young man strode ahead. Donald and Goofy exchanged looks of perplexity. Why was Sora in such a rush to continue on their journey? Typically, he stopped to smell the roses. Now, he was dashing along as though he were a fairytale prince trying to rescue his pre-destined princess-to-be. The only other time they recalled him acting like this was when they had entered Organization XIII's stronghold in order to save Kairi. Of course, the King had scolded Sora for yelling in enemy territory, which could have alerted all the remaining members of the Organization of their current location.

Now, _that_ would have proved quite the disaster!

With a shrug shared between the two, Donald and Goofy strolled along after the Keyblader. Launchpad was moments after them. Indigo slowly trailed along, her mind preoccupied about the hidden city far below.

* * *

The path led straight to a large chamber with some large, metal machines. This sight was not new for Sora. The equipment resembled the conveyor belts he'd seen photographs of — the ones miners once used to transport coal and other minerals to the processing station. Sometimes, the materials would get broken up along the way, making it easier to lift them out of the ground at the end of the machinery.

However, the belts before him were silent. And they were huge. Anyone could have easily driven a small, one person car down the machinery. From what he could see, the design seemed to resemble those Hi-Tech "moving sidewalks" the seventeen-year-old had seen at the mall back home on the islands. He also took note of a number of old, rusty pipes attached to the equipment. It was a good thing the machines were not running. He imagined lots of hot steam would come rushing out of the pipes. It would make quite the mess.

'_Huh?_' Sora paused very suddenly. '_Am I… really starting to think like Dad?_'

He knew his Dad was a _**very**_ practical man, spending most of his time away from home. As far as Sora knew, he had always denied the possibility of other worlds. When Sora had come home and told everyone about his adventures with Donald, Goofy, and the others, his Dad had said, "You've got quite the imagination."

The only exception was the possibility of other universes. His Dad had always stated that movies and television shows always came from other universes. It almost seemed as though he was convinced the television was like a transmitter giving broadcasts of events taking place in other lands a long distance away from their own.

Sora shook the whole contemplation aside. As far as _he_ was concerned, it was unrelated to what was happening now. Seeing how the way to go was down the conveyor belt to a flight of stairs, the young man started across the still belts. He felt his shoes crunching against the debris that had been left behind who knows how long ago.

He glanced back. His teammates were following him step for step. Only Indigo was not walking. Her feet were a few inches off the belt and she had doubt written on her face.

Certain the angel was preparing for something to happen that was not going to happen, Sora shook his head.

The lights went out. The group froze.

"What's happening?!" Donald yelped.

Sora flipped on his flashlight. He shone it around the area. The chamber seemed as dark as the first room had felt before he had switched on the generator. "That was weird," he admitted. "Why did the generator just… shut off?"

He noticed the only other light (besides his flashlight's beam) was Indigo's glow. She illuminated the area so much, it felt like there was a decently-lit lantern in her hands. "Sora, I think the floor is moving."

"Huh?" Sora looked down. He gasped. Sure enough, the conveyor belt was moving. It had been going at such a slow pace, he had not felt anything. Chances were, no one else had felt it either. "We _are_ moving."

"And we're pickin' up speed," Goofy indicated.

Just as the words left the knight's mouth, the belt jolted forward. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all tumbled down. Sora struggled to return to his standing position. The belt was moving twenty times faster than a typical conveyor belt at a grocery store. And it was getting even quicker.

Sora gazed up ahead. To his alarm, a rock tumbled over the end of the belt and descended into the inky blackness. After several long seconds, there was a faint clattering far, far, far, far below them.

He gasped. He knew this meant there was an immense drop just off this machine. He _**needed**_ to find a way off — and _**now**_!

That was when the iron grate caught his attention. It was located a few feet away, on the right side just before the edge of the drop.

"_**There**_!" he shouted. He tried to stand again. His feet gave out and he tumbled back onto his face. The end seemed closer than ever….

There was the grate. He scooted his body two feet and flung out his arms. Just as his fingers seized the iron bars, his feet slid over the edge. Sora found himself dangling from the grate over a seemingly bottomless shaft. He looked down and watched as his flashlight descended into the darkness. The beam swung around and around as the item fell. There was a loud _**CLANG**_ as the flashlight hit the bottom of the shaft. The beam faded and went out.

Sora gave a sigh of relief. "Man! That was _**way**_ _too_ close!"

He grunted as he pulled himself onto the grate. He was glad it was horizontal, allowing him to kneel on the iron bars instead having to climb up to another position.

"_**Help**_!"

Sora jerked his head up. There was Donald, sliding for the edge. "_**Donald**_!"

He watched as Donald came sliding past the grate. He reached out his hand and grabbed the duck's tail feathers. With a loud grunt, he yanked the magician into the air and set him down upon the iron bars.

"Phew," was all Donald could say. He spent the next minute or four catching his breath.

That was when Sora saw Goofy and Launchpad struggling to reach the grate. "_**Sora**_!" Goofy called.

"Hold on!" Sora replied. He spotted Indigo hovering overhead. She seemed to be in shock. Her eyes were wide and she had her mouth covered. "Indigo! Get Launchpad!"

* * *

Indigo swung her eyes to the Keyblade wielder. Sora pointed to the duck-pilot. Launchpad was only a few feet from the edge of the drop and well out of Sora's reach. It was only a matter of time before he would tumble over the edge and out of sight.

Indigo gasped. She gave a swift nod and swooped in low over the belt. Launchpad was frozen in place, unable to move. The end of the belt came closer and closer….

Indigo reached out her arms. She wrapped them tightly around the large duck and pulled with all her might. Her wings strained to keep the two airborne. "You are too heavy," she commented, still struggling to keep Launchpad in the air.

"I must've had too many pickled pizzas last week," Launchpad chuckled, a tad embarrassed.

Indigo shook her head. Carrying this duck-pilot was already more than she could handle. Now she had to deal with Launchpad making strange comments?

* * *

Sora was pulling Goofy onto the grate when he saw Indigo was barely keeping herself flying. "Oh no!" he declared, his eyes wide with concern.

Once Goofy was on the grate, Sora jumped to his feet. "Indigo! Hurry!" he hollered, cupping his hand around his mouth.

Indigo's eyes swung to the brown-headed youth. She nodded and came zooming over as swiftly as she could. Her arms started to slip. She was almost there….

Launchpad slipped from the angel's arms. "_**Yikes**_!" Indigo yelled in alarm.

Sora reached out his arms. Launchpad landed into the young man's arms with such force, the two crumpled onto the grate. "Get off," Sora moaned.

Launchpad grinned and hopped off the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder. Sora rose to his feet and quickly brushed some flakes of stone out of his hair. "Man," he said. "That was close!"

"That was _too_ close!" Indigo remarked as she gently landed onto the grate beside the young man. "How did this machine start up when the generator died?"

Sora shrugged. "I dunno, but whoever it was, they owe me a flashlight."

Donald scowled. "They owe me a knuckle-sandwich! I'll show them!"

He pounded his fist and winced at the pain.

"Gawrsh, Donald," Goofy muttered. "May-bee ya should wait until after we've caught 'em."

Indigo looked around. "So, where is Launchpad?" she asked.

"Hey! Look at this!"

Sora, Indigo, Goofy, and Donald all shot their gaze straight to a nearby landing a few yards up. It was a metal platform that was attached to a catwalk nearly ten feet into the air. A rusted ladder led up to the catwalk.

Standing before a special control panel was Launchpad. Wondering what the pilot had discovered, Sora led the other three up to the ladder and across the catwalk. Rather than climb, Indigo flapped her wings and soared straight over to where Launchpad was located.

When they arrived, Sora approached the pilot. "Hey, what's up?"

Launchpad pointed to the large control station before him. "Check it out! Someone's been using this!"

Sora strode up to the controls. The machine looked old, with patches of rust forming on the edges. A few buttons and some levers were positioned in the middle. Each one had a nameplate. As his eyes crossed over the various options, Sora noticed one of them was lit up. The plate above it read, "_**DEPOSIT BELT**_". The light above the plate was green. All the others were red.

Certain this was where the conveyor belt had been activated, Sora hastily grabbed the lever beside the light and pushed it forward. The light turned red, matching all the other lights on the panel. Spotting another one bearing the nameplate, "_**BACK-UP LIGHTS**_", Sora grabbed the corresponding lever and pulled it forward. The red light became green and all the lights in the area burst to life. They were so dazzling, Sora had to shield his eyes from the glare for a few moments.

"There," he nodded. He turned to the others. "Someone _did_ use this while we were down there."

"Who?" Donald asked.

"Maybe it was those guys back in Atlantis," Launchpad blurted. Everyone else stared at him. The duck-pilot shrugged. "It's possible. If _we_ can travel between worlds, how do we know they can't?"

Sora had to sigh. He remembered how Goofy and Launchpad and claimed to see some strange individuals in the tunnels of caverns during the journey to the city of Atlantis. At first, only the two of them had seen anything. It was not until they had finally located the city that everyone else in the expedition's crew also saw the individuals. He recalled how Kida had been one of them. Although he could see what Launchpad meant about those guys also world-hopping, he highly doubted it.

Chances were, they were still in _**Ancient Empire**_ with Milo and Kida.

"Probably not," Sora finally said.

Indigo looked beyond confused. "What is he talking about?"

"It's kinda a long story."

Indigo crossed her arms. Her antennae were poised at attention. Sora knew he had to elaborate. "We went to several worlds looking for you, Indigo. One of them was Atlantis. You know, the lost city."

Indigo's eyes grew large. "Atlantis? That is a myth."

"Yeah… I used to think so, too. Anyway, that was where those guys Launchpad's talking about—"

"Yet, myths, legends, folklore, and lore all have one thing in common. There is a _little_ truth in everything. No story is created without a reason for it to exist."

The angel gestured around the immediate space. "For all we know, we are currently being written into a story ourselves. Maybe it is being written by a fan of a video game who is loyal to one of the world's leading animation companies."

She turned around to face the others. Sora saw a twinkle of excitement in her eyes. "What if _that_ was true? What if all lore is real and we are in a mixed-up universe?"

Sora shook his head and smiled. He placed his hands behind his head. "Yeah… no," he had to laugh. "You sound like Riku."

Indigo paused. "Who is 'Riku'?"

"My best friend. He's always talking about other worlds and… stuff. It was his idea to explore the outside world."

"Ya mean on that there raft?" Goofy asked.

"The one you lost?" Donald added.

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah, but my Mom and Kairi found it. They said it was in good shape, but the supplies were gone."

A few voices filled their ears. Sora's hands flew to his sides. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all swung their eyes further down the catwalk. Sora noted how there was a small opening in the wall at the end of the catwalk, large enough for a human to walk through. Just beyond it was a tunnel that curved to the right.

"I do not believe we are alone down here," Indigo said. She carefully stepped down the catwalk and through the opening. She rounded the corner and peered down another tunnel. She looked back. "There _is_ someone else down here."

Sora gave a nod. "I had a feeling we weren't alone. I think someone from the Organization's in here."

"He must've messed with the controls," Launchpad indicated.

"And tried to knock us over thuh ledge," Goofy added.

Donald smacked his hands together and rolled up his sleeves. He retained his scowl. "I'll show him!"

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Let's go!"

He marched down the catwalk. Donald took out his wand hurried along behind. Goofy held out his shield and skedaddled down the catwalk. Launchpad took out his gas-gun and followed them. Once they caught up with Indigo, the angel nodded and gave chase. The group rounded a few turns and proceeded down some long, white corridors. On the left side, some long, slowly-rising waterfalls replaced the wall. The water itself defied gravity as it rose to the ceiling and disappeared from sight.

"Sheesh," Indigo remarked. "This does not feel like an underground cavern. How did these waterfalls form way down here?"

To Sora, all this seemed familiar. It felt like he had once been there, inside some white and golden castle….

* * *

It took a few minutes for the group to reach the end of the passage. The further they went, the longer the corridors seemed to become. To make matters worse, several Heartless of the Defender variety appeared. They were quickly joined by some Samurai Nobodies and a few Dusk Nobodies.

"_**Outta the way**_!" Sora yelled as he slashed his weapon through another Dusk. He sliced the blade clear through a nearby Heartless, vanquishing the enemy in less than a second.

At long last, they reached the end of the corridor. The group slid to a sudden halt. Up ahead was a small set of elevator-like doors. A rack of old, worn clothing including mining helmets was located beside the doorway. A few crates of pick-axes, drills, and ear-protectors lay on the opposite side of the doorway.

What was between the two had seized the group's attention in an instant. There were three figures standing before the doorway, their backs turned to the group.

Two of the figures were green robots with black lining around their eyes. One was short and wide. The other was tall and had a long snout. Its horns occasionally buzzed with electricity.

Sora's eyes had landed onto the one in the middle. This figure was tall with alien-green skin, a long pointed chin, oval eyes containing black pupils, and a black wig. His outfit consisted of a white shirt, tiny black pants for his small feet, a purple-colored cape fastened by a black mini bowtie, and a small pocket holding three ball-point pens. A pink-furred vulture was perched on this one's shoulder.

Sora gasped in a flash. He hastily remembered seeing these three back in the Sleeping World of _**Traverse Town**_. They had tried to keep the Cybersquad from regaining access back to their own universe. "_**You**_!" he exclaimed.

The two robots turned around. They gasped when they saw Sora and the others standing there with their weapons in hand.

"Boss! Boss!" the short one declared.

"It's that kid again!" the taller one added.

"What?" the taller figure in the cape and wig spun around. For a moment, he scowled. The next, he grinned. "Well, well! If it isn't the friend of Motherboard's little helpers."

Sora's shock swiftly transitioned into a scowl. "Why are _you_ here, Hacker?"

Hacker's brow furrowed. "That's '_**The**__ Hacker_' to you!" he snarled. "Thee! Thee! Thee!"

"Gawrsh, 'Thee'," Goofy chuckled. "Ya sure got a funny name."

"Do you always hack your way through computers and walls?" Launchpad wondered aloud.

Hacker gritted his teeth. "Such insolence…. I'll teach you to make fun of '_**The**__ Hacker_'!"

Goofy ducked behind his shield. Indigo turned to Sora. "How do you know them, Sora?" she inquired.

"They caused trouble when me, Riku, and Violet were in the _Realm OF Sleep_," Sora replied. He kept his eyes on Hacker and the pair of robots. His mind went back to how Hacker had tried using a car-like machine to trap Riku and him. Those mechanical arms… he had _**hated**_ every second of it!

"Yes, indeed," Hacker gave a sinister grin. "I think the time has come for us to settle this once and for all."

Sora readied his Keyblade. "Let's do this!"

"We'll back you up!" Donald declared.

Goofy and Launchpad instantly approved the duck's decision. Indigo stepped forward and reached out her left hand. In a flash of Light, her wand appeared. "You shall not cause trouble in this or _**any**_ world, Hacker!"

"That's '_**The**__ Hacker_' to you!" Hacker struck back. "Prepare to be permanently _deleted_!"

Sora charged forwards. He swung his Keyblade at Hacker. The villain jumped back and stumbled. A squashed donut went flying as Hacker landed onto his back. "Buzz — you _duncebucket_! I told you to get _**rid**_ of those donuts!"

Buzz (the shorter robot) gulped. "Sorry, boss."

Hacker sat up. He held the side of his head with his hand as he came into focus. By this time, Sora was only a few inches from his face. Hacker gave a sneaky grin. "Delete! Now!"

A pair of mechanical arms wrapped around Sora's torso. "Gotcha!" Delete (the taller robot) declared with a laugh.

Sora struggled to break free. A passing shield soared past his face. The weapon spun around the Keyblade wielder and smashed into Delete's head. The robot fell backward, releasing his grip on Sora. Once he was on his feet again, Sora turned and gave a grin to Goofy. The knight nodded back with a grin of his own.

Hacker gritted his teeth. He glared at the group before his eyes. "Stop them!" he ordered his pair of henchmen.

Buzz and Delete quickly charged forward. Launchpad took a step forward and shot his gas-gun at them. After a few strikes, Delete tumbled over, gasping for air.

"_**Thundara**_!" Donald called out, waving his wand into the air. A few bolts of lightning rained down onto Buzz. The robot fizzed for a moment before he, too, fell over, exhausted.

Hacker raced ahead, his arms failing as he charged. Sora raise his Keyblade, ready to strike against the villain. Just as Hacker was three feet away, Indigo landed before the Keyblade wielder. "_Indigo_?!" a startled Sora said.

"I shall take care of this villain," the angel announced. Indigo held her and high. "Mystical firestorm!"

At once, a barrage of flame formed at the tip of Indigo's wand. The firestorm rained out across the space. Hacker saw the flames and slid to a stop. He glared, knowing he could not get anywhere close to Sora without being set alight. "I despise flames," he stated. He pointed an accusing finger at Sora. "You may have won _this_ round, Earthbrat, but mark my words, I'll be back and with more power than you can imagine!"

"That last line sounds like something straight from a movie," Indigo commented. She did not take her determined glare off of Hacker. "Where did you steal it?"

Hacker grunted as turned away. He marched off to the elevator. "Buzz! Delete! Scratch! We're off!"

Buzz and Delete clambered to their feet and followed Hacker to the doorway. The vulture from before — Sora remembered the animal's name was Scratch — swooped into view and dashed into the elevator. Once the four were inside, the doorway closed and the elevator light went out. Sora knew this meant Hacker, Buzz, Delete, and Scratch had departed.

"Let's get them!" Donald snapped. "He owes me a knuckle-sandwich!"

Donald, Launchpad, Indigo, and Goofy looked at Sora. The young man was shaking his head. "What about yer flashlight, Sora?" Goofy inquired.

Sora shook his head in return. "Those three will _never_ win," he said. "Buzz and Delete aren't smart and Hacker's schemes _never_ work."

"Heh," Launchpad blurted. "That guy's scheme was as vague as that Drakken guy's plan to take over a world."

"He didn't say anything about a 'scheme'," Donald pin-pointed. He scolded the pilot for getting distracted. Sora was not sure why, considering Launchpad _had_ helped stop the villains from causing too much trouble in this cavern.

Indigo gave Launchpad a confused look. "What are you talking about?" she questioned.

All Sora could do was shrug. Clearly, Indigo had missed a lot, and now she wanted to be caught up on everything. That would have to wait. For now, anyway.

Donald stepped forward and scooped up a piece of torn paper from the ground. "Hey! Look at this!"

Sora turned his head to the mage. "What is it?"

"That there Hacker guy dropped it, right?" Goofy wondered.

Donald gave a nod. "Yeah!"

Sora held out his hand. "Let's see it."

Donald strolled straight past the young man and held out the paper to Indigo. The angel looked surprised. "You are giving it to me?" she asked.

Donald gave a nod. "Yeah."

Indigo looked beyond mystified. Why was Donald handing _her_ the torn paper? It seemed like something he should have given Sora. After all, Sora _was_ their team leader. Plus, he was a Keyblade wielder. And he had spikey, brown hair. That distinct style was unmatched (as far as _she_ was concerned).

She wondered if this had anything to do with the Darkness Sora had been displaying as of late. There had to be a logical explanation as to why Donald seemed to be more trusting of her than Sora. She _still_ needed to determine specifically what it was.

Shaking all this aside, Indigo took the paper from Donald and looked it over. Her eyes swept across a few lines of handwritten text. To her surprise, the writing seemed familiar….

"What does it say?" Goofy asked.

Indigo glanced at the tall dog. When she saw the curiosity in his eyes, the angel nodded in understanding. She opened her mouth and read what was written on the paper,

"_Almost like he's very lonely._

_The town has a sheriff, of course it would have to,_

_But this one is a bit strange._

_When I talk with him, he seems to lack something — unlike me and you,_

_Sometimes I wonder what's out on his range._"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora inquired out loud. As far as he could tell, this was another piece of the torn letter Master Yen Sid had asked him to recover. However, this part was the most confusing yet. It almost felt like the letter itself had been written in the form of a riddle. Or a poem. Maybe even both.

He wondered why this letter had been written in the first place. Who had wrote it? Why had it been torn apart? What was it all supposed to mean? There were so many questions and _very_ few answers. When would they finally get to the bottom of all this? How would they do that? He _**really**_ wished he knew!

All Sora got from the others was shrugs of confusion. "This whole letter-thing sounds very confusing to me, too," Indigo admitted. "I may not be a 'Riddle-Master', yet I can tell we shall have to collect the rest of the missing pieces in order to solve this mystery."

Sora gave a deep sigh. Now he wondered where the remaining pieces had ended up. He remembered the one Master Yen Sid had handed him. Cody's Mother had given him another piece. Counting the one Hacker had dropped, they were now up to three pieces. Still, he wondered how many others existed.

Goofy turned to the elevator. "Well, looks like the only way outta here is up."

Sora gave a nod of agreement. "He's right. Let's worry about this letter stuff later. We need to check on Amy."

The group headed for the elevator. Sora pressed his hand against the button pointing up. After a couple seconds, the doors opened and the five stepped on board. The doors shut behind them. In a matter of moments, they were shooting up through a dark elevator shaft. There was only two lights in the elevator. A dull, red light on the ceiling and Indigo's glow.

Deep down, Sora was wondering where they would end up.

* * *

The elevator's doors opened. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo all stepped off. As the doors closed behind them, Sora noticed they were in a pitch-black room. The only light now came from Indigo's glow. Sora sighed, wishing he still had his flashlight. That trinket was practically brand-new….

"Where now?" Launchpad asked. "I'm a little claustrophobic in these kinda places…. "

Donald wanted to smack the duck-pilot in the face. "You're _**not**_ claustrophobic!" he snapped.

Sora found himself feeling along the walls. Nothing. As he searched along the floor, Indigo strolled over. "Do you need some help?" she asked.

Sora gave a nod. "I'm looking for a lever or something to open a door," he explained.

"Why do ya think there's a door here?" Goofy questioned.

Sora did not have to look at the knight. "Elevators don't lead to dead ends," he answered. He returned his attention to Indigo. "Could you make it brighter in here?"

Indigo gave a quick nod and smiled. "Yes, I can. All angels can. Please, remember that."

Sora gave a nod. "I will."

Indigo reached out her left hand. Her wand with the star-shaped tip appeared in her hand. Just as she held it up, a bright flash of Light flooded the room. Everyone turned their heads away and shielded their eyes. When the Light faded, they looked back. To their surprise (especially Indigo's), a key-shaped weapon had replaced the wand. It was an a single indigo color with a gleaming, diamond-shaped handle. The blade was slightly curved into the form of a letter "J" with a star-shaped extrusion on the end.

"Wow!" Donald and Goofy jumped in amazement.

"Yeesh!" Launchpad remarked.

"Whoa!" Sora awed.

Indigo was beyond star-struck. Her eyes were wide in marvel and her antennae were trained onto the thing now in her hand. Her wand was gone. In its place was a weapon that seemed to resemble Sora's Keyblade. Was it possible? Could she now have… a real….

"A… Keyblade?" she asked.

"Well," Goofy observed. "It sure _looks_ like a Keyblade."

"It _is_ a Keyblade," Donald nodded.

Indigo had a hard time believing her eyes. She now possessed a Keyblade of her own. What a sudden turn of events! She had never foreseen something like _**this**_ happening! She had a weapon she had only heard about from her Mom. The type of weapon everyone had once fought over years ago during that _**terrible**_ war.

A Keyblade — and she was its chosen wielder.

Indigo lowered her new weapon. "I never thought I would get a Keyblade of my own," she said at last.

"Did you want one?" Sora asked.

Indigo shrugged. "Maybe. I am not sure. My Mom told me all about the Keyblade and that terrible war from long ago."

"The Keyblade War!" Donald looked amazed.

"Gawrsh," was all Goofy could say.

Sora had to regain his focus and stop staring at the angel. "Does this mean you were a part of that war?"

Indigo shook her head. "No," she admitted. "It was well before my time. Yet, My Mom seems to know a lot about it."

"Maybe _she_ was a part of it?"

Indigo shrugged again. "I always wondered about that myself. It is true that angels can live for centuries, yet I have no idea how old my Mom is."

"She's still alive?" Donald inquired.

Indigo gave a nod. "Where is she?" Sora asked. "Maybe she knows what Xehanort's up to."

"Yeah," Goofy approved. "He's been in and out a lot these days. We ain't seen him since Sora 'n Riku went into thuh Sleepy Earls and met yer sister, Violet."

Donald collapsed onto the floor. Sora knew Goofy had mistaken the "Sleeping Worlds" for "Sleepy Earls".

Indigo turned away. "I do not know. My Mom is a wandering angel. She travels from world to world, fighting to keep the Light safe. I do not know where she is now."

Silence followed. Goofy turned to Donald and whispered, "May-bee Indigo's Mom is thuh angel from that there vision we saw at thuh castle?"

Donald sat up and shrugged. "Who knows?"

Sora turned back to the angel. "Anyway, can you still brighten things up in here?"

Indigo looked at her newly-acquired Keyblade. "I can try."

She held her weapon up high and closed her eyes. Sora could hear the angel gritting her teeth as she concentrated. In a matter of seconds, the weapon glowed brighter than the wand ever had. Indigo reopened her eyes, saw the light, and smiled. "It worked!" she cheered.

Sora nodded and looked around the immediate area. His eyes landed onto a small book lying on the floor. It was an orange book with a dusty cover. He walked over and picked up the tome. As he held it up, the wall beside him started to move.

"Hurry!" he told the others. "The wall's moving!"

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all hurried over. Indigo jumped and landed beside them just as the floor beneath their feet revolved around into a large, brightly-lit room. To Sora's shock, they had set down upon a revolving wall in the castle's library.

He took a few moments to observe their new surroundings. Sora noticed the large, green tiles on the ceilings. All the leaking pipes from before had been repaired and covered. Instead, large light fixtures were positioned in the middle of tiles. Their dome shapes reminded him of images he had seen of the inside of the lost luxury liner, _**R.M.S. Titanic**_.

He looked lower. They were standing on the second floor. To the right was the staircase that curved around as it led downstairs. All the bookshelves and their corresponding books were placed neatly about the space.

Wondering if there was anyone else around, Sora headed for the stairs. He started down the stairs and heard a loud, "**Yipe**!"

Sora halted in his footsteps and whirled around the banister. There was Myrna, lying on the floor beside a desk. A chair lay sideways on the floor beside her. Knowing she had fallen out of her seat, the brown-haired young man hurried over.

"Are you okay?" he asked, extending his hand.

Myrna easily stood up, one leg at a time. "I'm fine. Thank you anyway, Sora."

Sora gave a nod. "Sorry if we gave you a scare."

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad are raced down the stairs and stopped when they reached the two. Indigo flapped her way down to the first floor. She glided her way to the floor and set down so gracefully, Sora had to blink five times to ensure he was not dreaming again.

Once she was on her feet, Myrna turned to the group. "How did you all get in here?" she inquired. "I didn't hear you come through the door."

Sora relaxed and opened his mouth to speak. "Well… there's an old mine downstairs. There's lots of machines, rocks…. "

"…And them logos," Goofy finished.

"Right," Sora nodded. "We took an elevator to get up here."

Myrna looked amazed. "I knew there were lots of passages inside this castle before we renovated it," she explained. "Once, I fell into a trapdoor in the castle's chapel and…. "

"…You ended up in the dungeon," Donald completed. He crossed his arms. "You told us."

Myrna stared at the duck for a brief moment. She gave a shy smile and fluttered her eyes a little. It was not too hard for her, considering her makeup made it appear her eyes were half-shut. That was one of the things Sora had noticed stood out about the golden-haired teenager. She always seemed a little quirky….

Myrna hastily regained her composure. "Either way," she went on. "Most of the secrets in this place have not been revealed. It seems you uncovered one of them."

"Kind of," Sora admitted. "It was… more like my heart knew about that mine."

Indigo folded her arms. "Are you sure?" she asked.

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah. Why?"

Indigo did not answer. Sora noted how cryptic the angel was behaving. This type of behavior had sometimes existed in Violet's actions. He was not sure why those two acted so funny from time to time. They just did.

He shoved all the contemplation aside and turned back to Myrna. "So, how's Amy doing?"

Myrna glanced to her left. A smile formed on her face. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" she replied.

Sora shifted his gaze to his right. Seated at a desk a few yards away was the sandy-haired nearly-fourteen-year-old girl he had always known as his sister. She was pouring over a handful of large books. Each volume seemed thicker than a school textbook.

With a relieved grin, Sora raced across the room to the sandy-headed teenager. "Amy!" he called.

Amemi turned her eyes up from the books and saw her brother marching over. She jumped up and hurried for him. "Sora!"

The two collided somewhere in between. Sora rubbed his head, his famous grin still showing. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"I'm sorry you were worried," Amemi told him. "I know, I shouldn't have climbed into that throne. It's just… you and the others were arguing about what to do, so I…. "

Sora held up a hand, cutting his sister off mid-sentence. "It doesn't matter," he told her. "I'm just glad you're okay. I thought you were in a coma."

Amemi shook her head. She pointed to her head. "Too much knowledge can be overwhelming, right?"

Sora instantly nodded. "Yeah! That's why I hate school."

Amemi had to laugh. Sora found himself laughing in turn. He did not know why he was laughing. He just enjoyed doing it whenever someone else was already laughing. It was just his thing. And he enjoyed it.

Once the two had calmed down (a little), Sora glanced at all the books. "What were you reading?"

"It's a report about a top-secret research project," Amemi informed him. "Aerith gave it to me after I woke up. She thought I might be able to make sense of it. I assume no one else has."

Sora's curiosity started to take control. "What kind of project?" he asked.

"It's about cloning hearts," Amemi told him. She picked up a book and handed it to her brother. "Here. This one's written by somebody named 'Professor Hojo'," she giggled. "Silly name, right?"

"Y-yeah," Sora gave a quick nod. He looked down at the book now in his hands. He flipped it over to the front cover. The title clearly read, "_PROJECT C — CLONING_".

He stared in surprise. His mind jumped back to what the carpenter, Mike Millard, had said. Mike had said there was a rumor of a mysterious project by this name. It had been supposedly created a scientist who got banished for causing a plague when several of his experimental creatures got loose and attacked the town's citizens. He wondered if this book was all about that very project no one else had heard of.

If so, perhaps this "Professor Hojo" was the scientist who had been banished. Hojo… that name felt so… familiar. But… how could that be? He had never heard of such a name before. In fact, that name would have made him burst of laughing the instant he had heard it. Hojo — it _**did**_ sound silly!

…And — somewhat — familiar….

Sora looked at his sister. "Perhaps we should go see Even and Ienzo about this," he told her.

Amemi shrugged. "If you think it's going to help."

The two headed for the door. All at once, Indigo flew over and landed before them. "Sora," she said. "Are you going to leave that lying on the floor?"

Sora looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Indigo reached down and scooped up a piece of torn paper from the floor. She held it up for the young man to see. The instant he saw the illustrations on the page, Sora had to smile. "Oops," he laughed. "I almost forgot about that."

He took the page from the angel and headed back to the desk where Myrna had been working. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all came strolling over. Indigo followed Sora and Amemi to the desk. Myrna saw everyone approaching and turned in her seat so she could face Sora. "What's going on?" she asked.

Sora held up the torn page. Myrna immediately nodded. "You should return that A.S.A.P.!" she declared, jumping from her chair. She stumbled and fell over onto the floor. The chair clattered down beside her. "Not again," she sighed deeply.

Donald and Goofy quickly hurried over to help her up. "Why do you want them to return it as stupid as possible?" Launchpad questioned.

Donald frowned at the pilot. "'As _soon_ as possible'!"

Launchpad gave a chuckle.

Sora had to shake his head. He could tell things were still going about as they always had. Goofy and Launchpad continued to make mistakes, which tended to irritate Donald. Donald was still a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any given second. Goofy was smarter than he seemed. He was just a tad clumsy.

It was no wonder why he had been forced to deal with all the problems these three had gotten themselves into over the course of this journey so far. He remembered how Donald had strongly stated his refusal to cooperate with Goofy and Launchpad shortly before their arrival in _**Ancient Empire**_. Sora had heard plenty before he had demanded Donald and Goofy _both_ take a sub-pod to face the Leviathan. Things had seemed to be improving following the suddenly dive over the waterfall in _**Jamestowne**_. In fact, Donald had been willing to work with Goofy to get _Herbie_ back in working order again. Yet, he had still refused to have anything to do with Launchpad. Sora remembered how shocked Donald had been when Launchpad had been crowned "The King of Fools" at the festival in _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_. Even in _**Middleton**_, Donald had continued to get annoyed by Launchpad's mistakes. Sora had wanted to laugh when he had seen Donald's shocked reaction at how rapidly Goofy had solved a mathematics problem involving the Quadratic Formula. He recalled how concerned Donald (and Cogsworth) had been when Goofy and Launchpad had attempted to bake Christmas cookies in the kitchen of _**The Beast's Castle**_.

Despite all those mishaps, one thing had still remained unchanged. Donald was still getting annoyed by Goofy and Launchpad, even if he was a little more tolerant of their silliness.

Sora quickly found the book titled "_Winnie The Pooh_" lying on Myrna's desk. He turned to Amemi. They both nodded. Sora opened the cover and flipped to the next spot where the Heartless had torn out a page. He carefully reattached the one in his hand.

A brilliant flash of Light occurred. When it faded, Sora and Amemi were gone, having been magically transported into the world inside the book — _**The 100-Acre Wood**_.

* * *

**A/N: SHEESH! That was quite the LONG Chapter! Now, wasn't it?**

**I do not think it is necessary to point out every last detail in there. Mostly, since some of those plot points might be cleared up in another KH Story or more.**  
**Allow me to go over THESE ones!**

**(1.) Yes, Launchpad broke the Fourth Wall when he mentioned a video game called "_KH_".**

**(2.) There was A LOT of Indigo-related content in there! Looks like most of it was hinting at some type of major backstory, if you ask me!**  
**What do YOU think this all means?**

**(3.) There was something interesting about that sign, now wasn't there?**

**(4.) Hacker, Buzz, Delete, and Scratch are all from the _PBSKIDSGO!_ Show, "_CYBERCHASE_". I promised we would see some more of that Crossover, now didn't I?**

**(5.) Indigo Has A KEYBLADE! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! YIPPEE! Imagine how excited she must be!**

**Well, I think the rest is pretty much self-explanatory.**

**To that end, I would like to thank all of you who have continued to read and review through the production of This Story.**

**THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP AND TIME!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) **

**MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!" In Addition, "I SHALL FLY WITH YOU ALL LATER!"**


	37. Ch37 - 'Our Thanksgiving Day'

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: Well, here it is! The long-awaited Chapter 37!**  
**Technically, I completed it last night, yet I decided to post it today instead.**

**Okay, I know This Chapter is not as long as much of the rest of This Story. Yet, that is because I decided to split up what would have been one giant chapter into two chapters. Why, you ask?**  
**I want to make "_Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_" at least 70 Chapters long. I took another "projection-reading" a few weeks ago and realized I might only have enough PLANNED content to last up to about 65 to 68 Chapters. Somehow, I had miscalculated the number of Chapters I had laid out in the Storyline Summary.**  
**That is why I had to split up Chapter 37 into Chapter(s) 37 And 38.**

**Either way, I believe this "spitting up" actually worked out well in the end. After all, This Chapter DOES contain a straight-through Story Arc of its own - just like what is typically done in a professional story.**  
**What I mean is, it seems like some of the most-successful Chapter-based stories have Chapters that contain a 3-ACT Story Structure for each Chapter. Combine them all together, and you have a full tale of something.**  
**Personally, I like this concept since it allows for steady character growth/development.**

**I wanted to take a minute or two to give a Moment of Silence for the Late Actor, Don Rickles (May 8TH, 1926 TO April 6TH, 2017; AGE 90).  
He was the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the Disney-Pixar "'_TOY STORY_'" Movies. John Lasseter, Steve Jobs, and the others from Pixar wanted him to play the character because they considered him a "'COMEDY TREASURE'" and did not want an entire generation to not know who he was.  
He also made LOTS of guest appearances in Classic Shows, including (yet certainly not limited to), "'_Get Smart_'", "'_The Lucy Show_'", "'_The Dick Van Dyke Show_'", and "'_Gilligan's Island_'".**

**It turns out, he was best friends with Bob Newhart, the actor who voiced Bernard in Disney's "'_The Rescuers__ (1977)_'" and Disney's "'_The Rescuers Down Under__ (1990)_'".**

**FUN FACT: When others asked about his plan of retirement, Don Rickles told them, "'**_I'm in good health. I'm working better than I ever have. The audiences are great. Why should I retire? I'm like a fighter. The bell rings and you come out and fight. My energy comes alive. And I still enjoy it._**'****"**

**Once more, REST IN PEACE, DON RICKLES.  
-GIVES SEVERAL LONG MINUTES OF SILENCE-**

**Anyways, before I let you go, I wanted to add some "'SPECIAL TRIVIA**'" **for all you Disney Fans out there!**  
**So, Can You Name All The Original Cast Members From Disney's "'_The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh (1977)_'"? Here's a list of the Characters I would like you to try to guess who the original actor(s)/actress(es) were!**

**The Narrator, Winnie The Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, Gopher, Roo.**

**...Maybe I should list them all out - at the END of This Chapter!**

**Until then, PLEASE READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! PLUS, PLEASE REVIEW, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 37  
****"****Our Thanksgiving Day****"**

"_**Every season brings a reason to be cheerful (cheerful)  
Every season brings a reason, you should smile (smile)  
When the leaves start falling all around you  
There's the scent of autumn in the air  
Oh, what a happy reason to be grateful that you're there! (ooh)  
So every season brings a reason to be giving (every season)  
Giving thanks for all the good things that we share  
Now it's fun to get together  
In the breezy autumn weather  
It's a wonderful gift beyond compare!**_**"**

The song faded out as the glare dispersed. Amemi opened her eyes and sat up. She looked around, seeing she was once again lying on the enormous white space. When she saw the thick, black shapes arranged in neat lines, the sandy-haired girl knew she was back inside the world of that book — the one she had been pulled into before with Sora.

Speaking of Sora, where was her brother? Amemi stood up and started to walk across the page. This place now felt much larger than before. She remembered her shock when she had first been transported into this volume of text. The instant she had learned she and her brother were inside a book, she had been well beyond amazed. Talk about a story coming to life!

"Amy!"

Amemi spun her focus to the left. There was Sora, running over to her current position. "C'mon!" he said, grabbed her hand. "It's over here!"

Before his sister could react, Sora raced for the nearest illustration. Amemi immediately found herself being yanked along as the brown, spikey-haired youth rushed along the page. For a few seconds, she found herself floating in mid-air. Of course, that had been when Sora had hopped over the binding between the two pages. He stopped before a large picture depicting a wide clearing in a forest.

"Here it is," Sora announced. He turned to his right. He looked down. Amemi was on her knees trying to catch her breath. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Amemi responded. She returned to her feet and crossed her arms. "You need to slow down when you're excited. I can't keep up with you."

Sora pounded the side of his chest with his fist. "What'd you expect?"

Amemi had to shake her head and smile. She could tell her older brother was being as naïve as ever. At least, that was the way _she_ perceived his behavior. Back home, Sora used up most of that energy in his competitions with Riku. She had once gotten dizzy watching the two zoom around and around the seashore in a twelve-lap long race. Kairi and her had outlined the course using seashells and seaweed that had washed up onto the beach.

She recalled how Sora had stumbled over a shell at one point. Once or twice, Riku had slipped on a piece of seaweed and lost his lead for a while. In the end, Riku had still managed to win, which had resulted in Kairi and Amemi both cheering him on. Even that other girl, Selphie, cheered along.

Deep down, Amemi wished she had consoled a jealous Sora to keep practicing and eventually try again. However, that had not happened. Rather, Sora had basically stated he was going to "even the score" someday.

As all this flashed through her mind, Amemi turned to Sora. "Are you ready to jump into this drawing?" she asked, recalling that was how they had entered this world before.

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah!"

Amemi smiled brighter. "I wonder how Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Rabbit are doing?"

Sora grabbed her hand. "There's one way to find out."

He counted to three. As he reached the third number, the two bent down and leaped into the air. They magically found themselves descending into the illustration.

Sora and Amemi were back in **The 100-Acre Wood**.

* * *

Just as the drawing had shown, the inside of the illustration led straight into a large clearing in the middle of the forest. The trees all around Sora and Amemi bore yellow, orange, and brown leaves. Some of them were coming off and falling to the ground.

Amemi shivered as a cool wind blew through the area. She checked to see if her jacket was zipped. "It feels like Fall," she commented.

Sora gave a nod. To Amemi's surprise, the young man did not seem disturbed by the difference in temperature. Rather, he looked better than he had in a long time. "I wonder where everyone is?" he asked out loud.

Amemi looked around their immediate position. He eyes landed onto a long, wooden table surrounded by matching chairs. She pointed to it. "Look, Sora!"

Sora turned to see what his sister was looking at. When he saw the table and chairs, the Keyblade wielder also spotted Pooh and Piglet heading for the furniture. He headed for them. Amemi was directly on his heels.

"Hey there, Pooh Bear!" Sora waved as the pair reached the table.

Pooh turned his eyes to the brown-headed youth and smiled. "Hello, Sora! You're just in time to help us celebrate Thanksgiving Day!"

Amemi was taken aback. "Thanksgiving?"

Sora smiled. "What are you doing to celebrate?"

Pooh giggled. "We're having a Thanksgiving dinner."

That was when Piglet placed a small plate onto the table. "Haycorns," he said, indicating the tiny acorn-like nuts on his plate. "A-A rather small plate, I'm afraid… from a rather small animal."

Amemi had to smile. The sound of something rolling her way drew her attention. There was Gopher, rolling a wooden barrel towards the table. The sandy-headed teenager stepped to one side, allowing Gopher to pass. He saluted to her. "Hey there, mi-ss! Nice to s-ee you again!"

Amemi nodded. Like before, the gopher's "S" sounds always came out with a whistle. She had expected that _this_ time.

Gopher turned the barrel on end. "Got the lemonade! Fifty-two point s-ix _gallons_! I work in volume," he leaned in close to Piglet and Amemi. "That'-s my s-ecret."

Amemi gave another nod. She was not sure how Gopher was able to fit such a quantity of lemonade into a single barrel. That container looked too small to contain almost fifty-seven gallons of anything!

A large, brown owl with greyish patches around the eyes landed onto the middle of the table. "Biscuits!" he declared, holding up a shiny plate with a matching cover. "From a recipe passed down by my Great-Uncle Torbet — a _dashing_, good cook, who once made a three-minute egg in a mere forty-five seconds!"

Amemi nearly jumped back. She instantly found herself staring at the owl. "What?"

Sora shook his head and strolled over. "He's Owl."

Amemi wanted to roll her eyes, yet she simply gave a short nod. She felt something nudge her from behind. The teenage girl turned around to find a grayish donkey with a black mane, light-grey muzzle, droopy eyes, long ears, and a tail with a pink bow nailed onto its backside. The donkey held up a small bag in its mouth. Amemi held out her hands and the donkey put it into them.

"Thistles," the donkey informed her. "Enough for everybody… course no one will like them but me."

Amemi was bit astonished. This donkey sounded _**very**_ gloomy. It felt like the creature had never had a positive thought in their mind. "…Thank you?" she said at last.

Sora turned to see who his sister was talking to. He smiled. "Hi, Eeyore! How've you been?"

"Been better," Eeyore sighed.

Owl and Eeyore both turned their focus to Amemi. "Who might this lovely gal be?" Owl inquired.

Gopher hopped onto the table and squinted into the sandy-haired girl's shiny, blue eyes. "She looks like a nice gal," he concluded.

Amemi stepped back. She bumped into Sora, who grabbed her arms to help her maintain her balance. Sora had to grin. "This is Amy," he introduced, gesturing to his sister. "She's my sister."

"Ho ho!" Owl declared. "The more the merrier, I always say!"

Gopher beamed. "It's a pleasure to meet a gal like you!"

"Welcome to our celebration," Eeyore sighed. "Not that there's anything to celebrate."

Amemi had to smile. She could tell Sora had made some good friends in this world at one time or another. Knowing this made things seem much better. Having been unconscious for a few hours, the nearly-fourteen-year-old girl had felt a little worried — especially after all those strange images had flashed before her eyes. She was not sure as to what had happened. Just that it did not really matter anymore.

In fact, being here in this world might be just what she needed. "Thanks," she said. "It's nice to meet you, too!"

"Make way!" a familiar voice shouted from the edge of the forest. Before anyone had a chance to react, a tiger came bouncing into the clearing. It did not take two seconds for Amemi to recognize Tigger. "Hold Thanksgiving!"

Tigger stopped when he reached the table and threw down a container of chocolate ice-cream. "The Hot-Chocolate-y Ice-Cream is _**here**_!" he proclaimed.

He had slammed the container down so hard, some of the ice-cream splashed around. Some of it landed onto Amemi's pink skirt. She gave a sigh of irritation.

Pooh took a deep breath as he admired everyone being around him. "Now, everything's as it should be," he said. His smile faded. "Or world be. We're only lacking…. "

"Just a moment!" called out another familiar voice. Everyone whirled their focus towards the source of the voice. Into the clearing strode Rabbit, his arms full of papers, pencils, pointers, and an easel.

Pooh sighed. "…Rabbit."

Rabbit marched up to the table and swiftly swept his eyes across the various items on it. "Honey? Haycorns? Ice-cream?" he chuckled, handing his supplies over to Sora and Amemi. "My, my, my, my! No, no, no, no! This isn't right at all! This is _not_ what Thanksgiving's about!"

Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Gopher, and Owl all exchanged looks of puzzlement. Sora and Amemi did the same. What in this world was Rabbit talking about? "But Rabbit," Pooh spoke up. "I thought that…. "

Rabbit strolled over to Pooh and placed his arm around the bear. "I know, Pooh Bear," he said. "And that's why you have no business thinking. But, now _I'm_ here to do it _for_ you."

Tigger scowled. "What's wrong with honey, and haycorns, and Hot-Chocolate-y Icey-Cream?!"

"Why, nothing short of everything," Rabbit continued. He proceeded to take everything off the table.

Sora dropped the easel and pointers from his hands. "What's it about then?" he inquired.

"Why, it's about tradition, custom, habit, and routine!" Rabbit announced. "Defined and refined over many, long years! Oh — it's about _grand_ dinners with turkey, and cranberry dressing, the once-a-year plates, and, _ooh_! Pumpkin pie!"

Sora and Amemi both glanced at each other. It was clear neither one of them could tell where Rabbit had come up with such an explanation. Then again, this _was_ a different world than where they were from. Having been here before, Sora was sure this was all normal.

Amemi, on the other hand, was not so easily convinced.

"Why, without these things, Thanksgiving is nothing," Rabbit pressed on. "No more than a chilly Thursday."

Amemi felt completely perplexed. Where _**had**_ Rabbit come up with such a concept? It sounded like something she would have heard on her favorite show. True, there _had_ been an episode focused on Thanksgiving. Still, it showed the same stuff Rabbit was talking about.

Maybe he had a valid point? It seemed more possible the more she pondered about it.

"Hmm," Gopher thought aloud. "S-ounds like you're onto s-omethin' there."

"H-He is?" Piglet asked.

Pooh leaned in close to Sora. "Is he?"

"Even if he isn't," Eeyore said in his usual gloomy way. "He is."

The others all looked beyond stumped. Tigger stepped over to Rabbit had fell to the ground before him. "Oh," he cried out, grabbing the bunny's leg as though pleading for mercy. "If you hadn't told us, we never would've known! How can we ever thank ya?"

Rabbit pulled himself free from the tiger's grip. "You can't," he said. "But don't worry. It just happens, I jotted some thoughts on this very matter, if you care to see."

Everyone turned their eyes to Sora. Amemi was a bit surprised to see so much attention being focused on her brother. It seemed as though the spikey-haired young man was considered some type of sage among the residents of this world. Like he was a know-it-all to them. She was not sure how this was possible, considering Sora's latest report card.

Sora shrugged. "Well… I guess it's worth a shot."

Rabbit grinned. "Well… if you insist."

He scooped up his large notepad from the ground and placed it onto the easel he had just placed into the upright position. He grabbed one of his pointers and flipped the blank page over. He used the pointer to read each of the half-scribbled words on the huge sheet of paper. "'Rabbit's helpful guide to celebration organization'," he read. He flipped to the next page. "Part one — duties and responsibilities."

He pointed his pointer at Tigger and Eeyore. "Tigger and Eeyore, you will gather cranberries for the sauce."

Tigger saluted. He seized a burlap sack and clutched it tightly in his arms. "Say no more, long ears!" he declared with enthusiasm. "We'll get a whole _bush_-full of berries or my name's not Tee-eye-double-guh — _**TIGGER**_!"

The tiger bounded away down a path into the woods. Eeyore slowly followed, his sloth-y feet dragging along behind.

Rabbit spun his attention to Gopher and Amemi. "Gopher and Amemi, you two will provide a pumpkin pie dessert."

He handed Amemi a rolled-up parchment. The sandy-haired teenager grabbed it by the end, allowing the parchment to unfurl onto the ground.

"Yes-iree!" Gopher proclaimed. "We'll get right on it!"

The two headed for Rabbit's Howse. Rabbit then turned to Owl and headed him a stack of dishes, plates, cups, and silverware. "Owl, you'll see that the dinnerware is cleaned and polished."

Rabbit grinned brightly. "I'll see to the decorations."

He then whirled his focus over to Sora, Pooh, and Piglet. "And as for you three, to you falls the most-vital duty of all."

Sora's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Rabbit nodded. "It's the thing _everyone_ so looks forward to seeing on the table."

"Honey?" Pooh asked.

Rabbit scowled in annoyance. "Turkey."

"E-Excuse me, Rabbit," Piglet spoke up. "But, did you say, uh, t-t-t-t-t?"

"'Turkey'," Rabbit finished.

Through the corner of his eye, Sora thought he saw Pooh grinning. "Oh, yes, of course! A turkey!" he chuckled for a few moments. Then, his giggles ceased. "What's a 'turkey'?"

Rabbit looked down in irritation. He rushed over to the notepad and flipped the page. The next sheet showed an illustration of a roundish animal with elliptical feathers, a round head with an angry beak, and chicken-like feet.

Sora stared at the drawing for a couple seconds. It almost seemed like he had drawn this picture himself. He was not the best artist, let alone writer. His penmanship was terrible. Even so, his cursive was a _lot_ more legible than his printing. His best drawings seemed to come along whenever he was dreaming during a major test or popcorn-quiz.

Rabbit slapped his hand against the paper. "_**This**_ is a turkey! The absolute, one hundred percent, single, most-crucial," he grabbed his ears, his eyes wild in shock. "Crucially, critical, immensely important part of the _whole_, _entire_ holiday!"

Sora felt a little confused as to why Rabbit was getting so ecstatic over such things. Just because Pooh did not understand what something was did not mean the bunny had to exaggerate beyond belief. He decided to shove the unnecessary contemplation aside and go along with everything still.

Pooh's eyes lit up for less than a nanosecond. "Oh yes. That sort of turkey."

Rabbit marched up to Sora and handed him a large, brown sack. "Here. You'll need this."

Pooh turned to Piglet. "Aren't you ready, Piglet?"

Sora noted Piglet's hesitation. "Y-Yes, Pooh Bear," the tiny animal replied. "I'm not."

Sora smiled. "We'll be fine," he assured his friends. "C'mon. Let's go catch us a turkey."

Pooh reached out his hand. Piglet took it. The two followed Sora down a path into the woods. Once they had gone a long way, the group noticed how deep the shadows were getting. For a moment, Sora though he sensed Darkness in the air. One sniff, and he was convinced it was all in his head. There was no Darkness in this world. It was too full of Innocence.

Too full of Light.

"Pooh Bear," Piglet said after a few minutes had passed. "Do you believe turkeys are among the f-f-fiercer creatures?"

"Well," Sora started to say. "I don't think they're…. "

"Some are, Piglet," Pooh interrupted. "The fiercer ones tend to be rather much so, while the ones that aren't are far less."

This seemed to make Piglet quiver. "Where do you suppose we'll f-f-find them?" he inquired.

"I think they might be in a number of places, Piglet," Pooh explained.

Sora screeched to a halt in his tracks. "Like where?" he asked, a little puzzled.

Pooh and Piglet stopped and turned to him. "They often lurk about in bushes," Pooh informed the other two. "But it's the ones in trees you really have to be careful of. Although, they say the swimming ones are, by far, the most dangerous."

"D-D-_Dangerous_?" Piglet gulped.

Sora summoned his Keyblade. "Don't worry!" he said, placing the weapon over his right shoulder. "If anything attacks us in these woods, let _me_ handle it."

Pooh seemed to be smiling as he continued. "A turkey may be lurking in the trees, ready to attack us with a jump, with boney arms and legs and knees, enormous eyes, and one big hump."

Piglet scurried up to Sora in alarm. "Oh, d-d-d-dear! I think a humpback turkey might be d-d-dangerous."

"Oh," Pooh chuckled. "We don't even know if he has got one."

"Really?" Sora asked.

"But, won't he be very awfully strange to us?" Piglet whimpered.

Pooh continued down the path. "We'll never know until we've caught one."

Sora and Piglet trailed the bear deeper into the woods. Deep down, Sora wondered if turkeys actually did reside in this forest. He had never seen any such creatures in this world before. Then again, there might be many other animals living here somewhere.

He recalled what Tigger, Rabbit, and the others had said back in the Sleeping Worlds. All that talk about "Heffalumps" and "Woozles" had made him feel a little mystified and nervous. Of course, there had also been a "Skullasaurus" mentioned, too. He was not sure if such creatures _did_ exist here. Only that they might have in the _Realm OF Sleep_.

Pooh slowed to a stop. "Sora, Piglet, I have had a thought," he said aloud. "Or, so I think. And, what I have thought is this."

"What is it, Pooh?" Sora asked.

Pooh turned to face the pair. "If we cannot find a turkey, perhaps the turkey shall have to find us."

Piglet gulped louder than ever. "That, Pooh Bear, is precisely w-what I'm afraid of."

Pooh smiled. "What I mean to say, Piglet, is that one cannot trap a turkey without first having a trap."

The group continued down the path. Sora allowed his Keyblade to disappear. He started to wonder what Amemi was up to as of late….

* * *

Rabbit's Howse seemed small from the outside, yet large on the inside. Amemi and Gopher were busy at the round table near the middle of the area. Owl was at the nearby sink, washing each and every piece of dinnerware Rabbit had given him.

"Ah," Owl said out loud as he squeaked another plate clean. "So clean, it squeaks! Reminds me of the time Aunt Ofelia joined the royal opera."

Amemi watched as Gopher carried several large pumpkins to the table and placed onto the red tablecloth. "Where did you get so many?" she finally questioned, feeling a bit like a miniature Ms. Question.

"Buy bulk," the gray-haired animal answered. "That'-s _my_ motto!"

Amemi wanted to roll her eyes. Nothing in this world would _ever_ make sense to her. It made even less sense than her favorite show. She recalled all the times WordGirl and Becky would give funny looks at something or other because it did not follow the rules of common sense.

Gopher started measuring the pumpkins with a measuring tape. "Gotta be s-ome efficient way to process-s all these pumpkin-s."

Amemi shook her head. She leaned against the wall and folded her arms. "Making dessert with living stuffed animals," she remarked with a smile. "Some blast of a lifelong dream _this_ is."

Gopher's eyes lit up. "That'-s it! I'll _**blast**_!"

Amemi's eyes grew wide when she saw Gopher hurry away and return with two sticks of dynamite and an explosive charger. She waved her arms in front of her face. "_**Wait**_!" she declared. "This _**isn't**_ how you make—!"

_**KA-BOOM! BLAM!**_

The dynamite went off the instant Gopher pressed down on his plunger. In a matter of moments, the entire house was covered with sticky pumpkin juice and leftover pulp and seeds. Gopher went around scooping some of it into a large pie tray.

Amemi sighed in irritation. Some of the pulp was stuck to her hair, jacket, and skirt. She had to watch her step as she stepped to the sink and grabbed a towel. She cleaned off her jacket and skirt as much as possible. She then proceeded to wipe it through her hair. "This is going to take a while," she sighed deeply.

"Ah," she heard Owl say as he finished cleaning another plate. "So clean, one could very nearly _eat_ off it!"

Gopher started to stir in some pepper and sugar into the pie plate of pumpkin slop. He tasted some of it and paused. "Need-s another half-a-jalapeño, and a tad more turmeric."

He tossed in a jalapeño pepper and dumped in something else from a jar. Amemi watched as the mixture in the pie plate began bubbling and shaking. It almost seemed to be the hot spring of a volcano about to erupt. "Yes-iree!" Gopher declared with delight. "_That'_-s what I like! A dessert with attitude!"

He grabbed the spoon from the mixture. Half of the utensil melted away in a flash.

The sight made Amemi cover her mouth. True, she had seen some _very_ active hot springs on the main island back home. Yet, she had never seen food behave in such a way. It looked like something straight out of someone's stoma— she did not want to _**think**_ about it!

Gopher wheeled in a pair of containers full of chemicals and proceeded to use a torch on the pie plate. "Once I crank 'er up to two thousand centigrade-s, thi-s baby'll be done in no time!"

Amemi had to look away and shield her eyes from the flashing flame. She hoped Sora was having better luck than she was now….

* * *

The shadows in the woods were much darker now than before. Sora, Pooh, and Piglet were busy using some shovels they had found beside a tree and digging a hole for their turkey-trap. Sora was not sure why they needed to do so much work. He was just going along with everything. This was nothing new for him. He did the same thing all the time back home.

"H-How will we know we've built a proper turkey trap?" Piglet asked suddenly.

"I rather doubt we will," Pooh responded. "Until we've trapped a proper turkey."

"And, Pooh Bear?"

"Yes, Piglet?"

"H-How shall we get out?"

The three stopped digging and gazed straight up. The walls of dirt around them were too steep to climb. They had dug down at least ten feet without stopping.

"Bother," Pooh sighed.

Sora sighed deeper than usual. It was going to take a long time to dig their way out of _this_ mess. He stabbed his Keyblade into the ground and used it to pull himself to the top of the hole.

Once back on top of the soil, the young man spun around and lowered his Keyblade's blade back down. "Grab on," he called.

Pooh grabbed the silver blade. Piglet grabbed Pooh's hand, his other hand wrapped around the pair of shovels. Sora groaned as he lifted the them out of the hole and back to solid ground.

"W-What will we do now?" Piglet worriedly asked.

Sora sighed. He was not sure how they would catch anything like a turkey. Had Rabbit simply sent them on a wild goose chase?

Pooh wandered into the nearby bushes. "Look!" he declared in delight.

Sora and Piglet hurried over. Sora used his hands to part the branches of the bush before them. To his surprise, a trail of pinkish berries was lying on the ground. It almost looked as though someone had purposely left them behind on purpose.

Wait a second…. Was he starting to think like Pooh and the others?

Pooh gathered an armful of berries. "Maybe turkeys like berries as much I like honey," he told the other two.

Sora shrugged. "Okay," he said, still deciding to stick to his "just go along with it" rule. He reached out and grabbed two handfuls of berries. He was careful not to squeeze to hard. If he did — even by accident — there would be berry juice all over his fairy new fighting gloves.

Piglet raced out, grabbed some berries, and returned to Sora and Pooh. The three headed back to the clearing where they had been digging that hole.

Knowing they needed some kind of contraption to serve as a trap, Sora snatched some vines from a nearby tree. He wrapped them around a few times until he had a coil of makeshift rope in his hands. This was easy for him, having made all of the rope for the raft a few years ago. Riku may have built the deck and mast, but Sora himself had added the sail and the rope.

He still could not forget how panicked Kairi had seemed to get whenever the spikey-headed youth had scaled the mast to check the ropes. Riku had been forced to reassure the auburn-haired girl everything was alright, but Kairi continued to remain uncertain about what would become of Sora should he fall from the tall column of wood.

"Here," he told his friends. "Let's use this."

Pooh and Piglet nodded. The two stuffed animals opened the large, brown sack and helped Sora tie it to a long branch up above. After a few more ropes and some more tying, Sora, Pooh, and Piglet placed all the berries they had found into the middle of the sack. "There," the seventeen-year-old Keyblader said at last. "Now, let's hide."

The three hid in some bushes less than seven feet away from their trap. Time seemed to pass slowly as they waited. Sora took out his cellular phone and started to play a game he had recently downloaded while back at Kim's house in _**Middleton**_.

The game was a lot of fun, especially for him. In it, he played as a kid wielding a sword that seemed to resemble his Keyblade, only different in design. He went around to various places and defeated enemies through a storyline-worth of quests. By equipping different medals to his weapon, he could perform various actions. He liked the different animated characters featured on each medal.

For some reason, many of the characters seemed to resemble the multitude of friends he had made throughout his adventures. He shoved the idea aside as a complete coincidence. After all, who had ever heard of a video game being based on your own life? Then again, it would be pretty cool if he could play a game that was all about his travels in this universe. Even getting to use a Keyblade in a game sounded like fun. Plus, he would not have to break a sweat. The character in the game would be doing all the work. He relaxed, dreaming what such a game would be like.

As he laid back, Sora found his eyes starting to close. The game switched off, allowing him to put his cellular phone away.

A loud _**GROWL**_ filled the air. Sora jolted upright. "Huh?"

"Wha-Wha-What was t-t-that?" Piglet whimpered.

Pooh chuckled. "That was my stomach, Piglet," he rubbed his tummy. "It must be near time for dinner as I've grown a bit rumbly in the tumbly."

Piglet continued to keep watch. Sora sighed and laid back down in the patch of leaves on the other side of the bushes. Just as he was about to take out his cellular phone again, there was a sudden snap of a stick, followed by the sound of viney ropes moving. A series of muffled noises came from nearby.

The three sat up in a heartbeat, their eyes peeled for anything.

Piglet grabbed Pooh's arm. "Wha-Was that your stomach, Pooh?"

Pooh shook his head. "I don't think so."

Instantly, Piglet dove into Pooh's shirt through the latter's sleeve. He hid in the collar, his head and ears being the only things sticking out.

Sora and Pooh clambered out of the bushes and looked straight up. Pooh grinned in delight. "Oh, _yes_!"

Piglet slid out of the bear's red T-shirt and landed onto the ground. "Oh, d-d-d-_dear_!" he worriedly stammered, grabbing the sides of his face.

"Wha—!" was Sora's immediate reaction.

Dangling in the branches above them, where they had intended the trap to snare its prey, was the large, brown sack. The sack was bulging all over. Something inside was making all the noise. It was moving around wildly. Whatever was inside was probably trying to escape.

He nodded. "C'mon. Let's get this… whatever it is back to Rabbit's Howse."

* * *

Rabbit was all alone in the meadow, only twenty yards away from his house. The long table was still covered by its clean, white tablecloth. Only now, he had put some festive decorations on it. A paper cornucopia was positioned at the middle of the table. Several colorful streamers were hanging up above. A papier-mâché turkey was dangling nicely from the middle of where the streamers crossed, forming a giant "X"-shape above his head.

"An amazing accomplishment! Absolutely astonishing! Altogether astounding," he marveled, an enormous grin showing on his face. "If I do say so myself. This will surely be the happiest of Thanksgivings."

Rabbit swept his eyes this way and that way. No one was in sight. He reached into a "pocket" in his fur and pulled out a large bronze watch. "Only five minutes 'til noon," he realized. "What has become of them?"

He plopped himself down in a chair to wait. He did not have to wait for long.

"Coming through!" Gopher shouted as he rushed out of the house and across the meadow. "One s-ide! Make room! Watch your back-s!"

Amemi followed him, the steaming hot pie in her hands. The pie plate was too hot to handle, even with oven mitts. She had to balance it back and forth as she hurried over to the table. "Ouch!" she yelped for the fiftieth time.

They reached the table in less than a minute. Amemi gently put the pumpkin pie down before a surprised Rabbit. The sandy-haired teenager hastily blew gusts of cool air onto her burning palms. "I'm never cooking with a gopher again," she commented, returning her attention to the sticky pulp still caught in her hair.

"I say," Owl called as he sped over, a stack of clean dishes, cups, and silverware in his arms. "Might someone lend a hand here?"

Rabbit put his hands together with glee. Everything was going perfectly according to plan. The party might be able to go on as planned after all.

"Oh, Rabbit?" called a voice from the nearby woods.

Rabbit swung his head around. There were Sora, Pooh, and Piglet, dragging the brown sack over to the table. The constantly bulging sack indicated they had succeeded in catching a turkey.

"Oh, ho-ho!" Rabbit cheered. "You've _done_ it! Now we can have a proper Thanksgiving!"

Sora and Pooh lifted the sack with all their might and shoved it onto the table. Everyone stared at the rapidly-moving bag, unsure what to do next.

"My," Rabbit said. "It is a _big_ turkey, isn't it?"

Pooh looked a little nervous. "And rather loud."

Piglet was ducking down beside the table. "And somewhat, f-f-f-fierce," he cowered even lower when the sack's shadow loomed his way.

"And heavy," Sora added, rubbing his right arm. "Feels like there's two turkeys in there."

"Two turkeys?" Piglet darted away from the table and hid by Amemi's blue tennis shoes.

"Still," Rabbit stated, glancing at everyone else. "I suppose we should open it. Gopher, go ahead."

Gopher shook his head and hands. "Nope! No can do! Not my job s-pecification-s," he turned to Amemi. "You do it."

Amemi immediately leapt back two paces. "No thank you," she rapidly stated. She turned to Owl. "Can you do it?"

Owl also looked hesitant. "Perhaps we should wait for Tigger and Eeyore to arrive," he suggested. "It's only polite, you know."

Pooh looked a little sad. "And it really wouldn't be Thanksgiving without them."

Sora gave a nod. "Yeah."

The sack started shaking more violently. The table's decorations were knocked over and some other odds and ends went flying away. There was a loud ripping sound. The sack tore open, revealing two living, stuffed animals inside.

Sora, Amemi, Pooh, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, and Gopher all stared in astonishment. "_**Tigger**_?!" Sora declared in surprise.

"_**Eeyore**_?!" Amemi said at the same time.

Tigger turned his attention to the group below. He grinned so much, it seemed he had teeth in his mouth. "Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" he cheered, gathering an armful of berries from the bottom of the ruined sack. "Look at all these berries we've collected!"

Without paying attention to what he was doing, Tigger accidentally stepped onto Eeyore's tail. Eeyore jumped in surprise and landed onto the end of the table. The table bounced, sending the pumpkin pie on the other end flying into the air as though it had been launched from a catapult.

Rabbit looked straight up in alarm. "Oh my! The _**pie**_!"

He rushed away to catch the soaring dessert. He bumped into Amemi, knocking the young woman into Owl. Owl stumbled backward, the stack of clean dinnerware still piled in his arms.

Rabbit rushed all around, jumping a fence twice as the pumpkin pie continued to fly through the air. He jumped onto the table and extended his arm — just in time. The pie landed gently in his hand. As Rabbit breathed a sigh of relief, Tigger hopped onto the table and slapped him in the back with a shout of, "A 'spec-tack-u-ler' catch, Long Ears!"

Rabbit tumbled off the table, his face landing directly into the pie. Pieces of pumpkin slop covered his shocked face. Sora winced at the sight. Rabbit's face was messier than his bedroom during the Summer months.

Sora nearly got knocked onto his back when Owl stumbled past him and Pooh. The owl tripped backwards over Rabbit. All the dinnerware in Owl's arms went sailing through the air. Eeyore shoved Piglet to safety as all the dishes crashed onto him. Unfortunately, the donkey had shoved Piglet too hard. The tiny animal was sent flying into the air. Poor Piglet grabbed ahold of the papier-mâché turkey and clung on for dear life. His light weight was plenty to pull down the streamers.

Sora and Amemi rushed around to catch Piglet. The two slammed straight into one another, knocking them both onto the ground. Pooh jumped over the siblings and landed onto the table. He grabbed Piglet, only to have the streamers bounce back up. The two stuffed animals were sent soaring into the air. Pooh grabbed a greenish streamer and tore it down. As he fell, Pooh grabbed the papier-mâché turkey where Piglet was dangling. Their combined weight was beyond plenty to pull down all the streamers and other hanging decorations.

"Bother," Pooh sighed.

The streamers snapped. Pooh and Piglet descended from the sky. They crashed onto the table, knocking the surface sideways and sending up a cloud of dust.

Sora and Amemi rose to their feet, shock written all over their faces. The whole area was a mess. Pieces of torn streamers and other decorations — including the papier-mâché turkey — lay strewn all around. The table was lying at an angle to the ground, its right side's legs having collapsed while the other two were still in place. The tablecloth was torn and covered in splattered berry juice. What was left of the pumpkin pie was splattered onto the ground, Rabbit's face, and a little on Sora's oversized shoe.

Everyone looked completely stunned at the display. "At least things can't get any worse," said Sora.

Rabbit was the most dismayed. "Every last little, least little thing… gone… wrecked… ruined," he sighed deeply. His ears fell. "Our Thanksgiving… is no more."

"B-B-But Rabbit," Piglet spoke up, trying to sound optimistic. "W-W-What about—?"

"See for yourself, Piglet!" Rabbit interrupted. "There is nothing to be thankful for."

"You mean," Tigger wept (very dramatically). "It's gonna be a 'Thank-_less_ Giving'?" He grabbed Eeyore and continued to sob.

"Oh, but Rabbit," Pooh started to say. "We still have…. "

Rabbit raised his hand, cutting the bear off mid-sentence. "No, Pooh Bear. We… do… not."

Rabbit trudged away very slowly. Sora, Amemi, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, and Gopher all sighed in dismay.

"Better luck next year," Eeyore said as he started to leave. "Some Thanksgiving. Reminds me of pretty much any day."

Piglet continued to whimper as he headed for his home. "Oh, dear. I-I'm afraid this really has become no more than a chilly Thursday."

Tigger dragged himself along, too saddened to bounce. "'A Happy Thanksgivin'', sure. Bein' all alone and lonesome is not somethin' that Tiggers like best."

Gopher scowled as he marched off. "And after all I did for 'em, workin' a holiday. _Hmph_! Should've charged them two time-s time-and-a-half for overtime!"

Owl flew away without a word. Pooh trudged away very slowly. The only ones left were Sora and Amemi.

Sora sighed deeply. All this work and there was no reward. Everyone's spirits were way down now. He was not sure if there was anything he and his sister could do to help. This was not some mini-game where you could overcome a challenge to pass it and continue the story. It was one of those situations where everything seemed hopeless.

Amemi looked around the clearing at all the damaged decorations. She approached the tablecloth and removed it from the table. Looking at all the stains and tears in the sheet, she sighed. No one had meant to make such a mess. Things just got a little out-of-hand, which resulted in a chain-of-reactions. That was what had ultimately resulted in this disaster. It seemed there would be no Thanksgiving for anybody in this world. There was no way.

Sora turned to his sister. "What're you doing?"

"We might as well clean up," Amemi sighed in return. "If there's not going to be a Thanksgiving celebration, what _can_ we do?"

Sora paused in thought. An idea suddenly sprang into his mind. "Let's go see Pooh."

He hurried away down the path that led deeper into the forest. Amemi dropped the torn and stained tablecloth and rushed after her brother.

* * *

Pooh's Howse was located inside an enormous, wide tree in the middle of a small clearing. The branches were shedding their once-living leaves. Built directly into the trunk was a door with a rectangular frame. Above the doorway was a sign bearing the name, "_**Mr. Sanders**_" in gold letters. To the left of the sign was a little, blue bell with a string. Between the string and the door was another sign attached to the framework by a rusty nail. It read,

"_**RNIG ALSO"**_

A number of empty pots piled up beside the entranceway. The pleasant scent of something sweet drifted through the air from within.

Sora and Amemi approached the howse very calmly. There Pooh, seated on a log just outside his front door. He was holding a honey pot in his lap.

Pooh looked down and sighed. "It's a rather sad thing indeed," he admitted. "But this day has become quite like any other."

"Sorry about what happened," Sora said as the two approached.

"You don't have to apologize," Amemi pinpointed.

Pooh looked at the two and sighed as he dipped his hand into the pot and scooped out a handful of dripping honey. "I suppose this is all the Thanksgiving I shall have," he looked longingly at the golden honey. "If only I might share what little I do have."

He reached for his mouth. Before Sora and Amemi could say anything else to the bear, Pooh stared in realization. It seemed a lightbulb had suddenly flicked on in his mind. "As I suppose I could. Couldn't I?"

He grinned and hopped off his log. He turned to Sora and Amemi. "Although I'm only a bear of very little brain, I can think of no reason not."

Pooh walked away, carrying his honey pot along. Sora and Amemi watched him leave, a bit surprised. One moment they had showed up to try and find a way to resolve this dilemma. The next, Pooh was strolling away with an idea of his own.

"What just happened here?" Amemi questioned.

Sora shrugged. "I have no idea," he confessed.

The two turned and hurried after Pooh.

* * *

Rabbit sighed deeply as he worked hard to scrub the picture frame before him. Gopher's cooking had left the inside of his Howse a mess. It would take hours if not days to clean this all up. Even with the scrub brush, it would take a very, very, very, very long amount of time.

It did not matter. He had all the time he needed now that Thanksgiving was no more.

There was a loud knocking at the door. With another deep sigh, Rabbit dragged himself to the door and opened it. Sora, Amemi, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Gopher, and Owl were gathered on the other side, huge smiles on their faces.

"Hello, Rabbit!" Pooh declared.

"Whatcha waitin' for, Long Ears?" Tigger said with enthusiasm evident in his voice.

"Better hurry!" Gopher chimed in. "Food'-s gettin' cold!"

"Let's go!" Sora announced.

Rabbit was startled beyond recognition. "…What are you talking about?" he was barely able to bring out the words.

"It's Thanksgiving, Rabbit," Pooh announced.

Rabbit was shaken. How was this possible? All the decorations he had made were destroyed. The food had been ruined. There was no turkey. "B-But the decorations… the food… the party…. "

Tigger hopped in and threw his arm around the bunny. He gestured outside. "It's all right here, Long Ears!"

Sora, Amemi, Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, and Gopher all stepped to the sides of the doorway. In the middle of the meadow, the table stood proudly upright. A tannish tablecloth had replaced the white one. Clean dinnerware was placed at each seat. A pot of honey, a small plate of haycorns, a wooden barrel of lemonade, a shiny plate of biscuits, a small bag of thistles, and a container of chocolate ice-cream were placed on the table.

"Everything except you," Pooh finished.

One look at the sight and Rabbit could not believe his eyes. There _was_ a Thanksgiving party all set to go. True, it was not as fancy as the one he had been hoping for….

…Yet, it was still a Thanksgiving party regardless.

A smile started to form on Rabbit's face. He was feeling very pleased — indeed.

* * *

It was not long after that everyone was gathered around the table. Sora and Amemi were seated together at one end. Pooh was seated to Sora's left. Piglet sat to Pooh's left. Then there was Tigger. Rabbit sat on the opposite end of the table. To Rabbit's left was Gopher, followed by Owl and Eeyore.

Everyone was enjoying each other's food. Even Eeyore's thistles were popular. Well, at least among Tigger, Eeyore, and Gopher.

Sora had to smile at the sight. He raised his glass of lemonade and tapped against it gently with his spoon. All eyes turned to the spikey, brown-headed youth. "I recommend this Thanksgiving celebration be held in honor of our dear friend, Rabbit," he announced. "I mean, he did put in a lot of hard work into making this day possible for everyone, even if it didn't happen as he wanted it to."

"That's right," Amemi said in agreement. "Thanksgiving is a day to recognize what it is you're thankful for. For each of you, I'd say that's such loyal and hard-working friends."

Rabbit's grin grew until it became an enormous smile.

"Hear, hear!" Owl cheered.

"Three cheers for bunny-boy!" Tigger chanted as he grabbed Rabbit in a tight embrace. "_**Hip-hip**_!"

"_**Hooray**_!" everyone else called.

"_**Hip-Hip**_!"

"_**Hooray**_!"

"_**Hip-Hip**_!"

"_**Hooray**_!"

Pooh smiled brightly. "_What a splendid evening_," he said. "_What a lovely feast._"

"_There's food enough to calm the most ferocious of beasts_," Tigger added, digging into his ice-cream.

"_I wonder why we w-worried_," Piglet smiled.

"_And scurried all around_," Owl added.

Gopher passed Rabbit the pot of honey. "_Looking for the __**very**__ thing that we've already found_," Rabbit declared.

Everyone seemed to break out into song. "_Friends, near and far away, sharing all today, gathering to say we're thankful! Friends, friends in every way, make each and every day, __**Our Thanksgiving Day**__!_"

Tigger jumped into the air with a yell of, "_**Hoo-Hoo-Hoo-Hoo!**_"

Sora smiled as he gave Amemi some ice-cream. "_There's so much more than more here_," he told her.

Amemi smiled and handed him some of the Haycorns from her plate. "_It's altogether true._"

Tigger bounded over to the two siblings and grabbed them both from behind. "_And bein' all together is the bestest thing to do!_ _**Hoo-Hoo-Hoo!**_"

Everyone continued to chant along. "_With friends, near and far away, sharing all today, gathering to say we're thankful! Friends, friends in every way, make each and every day, __**Our Thanksgiving Day**__!_"

"_Make each and every day_," Pooh finished. "_**Our Thanksgiving Day**__!_"

Everyone returned to their food. As stories passed around the table, Sora and Amemi turned to one another. Sora pointed to his sister's hair. "What's this?" he asked.

Knowing her brother was referring to the pumpkin slop from earlier, Amemi slowly shook her head. "It's a long story, Sora."

The two smiled brilliantly. They knew without a doubt, out of everything Pooh and his friends had or ever might have, the grandest gift of all was clearly that of _**True**__ Friendship_!

Not long after, Sora and Amemi found themselves racing one another to the compass rose. With their hands clasped together, they departed from **The 100-Acre Wood**, knowing the page was now restored.

* * *

**A/N: I have to be honest - that last song is one of my FAVORITE Winnie-The-Pooh Songs!**  
**In case anyone forgot, all the plotlines for The 100-Acre Wood in This Story are based on Disney's "'_Winnie The Pooh: Seasons of Giving__ (1999)_'"!**

**So, perhaps I should go over a few things - BEFORE I reveal the "'Answer(s)'" for the "'SPECIAL TRIVIA'" at the Start of This Chapter!**  
**(1.) Any, and all spelling errors, (i.e., Howse) are intentional. That is the style of the world of Winnie-The-Pooh. I wanted This Chapter to reflect it as such.**

**(2.) Personally, I believe that is the way all the characters in The 100-Acre Wood TRULY react to one another!**  
**Rabbit gets exasperated,**  
**Tigger gets overly-dramatic,**  
**Piglet whimpers a lot,**  
**Eeyore sighs all the time,**  
**Owl tends to go on and on about his relations,**  
**Gopher goes about doing the simplest tasks in challenging ways,**  
**Winnie-The-Pooh knows little and thinks of honey for just about Everything!**  
**DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE?**

* * *

**(3.) I REALLY enjoyed including Amemi's reactions in that whole series of situations. The way she and Sora interact here actually makes me smile when I look back over all those events in This Chapter!**

**With all that said and done, here are the ANSWER(S) for the "'SPECIAL TRIVIA'" at the Start of This Chapter!**  
**So, who WERE the original cast members from Disney's "'_The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh__ (1977)_'"? Well, I cannot tell you ALL of them - just the ones for The Narrator, Winnie The Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, Gopher, Roo.**

**The Narrator \- The original Narrator was Sebastian Cabot. He was also Sir Ector in Disney's "'_The Sword In The Stone__ (1963)_'", and he was the voice of Bagheera in Disney's "'_The Jungle Book__ (1967)_'"! He is most-likely best-known for his role as the butler, Mr. French, in the Classic Show, "'_Family Affair_'".**

**Winnie-The-Pooh \- Pooh was originally voiced by Sterling Holloway. He was also the voice(s) of the Cheshire Cat in Disney's "'_Alice In Wonderland__ (1951)_'", Kaa (The Snake) in Disney's "'_The Jungle Book__ (1967)_'", and Roquefort in Disney's "'_The __Aristocats__ (1970)_'". He received the title of a "'Disney Legend'" back in 1991.  
On the side, he was made dozens of guest appearances in several Classic Shows including (yet not limited to) "'_F-TROOP_'", "'_Gilligan's Island_'", "'_The Andy Griffith Show_'", and "'_That Girl_'".**

**Piglet \- John Fiedler was the original voice of Piglet. I might have already said this (in Chapter 30), yet he was also the voice of Deacon Owl in Disney's "'_The Rescuers__ (1977)_'", The Porcupine in Disney's "'_The Fox And The Hound__ (1981)_'", and The Old Man [Rudy] in Disney's "'_The Emperor's New Groove__ (2000)_'".  
In addition, he made LOTS of appearances on Classic Shows including "'_That Girl_'", "'_The Odd Couple_'", and "'_Get Smart_'". He was best-known there for playing Mr. Peterson on "'_The Bob Newhart Show_'".  
Furthermore, he also voiced Piglet in "'_Kingdom Hearts [1]_'" - the ONLY original cast member to reprise their role in a KH Game!**

**Tigger \- The one and only Paul Winchell was the original Tigger. He was also the voice of The Woodpecker/Boomer in Disney's "'_The Fox And The Hound__ (1981)_'".  
Outside of Disney, he was well-known as a professional Ventriloquist. He made some guest appearances in Classic Shows including "'_The Dick Van Dyke Show_'".  
His daughter, April Winchell, has also been deeply-involved with Disney, including providing the voice of Clarabelle Cow.**

**Eeyore \- Ralph Wright was the original voice of Eeyore. He often did various voice-overs for Disney, most of which were background characters. However, he was also one of Walt Disney's Animation Storytellers.**

**Owl \- The original actor for Owl was Hal Smith, who also voiced LOTS of other Disney characters. Among them were Belle's horse, Philippe, in Disney's "'_Beauty And The Beast__ (1991)_'", and Gyro Gearloose &amp; Flintheart Glomgold in Disney's "'_DuckTales_'".  
He was most-likely best known for his role as the town drunk, Otis Campbell, on "'_The Andy Griffith Show_'". He also made appearances in several other Classic Shows including (yet not limited to), "'_The Brady Bunch_'" and "'_Hogan's Heroes_'".**

**Gopher \- Howard Morris was the original voice of Gopher. He was most-likely best-known for playing the troublemaker, Ernest T. Bass, on "'_The Andy Griffith Show_'". He also voiced some characters on the 1968 animated series, "'_The Archie Show_'", including Jughead Jones.**

**Roo \- The original actor who voiced Roo was Clint Howard, the younger brother of Ron Howard. He also voiced Hathi Jr. (The Baby Elephant) in Disney's "'_The Jungle Book__ (1967)_'". He even voiced a character in both "'_Curious George__ (2006)_'" and "'_Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey!__ (2010)_'", which might be due to Ron Howard being one of the Executive Directors of that franchise.  
As you can imagine, he also made appearances on "'_The Andy Griffith Show_'"; he was playing the silent Leon, the boy eating a sandwich and offering it to others.**

**SHEESH! That sure was a LOT of detail(s)! I HOPE you got all that!  
I have nothing left to say, - EXCEPT for This Much!**

**"'CHAPTER 38 MIGHT ALSO BE RATHER SHORT, SIMILAR TO THIS ONE! YET, THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT ISN'T AN IMPORTANT CHAPTER!'"**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	38. Ch38 - Is It… Another Clue?

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HELLO THERE! CHAPTER 38 HAS ARRIVED!**

**Yes, yes! I know. I already posted Chapter 37 online on Sunday. Yet, seeing as Chapter 38 is a Short Chapter, I decided to get it done as rapidly as possible. Therefore, here it is!**

**To start off, I wanted to let you know it might be a while before I post Chapter 39. After all, THAT Chapter shall start off the next Disney-based world! I have "'special'" plans in mind for it! To be honest, I CANNOT WAIT TO GET STARTED WITH IT!  
I won't tell you why - just that I am getting REALLY excited about the rest of "'_Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_'"!**

**So,... I do not have much else to state here. Well... I suppose I could inform you about how Chapter 38 completes This Story's ACT II portion. ACT I consisted of Chapter(s) 1 through 7. Chapter(s) 8 through 28 composed ACT II.  
So, up next is ACT III. Overall, I planned for FIVE ACTS For This Story!**

**In addition, please keep Reading AND Reviewing alike! After all, This Story is only just over its halfway point REVIEW-WISE! At this rate, the goal will NOT be met, which may result in the THIRD Story - the Sequel To "'_Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_'" not being posted for a VERY Long Time! I might even consider cancelling it.  
After all, "'_Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_'" is the story I wanted to write the most - it is my FAVORITE STORY in This KH Story Set!**

**Anyways, I think it is time to READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! PLEASE REVIEW, TOO! PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE - WITH SEA-SALT ICE-CREAM ON TOP!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 38  
Is It… Another Clue?**

The library seemed rather quiet. Donald was under the impression that was normal. Why else did all libraries have that "No Talking" rule? He shoved the thought process out of his head and looked around.

Goofy and Launchpad were leaning over the desk, talking with Myrna. The young woman was showing them some pieces of paper and such. Aerith was on the second floor, seated at a desk. She was gently tapping a pencil against her lip and had her eyes focused on the stack of papers on the tabletop.

Donald sighed and leaned against the staircase's wooden handrail. This was one of those days when everyone else had something to do, and he had absolutely nothing to do except wait on them. He placed his hands in his lap and tilted his head forward. His eyes slowly closed, and before long, he was snoring soundly.

All he could picture was his hammock back home. All those cans of _Gurgle-Up_ soda. His _AJAX_ candy bars — the ones he'd always "bought" from the _Junior Woodchucks_. It was so easy to trick them since Huey, Dewey, and Louie were all members of that Boy Scout-like organization.

A loud sound jolted him awake. "_**Waak**_!"

Donald leapt into the air. He went straight up into the air and bonked his head against the ceiling. Down, down, down, down he went — directly into Amemi's outstretched arms. He gave a slight chuckle, an enormous grin showing over his mouth.

Sora shook his head. "Oh, Donald…. "

"Sorry, Sora," Donald apologized. "You two startled me when you jumped out of the book."

Amemi had to roll her eyes. She drew her arms back in so suddenly, the duck mage instantly fell to the floor with an audible _**THUD**_! She slapped her hands against each other. "I'm not your caretaker, Donald," she grumbled.

Donald laid there on the floor, his fingers tapping against the floor at a steady beat. His other hand was leaning against his chin and he had a scowl inscribed upon his face. "_Very stupidly_," was all Sora and Amemi were able to make out of his long line of gibberish.

Sora wanted to shake his head. He and his sister had just returned from the inside of Pooh's Storybook, and now Donald was on his case. The last time someone had been upset with him when he left that world, he had gotten a small scolding from Merlin for entering without waiting for the old wizard to return.

"Sora! Amemi! Yer back!" Goofy and Launchpad came rushing down the stairs. Aerith was directly behind them, although she was not running as fast.

Goofy swung around the banister at the bottom of the steps. He moved so rapidly, his feet flew wildly to the side and banged into Launchpad. The duck pilot was knocked into a slight daze, the knight's shoe's toes' metal plating having rammed into his head.

Launchpad stumbled around for a few moments. Stars, moons, and airplanes went swirling around his head as though he was in a graphic novel. He grabbed his head and leaned against the nearest bookshelf. The pilot's weight caused the bookcase to topple over, banging into the one behind it. The one behind that bookshelf was next. Then the next one. And the next one. Before long, all the bookcases were falling over like a line of dominos.

Books went flying. Loud crashing noises filled the library. When the last bookcase started to fall over, Indigo rushed out from the other side and dove onto the floor. The bookshelf crashed down upon the green tiles of the floor. The whole room shook for a couple of seconds.

To Sora and Amemi, the resulting movement resembled that of an earthquake happening back home on the islands. Such tectonic activity was quite common on the _**Destiny Islands**_, mostly since some of the islands were still active or dormant volcanoes. Fortunately, there had never been a tsunami there, at least as far as _they_ knew; for Sora, that was not much.

Another small crash followed. Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Aerith all looked to the desk behind the brown, spikey-headed Keyblader. Myrna was lying on the floor, her chair sideways on the floor. "Not again," the golden-haired girl sighed.

Launchpad shook his head as he came to. He pointed to the ceiling and chuckled. "What a _**crash**_!" he remarked. "I never thought I'd crash bookshelves in a library!"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, light-blue booklet. He opened it, flipped a few pages and used an inkpen to mark an "X" in it. "Just another crash to mark off the official 'Crash Everything List'!"

Donald stormed up to the pilot and grabbed the latter's scarf with such intensity, Launchpad's face was yanked down to his level. "_**Stop**_ being so clumsy, ya big palooka!" he scolded. He pointed at Goofy. "One klutz is enough!"

Goofy shrugged. "Gawrsh, it was only an 'ack-see-dent'."

Sora wanted to smile and laugh. This reminded him of how everyone had reacted when Goofy had shown up in that crystal-filled fissure. For a while, they had believed he was dead, killed by being bonked on the head from a small rock and then slamming headfirst into a wall of blue stone. Of course, the knight had acted so calmly, even going as far as to say, "I get bumped on the head all the time", which only made Donald infuriated.

Indigo rose to her feet. She took flight and soared over to the group. She landed before Launchpad with such grace, it seemed unrealistic. She offered the pilot her head. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Launchpad put his hands against his hips and proudly stood like a recognized hero. "I've _**never**_ been better!" he declared. He proceeded to take a step, only to get his foot caught in a pile of fallen books. He stumbled over and crashed onto the floor. "I meant to do that…. "

Indigo folded her arms and shook her head. "Let me help you up," she said, bending down to lend the duck pilot her hand.

A loud series of footsteps stormed from outside the doorway. Sora and the others turned their attention to the doors in time to see Leon, Yuffie, Reno, and Rude rush in.

Leon saw the mess of books and shook his head. He placed his hand to his face. "You've got to be kidding…. "

Yuffie crossed her arms and started tapping her foot. "A bunch of bookshelves falling. _That's_ what made all that crashing? We thought there were Heartless in here."

Leon turned to Reno and Rude. "Can you both handle things here? Yuffie and I will check out the town."

"Might as well," Reno grinned. "Anything to stay away from that loud-mouth Elena."

"_I __**heard**__ that_," a voice snapped over the hand-sized radio in the reddish-haired man's jacket pocket.

Rude shook his head. Leon and Yuffie headed out of the room and away from view. Reno and Rude proceeded to scoop up the fallen books. Myrna and Aerith scurried over to help them. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad quickly joined in the clean-up. Indigo was not too far behind.

Sora scratched the side of his face and gave a grin. "Sorry about this."

"It's okay," Aerith assured him. She stood and turned to the young man. Three books were trapped in her arms. "I had a feeling we should reorganize the shelves."

"I guess making this like a _real_ library was a bad idea," Myrna added. "Even if someone could get lost again, maybe Lord Ansem's maze was better."

Sora wanted to shake his head. He recalled the maze of books and bookcases he, Donald, Goofy, and The Beast had been forced to solve in order to progress through this very room.

Amemi and the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder started to help pick up the mass of fallen books. Every color of the rainbow seemed to be mixed in the mounds of tomes.

As Sora scooped up a reddish book (that look familiar), a piece of torn paper caught his eye. The parchment was drifting down from the ceiling. He dropped the book in his hand and caught the torn scrap of paper. He quickly looked over the neat handwriting on it. He thought the writer must have had good penmanship. The text was easy to read.

"_I nearly ran into a nun last night,_

_She seemed very nervous and rather clumsy and she slammed into me._

_When I helped her pick up the bag of supplies she'd dropped, I saw a bright Light,_

_I wonder… is she trying to be someone she wasn't meant to be?_

_I encountered two kids earlier, one girl and one boy,_

_I could sense they were brother and sister, even as they continued to roam._

_They looked lost, worried, and with no hope to deploy,_

_Should I have helped them find their way home?_

_Two others stick out,_

_They both have important roles, I should state._"

He looked up in surprise. If his gut feeling was correct, this was one of the pieces of that mystery letter Master Yen Sid had told him about. The one for which the retired Keyblade Master had requested he locate the missing pieces. He remembered retrieving pieces of this letter from Master Yen Sid, Cody's mother in _**The Outback**_, and the piece Hacker, Buzz, Delete, and Scratch had dropped in that underground cavern. He wondered what was so significant about this letter. Why did Master Yen Sid want him to collect all these pieces?

There had to be a reason. Still, he was unsure what that explanation was. It was all so mysterious. It felt a little like one of those cases Sherlock Holmes or Nancy Drew might take up.

"What's that?"

Sora turned his eyesight to the right. There stood Amemi, her hands full of books. The teenager's shiny, blue eyes were fixated on the piece of the letter. "What are you holding?"

"It's part of a letter," he told her. "I just don't know what it means."

A soft gasp echoed from across the room. Sora and Amemi turned their focus over to Myrna. The young woman was hastily checking the pockets in her dress. "I thought I'd lost an important piece of paper," she said, strolling up to Sora. "And you found it."

Sora gave her a nod. "Yeah, but it seems to be part of this letter we've been collecting pieces from."

Myrna marched over to her desk and put down the books in her hands. "Can I see those pieces?"

Sora shrugged. If anyone might be able to make sense of all this, perhaps the golden-haired girl could. He and Amemi approached the desk. Seeing something going on, Goofy dropped the books he was carrying and hurried over. Donald jumped out of the pile of fallen books, waving his fists and shouting illegible gibberish.

"Hey, whatcha doin'?" Goofy inquired as he approached.

Sora, Amemi, and Myrna all swerved their attention to the knight. "It's the torn letter," Sora explained. "Remember?"

Goofy put his finger to his chin, an astounded look in his eyes. "Ya mean thuh one Master Yen Sid told us about?"

Sora gave another nod. "Yeah! That's the one."

He reached into his pocket and found Jiminy Cricket. Jiminy hopped off the young man's hand and landed onto the desk. He opened his small book and tossed out a few pieces of folded parchment. "This is all we have," he informed the group.

It was not long before Donald, Launchpad, and Indigo were with the others. One look at the pieces of torn paper and Indigo's eyes lit up. "I sense some mystical power coming from these scraps of paper," she commented, her antennae slightly wobbling.

Everyone turned to look at her. Indigo paused, a tad hesitant with how to respond. All those eyes staring at her made her feel, well… a little discomfort. She grabbed one of the torn papers and unfolded it. "I sense something mystical locked inside this paper," she elaborated. She proceeded to gesture at all the other papers. "The same is true for all these others."

Sora grabbed one of the papers. For some reason, he thought he felt some kind of energy inside the parchment. He was not sure what it was. Just that it was there. He turned to Myrna. "Can we hold on to your piece?" he asked.

Myrna smiled. "Sure," she answered. "It's all yours. It doesn't do any good around here."

She righted her chair. As Sora grabbed the pieces of torn paper, he noticed the golden-haired girl was looking directly at him. "Just _please_ let me know what it means," she added. She gestured to all the books stil lying on the floor. "These books can't explain everything."

Sora nodded. He felt a small nudge in his side. He glanced at Amemi. The sandy-haired teenager handed him the book she had been reading earlier. One look at it and Sora recollected what it was supposed to be about.

That strange project he'd heard about — "_Project C_".

He nodded and turned to Reno and Rude. "Say, would you two show this to Even?"

The two men stopped what they were doing and headed over. Rude softly grunted as he took the book. "'Project C'," he muttered aloud, glancing over the title.

"_Right_," Reno said in a rather sarcastic tone of voice. He gave a decent-sized grin. "Hojo's lost project."

The reddish-headed man turned to Sora. "Your ride's all set to go. Just, be gentle, will ya? That old racecar's been through a lot."

"No kidding," Sora had to murmur.

_Herbie_ _**had**_ been through quite a lot on this single adventure. Launchpad had toppled the vehicle over the edge of a waterfall and damaged the wings in addition to scattering Gummi blocks all over the place. The modified racecar had been trapped in a deep snowbank following a crash-landing at the _**Beast's Castle**_. Then, there were all those other crashes at the marketplace in this world. Not to mention, a _really_ rough landing in _**The Outback**_.

Clearly, _Herbie_ needed to be treated a _**lot**_ nicer than as some old racecar. He was the only living vehicle Sora had ever known. He possessed a heart, which was something the brown-haired youth had never expected to see in a car, Gummi Ship, etc.

"And the town's Heartless population is lessening," Reno went on. "But more and more are crowding around that fortress in Villain's Vale."

Amemi looked puzzled. "What's 'Villain's Vale'?"

"Gee," Goofy spoke up. "Ain't that thuh ruined place outside of town? The one with all them Heartless?"

"That's right," Reno approved. His grin grew large enough to show his somewhat-clean teeth. "You're not as slow as Lea said you were."

Sora crossed his arms in thought. If what was being stated here was true, then there was a _major_ threat of Heartless located somewhere beyond the town. That odd-looking fortress in the distance had always looked peculiar. It felt like something straight out of a monster movie. It probably was, given all the Heartless that tended to gather around it.

For all he knew, that was the headquarters for Maleficent, Pete, Mortimer, the Beagle Boys, Don Karnage, and any other evildoers in their group. If what they'd learned was true, it sounded like Maleficent had organized everyone into some type of "council". He wondered what all those villains and villainesses were up to. What could they be plotting?

He knew one thing for certain. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be anything good. And with Christmas not too far off, the worlds were still in serious danger. And that meant they had work to do.

Sora nodded and bumped his fist against his chest. "We'll handle it — again!"

"Say, may-bee all them Heartless are super-duper ticklish!" Goofy blurted.

Everyone immediately spun around to face the tall dog. They all had startled, mystified look inscribed on their faces. Goofy looked at each of them and shrugged. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Okay," Sora said after a few minutes passed. He turned back to Reno and Rude. "Let us know if anything happens."

Amemi shook her head. She knew it was like her brother to react in a heartbeat. He was always leaping into stuff without taking the time to think things through. He automatically trusted every total stranger he met.

He was so naïve….

Sora's Keyblade suddenly appeared in his right hand. All eyes turned to it. The book in Reno's hand began glowing. Sora and the others all watched as the glow grew brighter. A beam of Light flew from the book and formed a large Keyhole-shape near the ceiling. Sora pointed his weapon at it. A beam of Light formed and shot out from the tip of the blade. It shone across the room in a single line and struck the shape above. The Keyhole-shape became as brilliant as it always did while it unlocked.

Once all the dazzling rays ceased, Sora gave a nod of comprehension. "Looks like it's time for us to go."

"Back to the King and Master Yen Sid?" Goofy inquired.

"Not yet," Sora replied. "Other worlds _still_ need our help."

He turned to Amemi, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo. They all nodded in turn. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all saluted. "Okay, let's get going," Sora decided as Jiminy hopped into his pocket with all the torn papers safely back in his journal.

"Wait," Myrna said as the group headed for the exit.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all turned their attention back to the young woman.

"What's up?" Sora inquired.

"I wanted to know something. Who's going to perform in the '_Christmas Celebration_'?"

"We are," Amemi said, pulling Sora in close. Sora gave a large grin, a little uncomfortable about being so close to his sister.

Myrna nodded. "Anyone else? I need to start the preparations now."

"I know!" Donald declared. He turned to Indigo. "Indigo and I will sing a song!"

Everyone else except Amemi and Indigo shook their heads. "That would be a terrible idea," Sora said. "Your voice has too much 'QUACK'."

Donald scowled. "_Hey_!"

Indigo took a deep breath. She approached Myrna. "I could try to sing for your event," she said.

"What song would you sing?" Myrna inquired, taking out a small notebook and pencil.

Indigo leapt into the air and hovered above everyone. "_Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o'er the plains_," she sang out. Her voice seemed to carry throughout the room in a sweet, gentle style. For a moment, it might have felt like there was a siren in the library. "_And the mountains in reply, echoing their joyous strains!_"

She extended her arms. "_Glor-or-or-or-ria! In Excelsis Deo! Glor-or-or-or-ria! In Excelsis De-eo!_"

Sora hastily held up his hands. "Okay, okay, we get the idea!"

Indigo landed super-gracefully back on the floor. "Well, how about '_Hark! The Herald Angels Sing_'? That is my favorite Holiday Song."

"Yeah!" Goofy agreed. "Yer singin' is really beautiful."

"Yeah!" Sora approved.

"Sure," Amemi smiled.

"Okay," Donald sighed in disappointment.

"And we'll do the instruments," Launchpad stated. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Amemi all turned to him in complete astonishment.

Sora had to rub his head. "Well, I guess I could try the keyboard. I had a few lessons…. "

"And they sounded terrible," Amemi indicated. "I'll do it with you."

"I could play thuh ge-tar!" Goofy proclaimed.

"And I'll hit the drums," Donald threw in. He nudged the knight. "That way, no one'll hear his terrible playing."

"What about if _I_ play the electrical guitar?" Launchpad offered. "Twice the sound, twice the crashing!"

Donald fell backwards onto the floor. Amemi helped the magician back to his webbed feet. Myrna had to giggle, even if it was just a little. "That's all the information I'll need," she informed them.

Aerith placed her arms behind her back and smiled. "I believe this year's '_Christmas Celebration_' will be the best ever."

Indigo politely curtseyed. "Thank you so very much!" she said. She turned to face Sora and the others. "I was not sure how good I was at singing. I used to practice on a stage in one of the worlds. Yet, that was a long time ago. I think everyone knew I was not a fairy, yet they were alright with my singing — and my storytelling."

She then turned to Amemi. "Now that I think about it, I once saw a fairy who looked similar to you, Amemi."

Amemi's eyes lit up in surprise. "Who was it?"

Indigo shrugged. "I never learned her name. Yet, her hair was the same color. She was busy writing down every word I said in the story. I wonder whatever became of her…. "

Amemi was bit perplexed. Had Indigo been to another world where fairies lived? She had never heard of such a place before. Maybe her brother knew about it. Either way, now was probably not the best time to inquire him about such.

Sora turned to his teammates. "Well, time to go!"

Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all nodded in return. Reno and Rude stepped aside, allowing the group to proceed out of the library and back to where _Herbie_ awaited in the town's market. They knew they would (sooner or later) return to the **Radiant Garden**. Until then, other worlds were _still_ calling.

* * *

They library now felt a little _too_ quiet. Reno and Rude returned to picking up the fallen books. Myrna remained looking at the doorway.

"They will be back, won't they?" the golden-haired girl inquired.

Aerith smiled brighter. "Yes, they will."

Myrna scooped up a book off the floor. She took one look at the cover and stared at it in surprise. The title sounded a little like the starting lines of a classic fairytale — "_**Once Upon A Time**_".

There was a series of footsteps coming from the second floor. Aerith and Myrna both shifted their gaze up. Reno and Rude did the same seconds after. Leaning over the railing was the girl from the Medical Wing. Her pale skin seemed to be a little darker in the shadows. Her short, reddish hair seemed to point downwards on either side of her head and the back was tied into a small ponytail. She had a pair of bobby-pins stuck in her right bang; they criss-crossed each other in the form of an "X". Her face was smoother than expected and her chin came to a point above her neck.

Now that she was awake, it was clear she had reddish-orange eyes. She was holding a small bag of ice to her head. Plus, she was still wearing the tannish patient uniform.

"What was all that racket?" she groaned, wincing at the pain on her head. "It woke me downstairs."

Aerith and Myrna both stared at one another. They smiled, relieved to know the unknown girl was alright.

* * *

The circular chamber with the rising water in the walls was rather quiet. Well, it would have been silent had Pete and one other not been watching a projection of Sora's team in the middle of the room. The six friends had just departed from the castle's library.

Pete snorted at the display and pounded his fists onto the floor. "I could've had 'em if they weren't so meddlin'-ish!"

The other figure shook his head. Pete knew who this guy was. He was a tall, slender man with dark-black hair and blue eyes and decked on in a nice, black suit. His constant glare always made Pete feel uncomfortable, which did not help since the man's left hand had been replaced with a metal claw.

The man snapped his claw shut, which only made Pete jump back a few inches. "I believe they're heading for Doc Terminus's world," he remarked. He turned to Pete. "It's time to let Maleficent know."

He headed out of the room. Pete remained behind. A feeling of relief washed over him, knowing that snapping claw was no longer around him.

A few minutes passed. That was when the Beagle Boys came strolling into the chamber. They looked quite surprised, almost like they had seen the impossible happen.

"What's with yer reactions?" Pete enquired.

"Maleficent was really calm," one of the taller Beagle Boys said.

"And she didn't punish Mortimer," the other tall Beagle Boy added.

"She gave him a second chance," the third and short Beagle Boy elaborated.

Pete snorted at the thought of Mortimer getting a second chance. Then again, he wondered what had spurred Maleficent — The "Mistress of All Evil" — to show mercy. He was not sure, only that it sounded out-of-character for her.

One thing was for certain. Such behaviors would be quite a rare sight. A rare sight, indeed.

* * *

Riku calmly strolled down the flights of stairs from Master Yen Sid's study. As he went around all the twists and turns, his mind went back to what Mickey had told him.

Apparently, the King had released Niccole from the dungeons underneath _**Hollow Bastion**_'s castle. Deep down, Riku knew the golden-haired girl cared about him. Ever since he had first seen her singing with those flowers, she had seemed to stick to him like peanut butter stuck to jelly on a sandwich. No matter how many times he had tried to let it all go, it kept coming back.

He wished her could hop into a time machine and change the past. Like in those movies about the scientist and his young friend from the 1980s. He wanted to make up for his mistakes.

However, like Xehanort's Heartless had told him, he knew he could not change the past. What was done was done. It was impossible to erase past events. The only thing he _could_ change was the future.

Maybe… maybe now was the time he needed to start. Perhaps he couldn't start over. Yet, that did not mean he couldn't try to fix things. He knew he could not ask Mickey for help. This was his problem and he needed to resolve it himself.

He reached the last turn and saw the first floor of the tower. There was Niccole, sitting on the last step, her eyes looking down at the book in her hand. Her golden ponytail was gone, replaced by flowing hair that seemed to reach down to the step behind her. As he took another step closer, Riku saw her green ribbon was absent. Either she had removed it, or….

…Or it had fallen out.

Riku took a deep breath, knowing now was as good a time as any to repair his relationship. He continued down the steps. As he proceeded, something caught his eye. There was a greenish ribbon lying on the step where he was just about to place his foot.

His eyes lit up. Niccole's ribbon. She had not removed it. Somehow, it must have slipped free. He scooped it up in his hand and slowly approached the young woman.

"Niccole?" he said.

Niccole turned her head and nearly leaped up when she saw Riku standing beside her. She gave a relieved sigh and closed the book in her lap. She put it to the side and held her right hand above where her heart was. "You startled me."

"Sorry," Riku said. He sat down on the step beside her. He stretched out his legs and turned his head to face the young woman. He held out his hand, revealing the ribbon. "Did you lose this?"

Niccole's eyes lit up. She quickly felt the back of her hair and nodded. "I didn't know it was gone!" she declared, her eyes growing wide in alarm.

Riku handed the green ribbon over. Niccole grabbed it and carefully tied it back in place. She gave a small smile. "Thank you, Riku."

Riku gave a nod in return. "What were you reading?"

Niccole showed him the book's cover. The title read, "_**Her Handsome Hero**_". "It's an interesting story," she explained. "It's all about this young man named Gideon who tries very hard to become a hero so he can…. "

Her voice trailed off. Riku found himself feeling curious. "'So he can' what?" he questioned.

Niccole took a deep breath. "…So he can prove himself for the woman he loves," she put the book aside and put her hands in her lap. A shy smile formed on her face. "I know, it sounds silly."

Riku shook his head. "Not at all. I once was the same way, always trying to prove I was strong for everyone back home. They looked up to me like I was their hero."

Niccole's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Really? You never told me this."

"It's not something I like to look back on. All those competitions with Sora were pointless. I never should have put him and Kairi through so much. I just wanted to prove I was strong — like the character from my favorite video game."

"You thought you were weak?"

"I don't know. I always wanted to stand out — become a hero. Like in those fairy tales. I wanted to be someone. My Dad was a good man, always working hard in his office. He spent his time making video games," Riku gazed at Niccole. "Including the one I played all the time."

Niccole put her hand against her lip. "I see. You wanted to be like your father."

Riku shook his head. He rose to his feet and took a few steps forward. "I didn't want to be a 'good' man," he admitted. He turned to face the golden-haired girl. "I wanted to be a '_great_' one. I wanted to be Prince Charming, Thomas Edison, and Walt Disney — _all_ in one!"

He looked down at the floor and gave another deep sigh. "But I failed. I'm no one's hero. I'm _not_ a 'good' person. I'm a victim of my own Darkness."

Niccole took a deep breath and rose to her feet. She approached the silver-haired youth and put her hand on his shoulder. "I know you have regrets," she said in a soft voice. She looked down. "I have some, too. I _really_ wish I could have done something to Hojo in the Organization's fortress, but I… I couldn't. I couldn't avenge my mother."

Riku looked up in surprise. "Wait! Are you saying that 'Hojo' guy did something to your Mom?"

Niccole removed her hand and turned away. "It's quite a long story," she admitted. "One that's too personal to say."

Riku kept his eyes locked onto the young woman. Niccole did not respond, let alone acknowledge that he was still there. For a moment, he wondered if she was alright. Then again, it sounded as though something tragic had happened to her mother.

* * *

Violet peeked in through the doorway. There was Riku standing a feet steps away from Niccole. The young woman's head was down and turned away from the angel's view. Riku gave a deep sigh and headed for the staircase.

Violet gave a deep sigh of her own. She turned away and let the door close. She let her legs give way and slid down the wooden doorway to the stone steps below. She sat there, not sure what to do. She tucked her arms and legs in. Her antennae started to droop, even though they were not soaked.

"I wish I never had traversed between them," she said to herself. "This is all _my_ culpability."

Violet looked up into the sky. She saw a few stars up above sparkling like diamonds. Two of them reminded her of Riku and Niccole. Another three seemed to take after Sora, Riku, and Kairi.

Three others seemed to group together rather closely. One was orange, the other two were green and blue. For some reason, the angel thought she sensed something intriguing about these three stars. A sensation of sorrow seemed to linger on them….

Violet gave a deep sigh. "Perhaps, I shall depart for the outlying spreads of the worlds, or perhaps I shall issue my resignation as a Keyblade Master," she tucked her head in. "Yet, I cannot decide which one to commence."

A small tear slid down her cheek. She pulled her wings around her. "What shall I do?"

* * *

In a far-flung world, a young man in a black-hooded coat was looking out across a vast plain. The grasslands below were greener than anything he had seen back home. All those flat-topped trees were so distinct, he could make them out from atop the tall mountain he was looking out from.

In the distance, the Sun started to rise. The man's reddish hair seemed to blend in with the rays of the morning's light. A slight wind picked up, slightly shifting his hair.

He reached out his arms and declared in a loud, clear voice,

"_Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess._

_We seek it thus, and take to the sky._

_Ripples form on the water's surface._

_The wandering soul knows no rest._"

Loud trumpeting sounds and roars were the only answers.

* * *

**A/N: THAT'S THAT! CHAPTER 38 IS COMPLETE AND FIVE MORE DISNEY-BASED WORLDS ARE AWAITING DOWN THE ROAD AHEAD!**

**I suppose you shall want a HINT, am I correct? Well, before I give it to you again, I would like to go over a few things.**  
**(1.) Donald's reminiscing over** "'_Gurgle-Up Soda_**'****", "'**_AJAX_**'****", and "'**_Junior Woodchucks_**'" were references to Classic Donald Duck Graphic Novels/Comics!**  
**(2.) Yes, I DID enjoy including the "'LIBRARY INCIDENT'"! It actually makes me think of Disney's "'_An Extremely Goofy Movie__ (2000)_'"!**  
**(3.) KEEP IN MIND ALL THOSE PIECES OF THAT TORN LETTER! IT MIGHT HAVE A LONGER ROLE IN THE STORY ARCS TO COME!**  
**(4.) Do you remember Villain's Vale from "'_Kingdom Hearts 2_'"? That was the fortress where Maleficent and Pete were for much of the story!**  
**(5.) As for Goofy's statement, "'**_Say, may-bee all them Heartless are super-duper ticklish!_**'", it was NOT in the original Storyline Summary! You have GOOFY to thank for that small interruption!  
(6.) Yes, I honestly DO believe Donald has a terrible singing voice. Listen to him in the Atlantica Musical in "'_Kingdom Hearts 2_'"!  
(7.) I cannot tell you specifically who the reddish-haired girl from the Medical Wing is. It would be a [SPOILER]! Plus, I gave some Hints as to where that character originated back at the end of Chapter 34!**

**Perhaps I should restate what I stated then:  
****I WILL Tell You All THIS MUCH! IF YOU WISH TO LEARN THE IDENTITY OF THAT CHARACTER NOW, LOOK UP THE ANIMATED SHOW ON NETFLIX!  
****Not enough information? Here are the show's initials: "GF"!**  
**STILL Not enough information?! Here is a HINT to help you figure it out!**  
**HINT: "SHE IS ONE OF FIVE GIRLS WHO TRY TO SAVE EARTH AND THE 'KINGDOM OF [FAIRYTALES]' FROM A GROUP OF DANGEROUS VILLAINS! THEIR MAIN GOAL IS TO BRING ABOUT HAPPY ENDINGS! THEY LIVE IN A REAL-LIFE FAIRY-TALE, AFTER ALL!"**  
**I HOPE THAT IS ENOUGH INFORMATION TO HELP YOU PINPOINT WHO THE CHARACTER IS AND WHERE SHE CAME FROM! I SHALL BE REVEALING ALL OF IT AT A LATER DATE - HOPEFULLY, SOMETIME IN 2017!**

* * *

**~_KINGDOM HEARTS - SEASON OF LIGHT_~**

**(8.) I know I included some references to the ABC Show, "'_ONCE UPON A TIME_'" in there!  
(9.) Yes, yes! Riku DID mention Walt Disney! Someone once told me it would most-likely be impossible for Sora, Riku, Kairi, King Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy to be aware of Walt Disney since they are fictional characters. Still, I have the feeling that, if Sora and the others know the names of the worlds they have visited, and there IS world called "'_DISNEY CASTLE/DISNEY TOWN_'", perhaps SOMEONE is aware of Walt Disney? Imagine if everyone knew about Tetsuya Nomura, too! Then again... I think that is Enough for now!  
(10.) I nearly wanted to cry when I read back over the scene with Violet. The fact she is blaming herself for what happened between Riku and Niccole made me feel sorry for her. Technically, it was not her fault (I'm sure you have noticed this). Yet, that does not mean she has accepted such. For the record, I am only pointing this out for those of you who decided to read the Author's Notes first.  
(11.) Try To Guess Where The Last Scene Takes Place - The One With The Man In Black! HINT: "'It's The African Savanna!'"**

**With all that done and taken care of, it is time to Renew the ****"'RIDDLE HINT'" for the next, upcoming Disney-based world featured in THIS Story!  
****HINT:**** "SORA AND HIS TEAM VENTURE TO A FAR-FLUNG COASTAL TOWN WHERE RUMOR HAS IT THERE IS A MYTHICAL CREATURE RUNNING AMOK! ONLY THE LOCAL L.H. KEEPER MIGHT KNOW THE TRUTH! MYTH AND TRUTH EXIST SIDE BY SIDE, ALONG WITH A CANDLE ON THE WATER! ****A SECRET TO AMEMI'S STORY IS YET TO COME TO LIFE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS MORE LIKELY TO COME TO LIGHT!"  
IF You Believe You Know What World Is Up Next, Please Post Your Answers In The REVIEWS Section For THIS CHAPTER!**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!" In Addition, "Fly With You All Later!"**


	39. Ch39 - 'Candle On The Water'

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: HEY THERE! HI THERE! HO THERE! YOU'RE AS WELCOME AS CAN BE! K-I-N-G-D-O-M H-E-A-R-T-S! KINGDOM HEARTS!**

**So, Chapter 39 has officially arrived!**  
**Yet, before I let you go loose today/tonight, I wanted to go over a few things.**

**It is official - "'_Once Upon A Time ~The Darkest Age~_'" has been cancelled. This is due to the lack of popularity, shown through its lack of views and reviews alike. As it is, I actually started that story since my Mom is a huge fan of the show. I have nicknamed it "Her Kingdom Hearts" since it has similarities to the KH Series.**

**Plus, I wanted to inform you that the Theme Song for "'_Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_****'" is ****the classic, "'_SIMPLE AND CLEAN_'" by Utada Hikaru! This would be true, given This Story was one of the games in the official "'_Kingdom Hearts_'" Series!**

**Anyways, I also wanted to go over this stuff. Why? Well, This Chapter starts off ACT IV of "'_Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_'"! There are going to be a total of FIVE ACT(S) by the time This Story is completed. I Hope that shall be by Late 2018!**

**So, like with some of the earlier chapters, I want to go over a few things about Sora's team to help you focus on their characters in This Story.**  
**Of course, most of this might seem like duplicate(s) from before. Still, there are some notable differences. I might even do this one last time - at another Later Chapter, too.**

**SORA SKY HIKARI \- Age 17. The Keyblade wielder credited with saving the worlds on more than one occasion. He is a little naïve, but still possesses a strong sense of justice. He is very protective of his sister, Amemi. Once again, Sora is determined to keep the worlds from permanently falling to Darkness, even if it means taking down Maleficent and her entire Council along the way. He seems to be struggling to keep his cool lately, which seems to creating a slight rift in his team.**

**AMEMI HIKARI \- Age 14. Sora's younger sister. She wields a slingshot. She is typically happy-go-lucky and enjoys spending time with her brother, although this is not always the case. She tries to encourage others to do the right thing, but doesn't always succeed. She wishes to see other worlds and is excited about exploring the unknown. Sora calls her "Amy" for short, even though she would rather be referred to by her real name. She also is a huge fan of "_WordGirl_", whom she wishes to meet someday. Despite knowing her brother all too well, she questions Sora's actions from time to time.**

**DONALD DUCK \- Age Unknown. The Royal Court Magician of Disney Castle. He means well, but can be greedy and a little self-centered. He is easily irritated by random stuff, which can cause conflict with Goofy and Launchpad. He fights with a magical wand. He has a VERY bad temper, and he has taken his anger out on others - besides the Heartless. His impatience with just about anything has been adding to the drama the group is going through to date. All he _really_ wants to do is lay back in his hammock and sleep.**

**GOOFY \- Age Unknown. The Captain of The Royal Knights of Disney Castle. He dislikes weapons and wields a shield. He is very clumsy and easily mispronounces words. Yet, he also notices things others miss. He can be smart and tends to reassure others. His intelligence is not always plain to see, yet it is known he has graduated from college. He deeply cares about Sora and is concerned about his friend's occasional display of Darkness.**

**LAUNCHPAD MCQUACK \- Age Unknown. The Leader of The Disney Royal Air Force of Disney Castle. He is absent-minded and clumsy. He LOVES to crash things. Despite such setbacks, he cares about others and does his best to help. He is friendly and sometimes carefree. He LOVES to give the same introduction over and over and over again. Every once in a while, he mentions something no one else knows about, causing them to wonder if his mind is in their world or another one.**

**INDIGO \- Age Unknown. The Angel OF Hope. She is Violet's sister, even though their personalities are nearly opposites. She can be shy and anxious. Deep down, she is friendly and cares about others. She gets excited and easily gets her hopes up. She is determined to put a stop to the threat of Darkness in the worlds. She is questioning about the fate of her other sister, Teal, whose fate still remains unknown.**

**With all THAT aside, perhaps I have one more thing to state.**

**Last weekend, an actress from the Classic Show, "'_Happy Days_'" passed away. You know who it was?**  
**Erin Moran (October 18TH, 1960 TO April 22ND, 2017; AGE 56) - She is best known for her role as Joanie Cunningham on "'_HAPPY DAYS_'" and its spin-off, "'_Joanie Loves Chachi_'".**  
**REST. IN. PEACE. ERIN MARIE MORAN-FLEISCHMANN -(GIVES SEVERAL MINUTES OF SILENCE)-**

**So, would you Still like to read ahead? After all, This Chapter introduces the next Disney-based world in This Story!**  
**So Then, PLEASE READ ON TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! PLEASE REVIEW, TOO! PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 39  
****"****Candle On The Water****"**

_Herbie_ proceeded through space at a steady pace. Even with Launchpad at the controls, the ride was much smoother than it had ever been beforehand.

In the backseats, Amemi was showing Goofy an episode of "_**WordGirl**_", although it was at a much softer volume. Ever since the enormous outburst of sound that had flooded the Gummi Ship previously, Sora and Amemi had made a deal. She could continue to watch the show, only she had to make it _**much**_, _much_, much softer. He reminded her how listening to loud sounds for long periods of time was bad and could cause hearing loss.

The two were softly cheering on the characters in the show, much to Donald's chagrin. The duck had ended up sitting the back on the far right side, next to the window. While Amemi and Goofy sat in the middle and left seats respectively, the duck magician was shaking his head slowly and drumming his fingers against the door's handle. He had a scowl on his face and was muttering lots of extensive lists containing illegible garbled words.

Indigo was seated in the front, middle seat. She was busy looking at a book she had found in a small compartment. The cover was read and had been decorated like the inside of a fairytale world. The title of the book was written in large print,

_**THE STORYBOOK OF LEGENDS**_

Despite all this happening around him, Sora barely noticed. His mind was on other things. He had taken out the four torn parchments of paper they had collected. For some reason, he had the sensation there was something important all these scattered pieces were telling him.

"What does it mean?" he asked at last.

In less than the amount of time it takes someone to blink their eyes, Indigo closed the book in her hand, Amemi and Goofy paused the show, Donald jolted upright, and Launchpad turned his head. All eyes were now trained onto the spikey, brown-headed youth.

Sora only had to turn his head a few degrees to see this was so. "What is it?"

"What does what mean?" Donald inquired.

"You was readin' somethin'," Goofy indicated, pointing to the pieces of torn paper.

Donald slapped the knight's hand. "It's _**not**_ polite to point! _Remember_?!"

"But I ain't pointin' at nobody."

Amemi nudged the mage. "He's right. He wasn't."

Donald plopped down in his seat and crossed his arms. He scowled all the more. "Aw phooey!"

With a roll of his eyes, Sora held up the latter scraps. "It's these things," he informed the others. "Remember? Master Yen Sid asked us to find them."

Indigo snatched one of the scraps and held in closely in her hands. Her eyes moved speedily across the handwritten text. She looked puzzled. "I see what you mean. What _does_ this stuff mean?"

"I know what WordGirl would say," Amemi spoke up, raising her hand into the air as in announcing something. "She would suggest reading everything we have and see where it leads to."

Sora gave a nod. He had the feeling his sister was correct. He took back the paper from Indigo and organized the scraps into the order in which they had found them. He cleared his throat and started to read,

"_I am not where I used to stay._

_Yet, I am not where I need to be._

_My current location is secret, by the way,_

_In a place where no one can find me._

"_I can sense trouble is on the way,_

_Even in this world's spooky streets._

_I should be safe, that much I can certainly say,_

_For here, the Light and Darkness peacefully meets._

"_This land is one I'd only heard about,_

_One that probably shouldn't exist today._

_Their memories are gone and no one stays out,_

_Even time itself seems to have stopped, no delay._"

"Gawrsh," Goofy murmured aloud. "That there place sure sounds spooky. I bet the people livin' there are spooky, too."

Donald put his finger to the knight's face. "Shh!"

Sora ignored the two and continued to the next piece,

"_Her son is a boy, one about age ten,_

_He seems really nice._

_He claims everyone is from another land quite often,_

_And that all magic comes with a price._"

Amemi seemed puzzled. "Is that statement true? Does all magic _really_ come with a price?"

"Yeah," Donald grumbled, his hand leaned against the side of his face. His body was slouched in his seat. He was scowling, his eyes trained to the ceiling. "Stupid MP…. "

Sora decided not to ponder too deep here and proceeded to the next paper scrap,

"_Almost like he's very lonely._

"_The town has a sheriff, of course it would have to,_

_But this one is a bit strange._

_When I talk with him, he seems to lack something — unlike me and you,_

_Sometimes I wonder what's out on his range._"

"Heh," Launchpad chuckled from the front. "That makes more sense than DW's daughter's behavior."

"Ya mean Gosalyn?" Goofy inquired. Launchpad nodded.

Sora and Amemi were equally puzzled. "What does that have to do with this?" Sora asked.

The knight shrugged. "I dunno."

Sora sighed. Although he knew it was typically of Goofy and Launchpad to get off track so easily, it was now starting to become more of an annoyance. So far, he had somehow managed to keep the peace between the two and Donald. He had good reason to. After the group had departed from the _**Radiant Garden**_ for the first time, Donald had chosen not to fight alongside the knight or pilot anymore. After their journey to Atlantis, Donald had seemed to be a little nicer to Goofy. This had continued to show up following the crash-landing into Pocahontas's world. The duck magician had even allowed Goofy to help repair the Gummi Ship while Sora himself and Launchpad had left to get help.

Of course, none of them could have imagined they would end up swept into a major conflict between a native tribe and some foreign settlers. It was just one of those things that came with the job of trying to protect the worlds from the Heartless. Three times now had worlds nearly been lost to the Darkness under their watch. First was _**Jamestowne**_, where a war had almost torn the land apart. Next had been _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_, in which the now-late Judge Claude Frollo had tried to use the Heartless to eradicate an entire group of people and conquer the world for Maleficent. After that, _**Middleton**_ had just about ended up in the hands of Drakken, Pete, and Don Karnage when the three evildoers had used a combination of the Heartless and gigantic robots to attack the world's cities.

Deep, deep down, he doubted this was the end of the worlds-almost-being-lost-to-the-Darkness scenario. In fact, it seemed there was still a long way to go before this quest was over. He sighed, sure this meant he would be home by the Winter Solstice.

He turned to the next torn paper scrap and read it aloud,

"_I nearly ran into a nun last night,_

_She seemed very nervous and rather clumsy and she slammed into me._

_When I helped her pick up the bag of supplies she'd dropped, I saw a bright Light,_

_I wonder… is she trying to be someone she wasn't meant to be?_

_I encountered two kids earlier, one girl and one boy,_

_I could sense they were brother and sister, even as they continued to roam._

_They looked lost, worried, and with no hope to deploy,_

_Should I have helped them find their way home?_

"_Two others stick out,_

_They both have important roles, I should state_."

Sora put the papers away. "That's all we have. Four pieces and no clues as to what it means."

Indigo paused in thought. "Maybe we are supposed to find the rest of them," she suggested. "Let's keep our eyes out for more."

Sora stared at the angel. Had she just read his mind? Was that another special power angels had that she hadn't told him about? Probably… not. He just nodded. "Yeah!"

"Speaking of places to go," Launchpad pointed directly through the windshield. Well, not literally _through_ the front window of the cockpit. "There's another world up ahead."

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Amemi, and Indigo all swerved their focus to the front of the vehicle. A bright star lay directly in their path. Sora felt a strange sensation. He wondered if this world was trying to communicate with him. Was that even possible? The sign at the high school in _**Middleton**_ had seemed to do so.

"Let's teleport down," he decided.

* * *

The forest seemed to be much less dense than in the world of native tribes and foreign settlers. Sora looked around, noting the clear, blue sky. A nearby creek flowed past so smoothly, the six could make out their reflections in it. Nothing looked like it did in most other worlds. The shadows looked more realistic than in any of the other places they had visited on this quest. The only other time Sora knew he, Donald, and Goofy had been to such a place was when they had arrived at the fortress in _**Port Royal**_.

Indigo knelt down and reached her hand into the brook. She held up a handful of fresh water. She smiled, turning to face Amemi. The sandy-haired teenager was smiling back, her shiny blue eyes glittering a little. The angel turned her attention back to the creek. The sounds of some soft bird chirping from the nearby trees filled the air.

"It is so peaceful here," Indigo reflected. Her antennae remained fixed onto the surrounding foliage. Her wings started to swing back and forth with excitement, creating a miniature breeze. "There is Light all around us."

"Yes, there is," Amemi nodded. She continued to look at her reflection in the water. Her sandy hair seemed a little off to her, so she reached into her jacket's pocket and took out a small, yellow hairbrush. She started to brush her hair, using the water as a natural mirror.

"Hmm," Sora thought aloud, crossing his arms. "This place sure is different."

Donald gave a nod of approval. "Yeah."

Goofy looked all around. "Say, where's Launchpad?"

The group looked around. To their surprise, there was no indication of the duck-pilot in the current vicinity. Sora sighed, knowing what this meant. A search party or two or three.

"C'mon," the brown-haired Keyblade wielder signaled the others. "He couldn't have gotten far."

Donald pounded his fist. "This is the _last_ straw — _again_!"

Sora started into the nearby woods with Donald and Goofy directly behind him. Amemi saw the others leaving and quickly rose to her feet. "Wait up!" she called.

The nearly-fourteen-year-old girl started to run after them. She halted and turned back. Indigo was still focused on the creek's ecosystem. The angel was lying on her stomach, watching a few butterflies flying by. A bird or two flew overhead. She was smiling so much, it seemed she was mesmerized by the riverside.

Knowing she could not join the others without Indigo, Amemi raced back over and tapped the angel on the shoulder. The angel turned her head to her. "Let's go," the sandy-headed teen declared. "We need to find Launchpad."

Indigo swiftly clambered to her feet. "So sorry," she apologized, placing her left hand to her head. "I do not know what took place. It felt like there was a hypnotist swinging a yo-yo in front of my eyes."

Amemi had to smile. Although she had not known the angel for very long, she could already detect numerous differences between Indigo and the only other angel she had met, Violet. True, she _did_ know Violet and Indigo were sisters. Still, that did not stop her from wondering why the pair were so different. Other than having similar appearances and being angels, Violet and Indigo were more like counterparts.

Violet was a serious, sometimes strict lady with an extensive vocabulary. Amemi sometimes thought she talked like WordGirl. On October 31ST, she had asked Violet if she knew about the superheroine. When Violet had shook her head and inquired what she meant, the sandy-haired girl and gestured to her costume, which happened to have the same design as her favorite animated character. Since Violet had never heard of such a character, Amemi had then proceeded to show her an episode of the show.

She still wondered if the angel had enjoyed it.

Indigo, on the other hand, was clearly a shyer, easily-excited girl with a strong sense of innocence. In fact, she seemed a lot more fun than Violet was. She remembered how enthusiastic the angel had gotten when Sora had allowed her to join their team. Indigo had flipped through the air and cheered. That two-part story Indigo had told had left Amemi wondering what was going to happen next.

Since Indigo had clearly been to a lot more places than Violet, perhaps _she_ had met WordGirl instead. Of course, she would have to wait until the group returned to _Herbie_ before she could show the angel any of the show's episodes.

The two proceeded along the stream's bank. They caught up with Sora, Donald, and Goofy just on the outside of a small cluster of disorganized apple trees. Amemi stared at the trees. Somehow, this foliage felt familiar. Yet, how was that possible. She had never left her island home, at least not since that fateful night when the Heartless had invaded it.

She hastily shook it aside. "Did you find him?" she asked her brother.

Sora shook his head. "We don't know where he is."

"It's like lookin' for a needle in a haystack," Goofy muttered, leaning against a pile of fallen leaves. He stumbled over and crashed into the stack. Leaves flew everywhere, making quite the greenish mess.

Donald crossed his arms and started to tap his foot. "That's what you get for being clumsy, ya big palooka!"

Indigo's antennae started to twitch. She gasped, seemingly sensed something. "I know where Launchpad is," she declared.

Everyone looked at her. "How do you know?" Sora inquired.

"I sense his Light," Indigo turned and pointed to a long, paved road on the other side of the tree line. "He is standing by a sign along this road."

Sora had the feeling the angel was pointing them into the correct direction. Since she was apparently one of the so-called "Angels of Light", perhaps she could detect Light much easier than he could. And if what Goofy had told him before about Xehanort possibly implanting Darkness into him, he might not be able to trace Light back to its source as easily as he used to. Unless his Keyblade was the reason why he could before.

He started into the direction the angel was pointing. The others quickly followed him through the clump of apple trees and to the road. They turned right and looked down the road. Up ahead was a point where the road split off into a fork. Two roads continued from there. The one on the right led down a sloping cliffside. The other veered off into the distance through some gentle hills and past a few groves of trees.

In the middle of the fork was the unmistakable form of Launchpad. The pilot was staring at a wooden signpost beside a wooden fence that had been constructed along the northern side of the roads. He had a puzzled look on his face and was rubbing his head with his right hand.

"Launchpad!" Donald scolded as the group hurried over. "You shouldn't take off like that!"

Launchpad turned his attention to them. He shrugged and grinned. "Heh, heh! I thought I smelled something delicious."

He sniffed the air. "And I still do."

Sora took a deep breath of air. The not-too-distant scent of seawater filled his nostrils. He knew it anywhere. It was no different than what he smelled back home from anyplace on the islands. Sora knew what this meant. They were near the shore. If only he could hear the sound of the waves from here….

"All I smell is the ocean," Amemi said. Her eyes widened and she nearly jumped back. "The _ocean_?!"

Goofy strode up to the sign. He used his finger as a pointer, trying to make sense of the somewhat-worn text on it. "'Passy-muh-quack-hoody'," he read in his usual, Goofy-style. He chuckled. "A-Hyuck! Passamaquoddy!"

Everyone (except Launchpad) stared at the knight. Goofy turned around to see their reactions. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Did you just read that sign right?" Amemi inquired.

Donald shook his head rapidly. "_**No way**_! He _**couldn't**_ have read it right! He _**can't**_ read!"

"Yes I can," Goofy argued. "I attended college for three years, got my dee-ploma, and went back later ta get me that there college degree."

He looked up into the sky. He put his hands together and leaned his head against them, an enormous grin forming on his face. "And I met muh sweetheart, Sylvia, too."

Indigo had to smile. "I never pictured you with a girlfriend," she admitted. "You always sound like someone who would drive all your friends up a wall through the roof into outer space."

"And he has," Donald grumbled.

Sora had to roll his eyes at the duck's statement. He shifted his head to the right. Down the road to the right was a rather large town. From the looks of it, it was built along the coast. No wonder he could pick up the scent of the sea from up here! It was not too far away.

He turned to the others. "Hey, wanna check out that town?" he asked, gesturing to the not-too-far town.

"Yeah," Goofy nodded.

"Me, too!" Launchpad declared. "And I'm not two years old!"

Donald smacked himself in the face. "Fine!"

Indigo strolled up to Sora. "Is that what your heart is telling us to do?" she asked. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Or is there another reason why you want to explore this world?"

"The first one," Sora hastily pointed out. He gestured for everyone to follow. "C'mon!"

He took off down the road. Goofy and Launchpad were moments behind. Next was Donald. As Indigo started to follow suit, her antennae sensed something off. She looked back. Amemi was staring at the sign. She was glued in place, almost like she was in complete shock about something or other.

Indigo walked over. "Amemi? Are you coming?"

Amemi immediately jerked back to attention. "Huh?"

Indigo pointed down the road. Sora, Goofy, Launchpad, and Donald were already several meters ahead of them and approaching the top of the sloping cliffside.

Amemi nodded. "Yes. Let's go."

The sandy-haired girl took off running after her brother. Indigo stared at her, still wondering what had happened. Had something strange hit the nearly fourteen-year-old teenager? Was there something "special" about this place to her?

She shrugged it all aside. There was no point in letting her mind dwell on such things — especially if it might only cause problems later. She had learned that the hard way a long time ago.

She would not repeat the same mistake twice.

She hurried after the others. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo had arrived in **Coastal Town**.

* * *

The paved road led a long way down the cliffside. It winded a little here and there, making for a bit twisty of a road. In fact, it seemed to zigzag its way along. Sora knew why. The cliffs were still steep enough to make it too dangerous to travel straight down the slope. He almost lost his footing at one point, nearly tumbling down the hill.

It was steeper than the infamous Madison Hill. Even so, he had heard there was a steam engine that had successfully pushed full railway cars up that hill. If a train had pulled cars up the hill, some of them could have broken free and rolled the tracks. They could have run off the rails and crashed into the river below.

Fortunately, there was no indication of a river down there. Just a rather large town on the somewhat rocky coastline. A number of long, wooden docks lined the seaside, revealing the town was probably home primarily to fishermen and their families. He saw the steeple of a church rising above much of the community, with an older-style schoolhouse situated near it.

When he looked up to the north, Sora saw a tall, white lighthouse towering on a cliff overlooking the ocean. He wondered what kind of world this was. It almost looked as though they had landed in the state of Maine, USA.

At last, the road smoothed and straightened out. An apple orchard lay to their left as they proceeded down lower and lower.

_**MUNCH! MUNCH!**_ Sora nearly stopped to look back. Instead, he looked over his shoulder. Goofy had plucked a red, juicy apple from a tree's overhanging branch and was eating away at it. He rolled his eyes and continued down the road.

Something small bonked him on the head. He rubbed it before looking down at the road. To his surprise, a little trinket had seemingly fallen from an apple tree. It was in the shape of a law enforcement's badge with a blue-and-black color scheme. The letters "_**ZPD**_" were marked across it. On the other side was a thick, orange carrot. The item glistened in the sunlight above.

Sora's eyes widened. Had he just received another "Summon" (as Merlin tended to call them)? He shrugged and put the item away in his pocket.

The group strolled into the town. One look at the architecture, and Sora thought it looked like something straight out of a town from the early 20TH Century. The building's shape and style reminded him of some older houses back home — the ones where some of the island's oldest residents lived. Many of them had white trim and matching walls. The roofs for most of them were either black, grey, or gray. His mind stopped. Had he just thought the same thing twice?

Shoving the unnecessary contemplation aside, the brown-haired youth continued to lead his companions down the road. Only now, the pavement had stopped short. Below them was a dirt roadway with some sand and gravel in places.

As they strolled down the street, Goofy grabbed a stick and started running down the length of a fence. "A-Hyuck!" he chuckled to himself.

The team was several steps away before the fence suddenly collapsed onto the ground. The owner of the house saw their fence crumble and stared into the street. Sora's team then continued past a section of sidewalk where some workmen were adding additional concrete squares. Launchpad was not watching where he was going and casually stepped into the wet cement. Three workmen stared at him in complete surprise.

Before long, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo arrived in the town's square. People were milling about calmly. It seemed everybody was busy doing their own thing. Dockworkers were loading and unloading fishing boats. Fishermen were gathering their supplies and preparing to sail set. A carpenter passed the six as he carried a few large boards down the street, turning just slightly to notice their presence.

"What a weird town," Sora muttered. The local citizens' distant attitude reminded him of how everyone had been when he had first arrived in _**Traverse Town**_. Until the Heartless had appeared in the middle of the First District, Sora had been ignored by almost everyone.

Only a young woman about ten years older than him had taken notice. He remembered her quite vividly. She had possessed long, blonde hair, a flaming-red evening dress, and long, scarlet fingernails. Her hair had been so long, it had shrouded out her eyes. He also recalled her holding some kind of long, cigarette-like thingy. When she had offered to show him around, Sora had refused. That was when the Heartless had attacked her and stolen her heart. He was still unsure as to what had become of her. All he did know was that had been when he had dashed into the Accessory Shop to hide and first met the pilot, Cid Highwind. Everything after that had just gone from there.

This place was no different.

The group strolled by a large, red building. Sora knew it was not a fire station. There was no brass bell on the roof, not to mention no type of fire engine present. Rather, it resembled the town hall back on the islands. A small flight of white steps led up to the front of the building.

As Sora led his teammates past, Goofy turned his head to a few people coming out of the town hall. One of them was a tall, older man with graying hair and wearing a nice, brownish suit with a red tie and tannish hat. He had a cigar in his mouth and was talking to some other older men who, as it just so happened, were also decked out in nice business suits.

"Gentlemen, I propose to say," the man with the cigar declared. "Passamaquoddy's a beautiful community… where the Sun always rises and the Sun always sets."

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy chuckled, pointing at the first man. "Snazzy!"

Sora turned his head to see what the knight was referring to. He stopped short, now having a feeling the man looked familiar. He had stopped so suddenly, Donald and Launchpad banged into him. Amemi was next, followed by Indigo. Goofy whirled his head around in time to see the group lying on the ground in a pile. "Gawrsh," was all he could say.

A passing man stumbled over the anthropomorphic dog's big, armor-plated shoes. He lost his balance, causing the stack of egg crates in his hands to lean each and every way.

"It's a place of serenity and security, where the unexpected never happens," the man in the tannish hat added as he reached the bottom of the white steps.

The man with the egg crates struggled to regain control of his wares, only to have them tip farther and farther. He was so focused on keeping them upright, he failed to see where he was heading. He crashed straight into the man on the steps, splattering eggs all over the place.

"You, you absolute oaf," the man with the cigar scolded, tossing the toppled egg crates aside. "You, you idiot!"

"Look," the egg-man stated. He pointed at Goofy. "It was _him_ who tripped me."

By the time Sora, Donald, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo had risen back to their feet, a group of people were gathering around them and Goofy alike. Another man came running over and pointed straight at Launchpad. "He walked through my cement with his big feet," the man accused.

That was when Sora noticed the pilot's brownish feet were covered in hardening cement. It was not long before Donald grabbed Launchpad's scarf and started to scold him, again.

The man with the tannish hat and now-egg-messy brownish suit came marching up to the six. He removed the cigar from his mouth, yoke dripping from the end of it. "We-Well, which one is this person?"

Sora stared at the man in surprise. No wonder he thought this guy seemed familiar. He looked just like an older version of the millionaire from that classic show he used to watch all the time. The one about those seven people who got shipwrecked on the deserted island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. He wondered how this was possible.

The two men from before pointed at Goofy and Launchpad respectfully. "There they are!"

The man in the tannish hat placed the cigar back in his mouth. "Well, detain them. Detain them."

Sora sighed. "Look, we don't want any trouble," he said, trying to smile at the unforeseen accidents. "We're just passing through, and…. "

"And we're friends of the lighthouse keeper," Amemi blurted.

Several the people started to laugh. The man in the tannish hat held out his hands. He approached the group and extended his hand. Sora took it. The two shook hands. "I apologize for the rash assumptions," he said. "I'm the mayor of Passamaquoddy, Mayor Thurston Howell, II."

"Gawrsh," Goofy said. "Do ya know Thurston Howell, III? He's a mill-lee-on-air!"

"My son?" the Mayor asked. "I haven't heard from him in years. He and his wife went out on a little sight-seeing cruise and they never came back. Everyone believes the small boat went down in the storm."

Goofy stared in astonishment. "A-Hyuck!"

"Oh, please!" someone in the crowd scoffed. "Those guys probably never saw the dragon anyway."

Sora's ears perked up. "Huh?" he said in surprise.

Mayor Howell chuckled. "It's another one of those practical jokes," he assured them. "Lampy's been talking about a dragon for the second time since I was re-elected."

Donald scowled. "That isn't funny."

The crowd of people dispersed. The egg-man started to gather up what was left of his prize-winning eggs. He continued to scowl towards Goofy while he left with the now-empty crates of dozens of eggshells.

Judging by the looks on everyone's faces, Sora wondered what this whole "dragon" thing was all about. Whoever this "Lampy" was, they probably had not seen such a mythological creature as a dragon. Maybe it had been a wandering Heartless.

His mind stopped short. A Heartless? Maybe a Heartless dragon? Recollecting all the times the Heartless had caused trouble on this quest, he had the feeling this was no dissimilar. In fact, he had already encountered one major Heartless on this quest so far — the Wargoyle Heartless Frollo, Pete, and the Beagle Boys had been controlling. Perhaps another member of _Maleficent's Council_ was manipulating a Heartless dragon somewhere in this world. Hopefully, that was not the case.

Still, he wanted to check to be certain.

He glanced at his companions. Donald's eyes were rolling around. Launchpad and Goofy were exchanging looks of puzzlement and shrugging. Indigo had a nervous look on her face; her arms were tucked in, her wings were moving slowly, and her antennae were moving around at a steady pace like a security camera trying to search for possible intruders.

That was when Sora saw Amemi. Her eyes were wide and alert and her mouth was open. Her reaction reminded him of Riku when he, Riku, and Violet had first arrived in the then-Sleeping World of _**Camelot**_. It had turned out, Riku had recognized the world because he had been there during his time with Maleficent, and he had witnessed the world being attacked by the Heartless and lost to the Darkness. He wondered if his sister thought there was something déjà vu about this place.

He turned his attention back to the Mayor. "Where has this 'dragon' been seen?" he questioned.

"You will have to see Lampy about that," Mayor Howell replied. "He's the local lighthouse keeper. Now, I have a council board meeting to attend."

The Mayor headed back into the town hall. Sora and his friends stood outside, a tiny bit of shock still rushing through them. Sora shook it off, knowing that if there _**was**_ a Heartless dragon running loose here, he needed to eradicate it with his Keyblade before Maleficent and the others aligned with her could use it for their own dark purposes.

The brown, spikey-haired youth turned to the others and signaled for them to follow. "C'mon," he instructed. "Let's go see this guy, Lampy."

Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo were directly behind him. It took a few moments before Amemi joined them. As she hurried to catch up, the sandy-haired girl closed the small, golden locket in her hand and put it back in her green purse. Since Goofy had recovered the item from inside _Herbie_'s trunk, she had made certain no one could take it from here again. From now on, she would keep her purse strapped around her shoulders. And she did.

* * *

The Sun was starting to set by the time Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo all arrived at a lonely lighthouse on the outskirts of town. The older building was located on a high, rocky point overlooking the ocean. Its white paint was peeling away, leaving small areas of wood colorless. The top of the lighthouse contained the signature beacon with a blood-red landing extending around it. The peaked roof was also a blood-red color. Beside the towering structure was a small house with a faded blue color. A few lights were shining from the inside of the house.

Sora instantly recognized the spot. He had seen it from a distance while observing the town from the wild apple orchards. Only now that he was looking at it up close, he also took note of the number above the front doorway for the lighthouse. He wondered if there was any significance about that number.

Goofy and Launchpad casually walked over to an enormous contraption that was shaped like a giant megaphone. Sora knew what it was, mainly since he had seen it at the old lighthouses back home on the islands. It was an old-fashioned foghorn.

He strode over to the front door and raised his fist to knock on the wooden entrance. He paused, catching a glimpse of Amemi hiding behind Indigo. He turned towards his sister. "Hey, what is it?" he asked.

Amemi poked her head out over the angel's shoulder. She looked a little nervous. Sora felt his eyes narrowing in suspicion. It was not like the sandy-haired girl to behave so uncomfortably in a place by the sea. She had always loved exploring lighthouses, even if they were empty now. Once, she had spent twenty long minutes asking their Mom many questions about how such a place would have worked.

Yet, here she was, acting almost terrified of the building. He started to wonder what had gotten into her. His mind jumped back to when Amemi had said something about a dream involving a lighthouse. Since there were no functioning lighthouses anymore on the _**Destiny Islands**_, he started to question if this particular lighthouse before them had been the one from her dream.

Had she had some type of vision? That would not surprise him, considering he might have had some of his own here and there. One such case had been when Kairi's heart had seemingly contacted him while he was waiting in _**Traverse Town**_ with Donald and Goofy; Cid had been working on the Gummi Ship, adding the newest Navigation-Gummi to it.

Now he was curious as to why his own sister would be having visions.

He shrugged it aside and rapped on the door loud enough for anyone inside to hear. After a few minutes, the door opened. A young woman answered. She was a slender individual with curly, long, brown hair that was kept in a ponytail. She was wearing the style of clothing Sora expected from someone living in the 1920s. Or was it the 1900s? He was still unsure.

"What are you doing here?" the woman asked.

"We're looking for the lighthouse keeper," Sora explained. "The mayor told us he knows something about this 'dragon' everyone's talking about."

"And I _still_ say it's a Heartless," Donald stated.

Goofy and Launchpad strolled back over to the others. They stopped when they saw the woman

The woman gazed at the six a little more closely. Sora had the feeling she was (possibly) considering Launchpad and Donald's duck-like appearances, Goofy's dog-ish likeness, and Indigo's similarity to a butterfly's design. "You're not from Passamaquoddy, are you?" she said at last.

Sora shook his head. "No. We're… from someplace far, far away."

"You mean you're traveling?"

"Yeah! That's it!"

"Where are you parents?" the woman looked over the group. Sora had the feeling she had noticed he was not eighteen years old, yet. "Where are you saying?"

Silence followed. The woman looked a little more concerned. "What are you names?"

"Sora," Sora introduced.

"Donald," Donald waved.

"Name's Goofy," Goofy grinned.

Launchpad strode forward. "The name's Launchpad McQuack! If it's got wings, I can _crash_ it!"

Donald grumbled under his breath at hearing the pilot's introduction, again.

"My name is Indigo," Indigo said, a shy smile showing on her face. Her antennae slouched a little and her hands hovered above her chest. Her wings moved very steadily as though on a steady beat.

Sora gestured to the sandy-haired teenager behind the angel. "And that's my sister, Amy."

"Amemi," Amemi spoke up, stepping away from Indigo. "'Amy' is my nickname."

The woman seemed to nod into the direction of Amemi. "I'm Nora," she said. "And I have to get back on watch, up in the lighthouse. There's chowder on the stove, if you'd like some."

"Yum!" Goofy licked his lips.

Nora smiled. "You can finish that chowder… if you'd like."

"Yes, ma'am!" Launchpad declared with delight.

Sora shrugged and gave a nod of his own. Nora stood to one side, allowing the group to stroll into the lighthouse. Sora and the others were a bit surprised at how small the inside of the building was. To Goofy and Launchpad's disappointment, there was no chowder in sight. There was no stove. Not even a kitchen.

Just a cylindrical space with a spiral staircase leading up to the top of the lighthouse.

Nora pointed to a nearby doorway. "The kitchen's through there. If I had known we'd be getting lots of visitors tonight, I would have made more chowder."

Goofy, Launchpad, Donald, and Amemi went through the doorway rather quickly. Indigo stopped and turned to Nora. "Who else has stopped by here?" she inquired.

Nora led her and Sora into the next room. To Sora's astonishment, a young boy sporting light-brown hair was seated at a small, circular table. He was slowly eating a bowl of calm chowder. "This is Pete," Nora informed the others. "I found him down in a cave an hour ago."

Sora smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Pete!"

Pete gazed at the brown-haired young man. He did not return the greeting. Goofy and Launchpad were gathered around a small, black, cast-iron stove. "A-Hyuck!" Goofy remarked. "Clam-y!"

Donald plopped down on a wooden stool, a bowl of chowder before him. "Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy!"

Amemi took a seat next to Pete. Indigo took the chair on the other side of the boy. Sora found himself sitting on a wooden stool to Indigo's left. He watched as the angel ate her food. She slurped it up from the spoon, a few drops landing on the table and her right sleeve. A piece of broth splattered onto the table, just missing the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder. He also saw she did not have a napkin to wipe her face. Instead, she was using her right sleeve, most-likely because the spoon was in her left hand.

This sight completely surprised Sora. Indigo's eating habits were not as clean as Violet's so-called "etiquette" rules. He tried to imagine what it would be like if the two sisters were to have lunch together. The idea of Violet scolding Indigo for not having much manners made him smile brighter and brighter.

Over the next few minutes, Nora introduced Pete to Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo. For some reason, the light-brown-haired boy seemed to take a liking to Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. He was smiling at them.

"How did you get here?" Amemi asked. Sora and the others nodded.

"I was adopted by the Gogans," Pete explained. "The Gogans own me, I guess. They said it was against the law for me to ever leave them."

Indigo stopped eating long enough to point at the boy's forehead. "You have a terrible bruise," she indicated. "How did you get it?"

"Mr. Gogan. I was milking the cow, and I missed the bucket."

Nora's eyes lit up. "Had he done that before?"

"All the time," Pete admitted. "The first time I ran away, the orphan home sent me back. This time, I'll just keep running."

Amemi gasped. "Then, you keep doing it."

Indigo looked angry. Her antennae started to twist up and her wings started to flap faster. She banged her left fist on the table, causing everything on it to shake for a moment or four. "They had absolutely _**no**_ right to treat you so terribly!" the angel snapped.

Sora was a little startled when he heard this. Since when had Indigo gotten so outraged? Oh, yeah! She had practically turned on him while the two had been searching for a route around a closed doorway in that underground passage. That mining tunnel. He still was not sure what had gotten into the angel, although he had not ruled out Xehanort's meddling as a possibility for Indigo suddenly becoming hostile.

That aside, his mind went over to what Amemi and Pete had said. He could not believe the sandy-haired girl was encouraging Pete to remain on the run. Had she not learned her lesson ten years ago? He recalled the time his sister had ran away from home herself. She had later claimed she was going to leave for other worlds. If their parents had not intervened and found her, she might have drowned when the small sailboat she had taken from the dock had sank half a mile away from the main island.

Ever since, he had always wondered if running away from a situation truly _was_ a good idea. As for Pete's case, he was trying to escape a foster family who abused him. From the sounds of things, they treated him no different than if he was a slave. No wonder Indigo had been so angered by such a backstory! Living a life in fear of being clobbered for making a tiny mistake would make anybody consider fleeing an alternative.

He remembered learning how many people who had been born slaves had run away from their masters long before the American Civil War. Some had made it all the way to freedom. Others did not. In the end, the war ended the concept of slavery in the United States of America forever.

True, Sora was _**still**_ unsure why Mr. Valiance had been teaching such historical topics about a nation they did not live in. Perhaps, some questions about such would never receive answers. Whatever the reason behind it, he knew such unrelated topics had been the reason why he had gotten a zero percent final grade at the end of the class.

"Well, you'll be safe here," Nora assured the boy.

"Yeah," Sora affirmed. He rose to his feet and reached out his arm, allowing his Keyblade to appear in his hand. He twirled the weapon around a few times before positioning it on his shoulder. "If these 'Gogans' try to take you away from here, they'll have to deal with us!"

Pete seemed to smile at the spikey-headed young man. "No one's ever been this nice to me. I'll always remember it."

"Why don't you all sleep here tonight?" Nora offered. "We'll figure out what to do tomorrow. Okay?"

Pete nodded. Amemi smiled. "That's good to know," she said in turn.

"Wonderful," Nora approved. "I've got work to do."

She started for the doorway. Sora looked around, exchanging puzzled looks with his teammates — except for Amemi. The sandy-haired teenager seemed a little nervous.

"Are you anybody's mother?" Pete asked.

Nora stopped in her tracks and smiled. "I'm not even anybody's wife."

"But you're gonna get married now, aren't you?"

Nora scoffed. "I'm already married to this lighthouse."

Launchpad chuckled. "I wonder what this place's vows were?" he murmured aloud.

Donald smacked himself in the face. "Oh, brother…. !"

Goofy looked around. A portrait of a handsome young man with a mustache and a sailor's uniform caught his eye. "Say, who's this?" he asked. "Is he related to thuh lighthouse?"

Amemi crossed her arms. "That doesn't make sense," she pointed out.

Donald gave a nod. "Yeah… !"

Nora grinned. "Paul."

Goofy blinked twice, eyeing the portrait closely. "A-Hyuck!"

"Is he your boyfriend?" Amemi asked.

She winked at Sora. Sora had to sigh, knowing his sister was referring to his friendship with Kairi. Even if something serious had been developing between him and the auburn-haired girl, he refused to let it cloud up his mind. After all, all she had ever done to show it was a small peck on the cheek. Like a bird kissing him.

Nothing serious about _that_!

"Is he a part of your family?" Pete asked, rephrasing Amemi's query.

Nora sighed. "He almost was."

"How is _that_ possible?" Launchpad asked. "You can't almost be part of a family. Either you _are_ a part, or not, but I hope your part isn't twisty and covered in axle grease."

"We were going to be married," Nora told them.

Sora's eyes grew wide. "What happened?" he asked, suddenly feeling a little curious. This tended to happen whenever he met someone new in another world. If they had problems of their own, he wanted to help them out — anyway he could.

Nora looked up at the low ceiling. "Well, as far as we know, his ship was headed for a storm. They were never heard from again. That was a year ago."

Through his peripheral vision, Sora saw Amemi give a nod. She looked down at the floor and closed her eyes. For a brief moment, he thought he saw a tear sliding down her face.

Indigo rose from her seat and approached the young woman. She put her left hand onto the latter's shoulder. "He shall return," she said, a friendly smile showing on her face. "I know he shall."

Nora seemed to smile, for a couple seconds anyway. "I tell myself the same thing every day, standing up there watching for ships on the horizon," she sighed deeply. "Time I should be thinking of other things, so they tell me."

"I'll have to ask Elliott about Paul," Pete said. "He has a way of knowing things."

Everyone spun their attention to the young boy. "Who's 'Elliott'?

"My dragon."

Sora's eyes lit up. "Did you say, '_dragon_'?!"

"The _Heartless_ _**dragon**_!" Donald screeched. He drew his wand. "I'll show him!"

Everyone ignored the duck's outburst. "So _you're_ the boy with the dragon," Nora realized.

Pete nodded. "Yup."

Jiminy poked his head out of Sora's hoodie, his journal open. A pair of small glasses were on his face. "Where is Elliott?" the cricket inquired.

"Yeah," Sora nodded in agreement. "Where is he?"

Pete pointed down below. "Down in the cave."

Launchpad now had a somewhat-wild look in his eyes. "I've _always_ wanted to ride a dragon!" he proclaimed. "It's one of the few things I still have to crash to be the first to break the 'All-Crashes' record!"

Donald fainted. His chair fell backwards onto the floor, banging hard against the floor.

Pete sighed. "It's not easy. Nobody believes me, except for you."

Sora had to smile. "I've heard lots of stories, but this one seemed more real to me every second."

"But it's still interesting," Nora nodded. "I've never known anyone with a dragon."

"What does he look like?" Indigo asked, crossing her arms.

Pete shrugged. "Just a plain, ordinary dragon."

"How plain?" Goofy asked.

"How ordinary?" Donald added.

As Pete started to give a description, Sora thought he heard a faint musical melody playing in the background. "_He has the head of a camel, the neck of a crocodile._"

"It sounds rather strange," Nora remarked.

"Yeah," Donald rolled his eyes. "Because it's a _Heartless_ dragon."

"_He's both a fish and a mammal_," Pete went on. "_And I hope he'll never change, 'cause it's not easy to find someone who cares._"

"_It's not easy to find magic in pairs_," Nora agreed.

"_I'm glad that I found him. I love him. I won't let him get away, 'cause it's not easy._"

Nora paused for a moment. "_You say the head of a camel, the neck of a crocodile…. _"

"And the ears of a cow!" Pete quickly added.

Nora smiled. "_It's clear that friends can be different. Yes, I understand you now._"

The two started off together. "_It's not easy to find someone who cares. It's not easy to find magic in pairs._"

"_Now that you have him_," Nora said. "_Hold him. Treasure him from day to day. It's so easy._"

Indigo smiled and unfolded her arms. She stepped close to the two. "I know what you mean," she said. Within seconds, she was engulfed in whatever the two had been singing (if you could call it "singing" — like Sora did). "_Life is lollipops and rainbows with the one you love. Someone you can always be with, argue ad agree with._"

"_Climb the highest tree with_," Pete pinpointed.

The three of them were now chanting — or singing — or whatever it was called — together. "_It is not easy to share somebody's dream. It gets easy when you work as a team._"

"_You've got to tend it, fan it_," Nora said in a "solo act".

"_That's what I plan to do_," Pete said. He started for the door where Nora was standing. He turned to face everyone else. "_Oh, I had one friend by my side. Now I have more than two. Him and all of you._"

Nora placed her hand close to her heart. "_Him and me_."

Indigo gave a brilliant smile. It seemed she was about to leap into the air and flip several times before shouting, "_**Yippee**_!" It was a good thing she did not. If she had, she would have bumped her head on the ceiling. "_And it is so easy_," she said.

Nora led Pete out the door and up some stairs to the next floor. Sora looked out the nearest window. The moon could be seen hovering high above the rather calm ocean.

"What're we going to do now?" he asked, turning to face his team members. Everyone was gathered in the room, standing or sitting around/at the table.

Amemi smiled. "Tomorrow, could Indigo and I do a little shopping around the town?" she inquired.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy immediately stared at her in complete shock. Indigo was startled. The sandy-haired young woman swung her head around at them. "What did I say?" she questioned.

"You want to… 'go shopping' with me?" Indigo asked. Her antennae were trained onto the nearly-fourteen-year-old girl. She placed her right hand against her cheek and smiled. "What does that mean?"

Amemi was bit astonished. "Huh? You've _never_ been shopping?"

Indigo shrugged. "I have never heard of this 'shopping' activity you are talking about. All I have ever done is try to protect the worlds from the Darkness. I have fought stronger enemies than the Heartless around now. Yet, I had never seen such determined creatures until nearly ten years ago."

She turned to Sora. "That is in _your_ 'human years' — not angelic years."

Sora crossed his arms. "I'm not sure what the difference is," he admitted. "But I _am_ sure not it's a good idea to go outside until we know what we're up against."

"What do ya mean?" Goofy inquired, perplexity evident on his face.

"I want to know more about this dragon, Elliott."

"We heard what Pete told us," Amemi indicated. "What more do you want to know?"

"How do we know he hasn't been turned into a Heartless?" Sora stated. "Like the dragon from Mulan's world?"

He turned to Donald and Goofy. "Remember?"

"Yeah," Donald scowled.

"That was one, ugly Heartless," Goofy commented. "I fell off it after two minutes of fightin'."

Amemi smiled. "I remember you said you fought a dragon Heartless," she pointed out. "But I doubt Elliott is anything like the Heartless."

"How do you know?" Sora questioned. "It's not like you've seen him before."

His sister slouched in her chair, a scowl showing on her face. "I'm going to bed," she decided, rising from the chair and heading for the stairs.

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered. He turned his attention to Sora. "Are ya sure there's trouble goin' on? We ain't seen no Heartless in this here world."

"I hate to agree with Goofy," Donald said. "But he's right. There aren't any Heartless here."

Sora paused in thought. Why would his Keyblade have led him to his world if there were no Heartless roaming about? Up until now, every world had been practically overflowing with the violent creatures of Darkness. This was the first one without them. Why? It just did not make sense to him.

"Something fishy's going on," he softly told himself.

Launchpad yawned and stretched. "Unless someone wants to deal a few hands on this old poker table, I'm gonna crash myself to sleep."

The duck-pilot headed out the door and up the stairs. At one point, a loud _**CRASH**_ filled their ears. "I meant to stumble on these steps," came the pilot's voice from the corridor leading up.

Sora sighed. "This doesn't make any sense," he said out loud.

Indigo stepped over to where the brown, spikey-headed youth was rocking his brain. "I can tell you do not know where to start this investigating," she said. "Yet, you need to understand, there are some things not even the human mind — let alone an angel's mind — can comprehend."

"Why not?" Donald asked.

"Yer thinkin' too much," Goofy grinned before Indigo could open her mouth.

Sora had to smile at his friend's words. "Yeah, you're right."

He yawned and stretched himself. "Man, I'm tired. Let's worry about this tomorrow."

He rose from his chair and headed for the stairs. Donald and Goofy were directly behind him. Indigo stayed in the room. When the knight was about to head up the stairs, he looked back. "Are ya comin'?" he asked.

Indigo shook her head. "I think I shall stay here for a little while," she told him. "Angels do not really need sleep."

She paused. "Unless we lose our memory. Then, and only then, can we become like anyone else."

Goofy stared at her for a moment, seemingly absorbing all this information. He grinned and waved. "A-Hyuck! G'night!"

He flipped the switch on his way upstairs. Indigo was alone in the room. Her glow illuminated enough of the space that she did not have to worry about tripping or stumbling over anything the dark. She took a deep breath and strolled over to the nearby window. She looked out into the night sky.

The stars were shining quite brightly for being so early in the nighttime hours. The nearby clock hanging on the wall indicated the time was, "_**9:12**_". Indigo opened the window and looked outside. She could see the light of the crescent moon reflecting off the sea's ripples. The view was a pleasant sight to see.

She placed her head onto her crossed arms and leaned against the windowsill. Her antennae seemed to fall at a gradual rate. Her eyes started to water. "Teal, if you are still out there, I want to know I am doing alright," she said in a soft voice. "And, I believe Violet is doing well, too."

There was no response. Just the distant twinkling of the stars and the sound of the waves far below the cliffsides.

* * *

The town was quiet. Not a single songbird was playing. It was too late for the birds anyway. Now that the Sun had finished setting, it was rather peaceful. Almost to the point of being completely serene with the not-too-distant sound of waves filling the heads of all who heard it.

Or it would have remained that way had there not been a wooden trailer rushing down the street. "Doc Terminus is comin'!" a man yelled in alarm.

People scattered out of the way as the wagon rolled down the street. A huge sail pushed it along so rapidly, if anyone had stumbled and been unlucky enough to get run over, the wheels could have crushed their arms and legs in a matter of half-a-second. The vehicle's design resembled a carnival wagon with lots of bright colors and large, painted words.

Four individuals were situated on it. One of them was a tall, slender man sporting black, curly hair, blue eyes, and a handlebar mustache complete with goatee. He was dressed entirely in black clothing with a matching cape. Thanks to the top hat on his head, he resembled a magician.

Another one of the new arrivals was a tall, anthropomorphic mouse with a long snout. He was decked out in a light-blue sweater and tan pants with flat, dark-gray shoes to boot.

The third individual looked like an anthropomorphic duck with short, black hair sporting periwinkle-colored patches along with a pink flower, light-blue eyes with purplish eyelids, and a tiny pimple on her right cheek beneath her right eye. Her outfit consisted of a dark-magenta, kimono-shaped dress with long sleeves. It was fastened by faded-orange buttons in the shape of the capital letter "Y". She also had black high-heeled shoes. What stood out the most was how her eyes were half-closed.

The last individual was clinging onto the sail. He was a short, slender man with red hair. He was using his hand to keep his bowler hat on his head; his nice, gray suit would not be complete without it.

It was Mortimer Mouse, Cinnamon Teal, and Dr. Terminus. The three had entered this world after traveling through a dark portal. They had quickly come across Terminus's assistant, Hoagy, and used the pair of conmen's vehicle to flee from some advancing policemen on horses.

"Are they still after us?" Terminus asked.

Hoagy glanced back. "We lost 'em," he announced.

"Good," Cinnamon Teal said. "We don't need any more trouble here."

"Ha cha cha," Mortimer chuckled. "Pete would _never_ have made it past them. He's too much of a coward."

Hoagy pointed straight ahead. "Passamaquoddy ahead, ahoy!"

Terminus jerked his head to look at his assistant. "What?"

"Pass-a-ma-quoddy ahead, ahoy!" Hoagy repeated.

Terminus turned his eyes back to the road ahead. He gripped the wagon's steering wheel as tightly as he could, swerving as they raced through the town's darkened streets. "Oh, no."

"Oh, yes," Hoagy declared, still hanging onto his hat.

The wagon charged down the main street. Several dogs started barking as they rolled on by. The lights went on in several houses. People came outside to see what all the ruckus was about.

"Slow down!" Cinnamon Teal called. "We will hit someone!"

"We caught a stiff wind," Hoagy informed her. "The sail's out-of-control."

"Do it!" Mortimer snapped. "I'm not spending the rest of this mission in a jail cell!"

Terminus swerved to avoid an older woman in the street. The wagon rammed into a nice, white fence, smashing the fenceposts into splinters. The man of the house behind it gasped when he saw the damage from his second-story window. "My fence!" he yelled in shock. "That does it! I'm moving to California!"

The wagon rushed into the town square. Terminus tried to keep control, but the wind was blowing too hard. It was moving the contraption straight for the dockyards. Fearing the worse, he turned to Hoagy. "Throw out the anchor!"

Hoagy reached behind him and grabbed the rusty, barnacle-covered anchor. He recalled when he and Terminus had swiped the item from a beached sailboat months ago. With a gentle heave-ho, he hurled the anchor off the wagon. It snagged onto some wooden, white stairs and pulled the steps away from the town hall. The stairs later got caught onto a nearby tree's wide trunk. The wagon immediately came to a halt.

The sudden stopping caused Dr. Terminus, Hoagy, Mortimer, and Cinnamon Teal to all go flying into a fishing net that had been left out to dry overnight. It also caused the various compartments in the wagon to open up, revealing numerous colorful displays and advertisements for remedies, potions, phoenix downs, and elixirs, among other cures.

Terminus turned to Hoagy. "What did you do?"

"You told me to throw out the anchor," Hoagy told him. "I threw out the anchor."

"This is humiliating," Mortimer grumbled. "I hope Maleficent is not watching us right now."

The four slid down the net to the ground below. As they rose to their feet, the group discovered the townspeople were starting to gather around them. None of them were smiling. They were either frowning or scowling.

Terminus eyed the people from a distance. "I think they remember us."

"Uh-oh," Hoagy gulped. "I think I remember them."

"Just act normal."

Hoagy was shaking in place. "I am acting normal. I'm ready to run."

Cinnamon Teal turned to the pair of conmen. "You have been here before?"

Hoagy gave a short nod. "Yes."

"Quick, what's the name of this town again?" Dr. Terminus asked.

Mortimer nudged him. "Passamaquoddy," he frowned.

"'Quassama' what?"

"Passamaquoddy!" Hoagy whimpered.

Terminus nodded. "Got it."

He strode forward, a large smile showing on his face. He held out his arms, his black cane with the gold handle wrapped on his wrist. "How wonderful to see your smiling faces again. All of you."

He led the others to the wagon and hopped onto the stage. "I-I've never known such warmth," he went on. "Such welcome, such loving hospitality."

"Get out, ya _quack_!" someone shouted.

"And _don't_ bring those phony remedies here again," a fisherman shouted from the front of the crowd.

"Go on back where you belong," a woman hollered. "_Jail_."

It was not long before the people were booing loudly. Mortimer gulped. Perhaps it had been a mistake requesting Maleficent give him a second chance in this world. All of these people seemed ready to cause a major riot at any second. He did not like it. Not one bit.

Dr. Terminus did not show any signs of panic. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said aloud, remaining as calm as he could. "I sense enthusiasm. I sense loving response. And that's why I feel that this is my home… away from home."

He held out his cane and started to dance a little upon the stage. "I've been bringing cures from Pilgrim Heights to Provincetown. Treated rabid fever down on Queen Anne Road. Gout or gastritis, mumps or bronchitis, bites and burns and blue abrasions. Got a pill for all occasions."

He stopped and swept his eyes across the crowd. "Little Sipowissot was so nice to visit, and Scraggy Neck is lovely to recall."

Mortimer was a little surprised. He had never known Dr. Terminus had been to so many different places. As far as _he_ was concerned, this had been the only town the conman had been to before.

A rather large woman stepped forward. "I took you drug for losing weight, and now I'm a blob."

"But now there's so much more of you to love," Terminus countered-argued. He returned his focus to the others in the crowd. "I wiped out impetigo on the banks of Buttermilk. Flu is under firm control in Powder Hole."

Hoagy handed the taller man a container of something or other. "Terminus potions," the doctor continued. "Tablets and lotions. Major news in modern science. Step up now and join my clients. Spent a day in Buzzard's Bay. They _couldn't_ keep me there. Even turned away from Kingdom Hall."

"They probably threw you out," a young man shouted.

Mortimer had to laugh. "Ha cha cha!"

An older man stomped forward. "My hair was gray," he snarled. He pulled off his hat, revealing his pinkish-hair. "And thanks to you, it turned into _**pink**_!"

Terminus gave a nervous grin. "But that color. It's so becoming."

The man gnashed his teeth. The townspeople started for the stage. "We're gonna wash your phony tonics right down the sink!" they all yelled in unison.

Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal quickly found themselves stepping back into each other. They both knew a riot was about to take place.

"Wait. Listen," Terminus declared. "My specialties are audiology, mycology, serology, teratology, embryology, psychology, zoology — and any other 'ology' you can _think_ of!"

The crowd kept coming. "My friends, you're not giving me a chance!" Terminus added. "I brought all these medicines back from Paris. France!"

The crowd kept coming. Two men were starting to clamber onto the stage. Mortimer gulped, certain his second chance had just gone down the drain — just like all of Doctor Terminus's potions and such were going to be in a matter of moments.

Cinnamon Teal clenched her fists and marched forwards. She opened her eyes all the way and stared at the crowd, making sure she had everyone's attention. "Look into my eyes!"

The townspeople stopped moving in an instant. Seizing this moment of silence as a golden opportunity, Doctor Terminus smiled. "Shamed be he who thinks evil of it," he declared. "And that's what the medical business is all about, folks. People helping people."

He pointed across the crowd, swiping his finger around them. "You should _all_ have help."

"I believe in the Doc," a woman suddenly declared.

"I trust him," a young girl called from the doorsteps of a nearby house.

"I'd put my _life_ in his hands!" proclaimed the man with the pink hair. In no time, people were holding up lots of green, paper money. Dollars. _Lots_ of them.

Terminus gave a somewhat-dark smile. He knew Cinnamon Teal had used her hypnotizing powers on all the townspeople. He need to take advantage of this. "My friends, you've seen a miracle and you'll see many more. People will come pourin' in from land and sea. We'll have centers for testing. Let's start investing."

"Keep that money mounting," Mortimer grinned.

"I'll collect," Hoagy said, accepting several people's money.

"_I'll_ do the counting," Terminus said. "Everyone who lives here will be strong and healthy. You'll be getting richer by the day."

"_Hurray_!" the crowd cheered.

"Hear them acclaim us," Terminus added, not missing a beat. "This town will be _**famous**_! The whole world will look at us and say,…. !"

He paused. Mortimer, Hoagy, and Cinnamon Teal all turned their eyes to the fancy-dressed conman. "It's Pardonmaquassy," Terminus hesitated. "No. Paquamassady, no, no. Passamamassy.

Quadamapoddy. Passamadaddy. Quadampassy. Quadamaddy, Deppadaddy. Depamassy, Quadapassy. Passapassapassaquassa!"

He suddenly lost control and started bawling, unable to pronounce the town's name.

"'Quoddy'," Hoagy whispered into Dr. Terminus's ear.

"_**Passamaquoddy**_!" the townspeople all shouted at once.

Dr. Terminus nodded. "I know."

Mortimer rolled his eyes and shook his head. This would go on for a while.

A little ways back, the front door of the town hall opened. Out stepped Mayor Howell and the rest of the town's board. "Since we all concur, gentlemen," the Mayor declared. "I suggest that we adjourn."

He reached out his leg, expecting to set his foot down onto the first step of the stairs leading to the street. Not knowing the mishap with the anchor earlier, he instead tumbled over and fell onto the ground. His cigar got smashed onto the dirt road below. He looked up, only to see Doctor Terminus's wagon in the square, surrounded by dozens of townspeople.

He sighed deeply in annoyance. "When did I start losing control of _my_ town?"

* * *

The stars were still shining down a few hours later. Indigo was still gazing out the window. She could see the waves on the sea far below. The walls of water were splashing against the rocky cliffs. High tide. That was the reason they had managed to get to this point. Any caves down below might be partly submerged, given the tide was high enough. Judging from the moon above, it would be a few weeks before that time came around again.

With a sigh, Indigo found her vision blurring. Her eyelids slowly closed and her head fell onto her arms, which were still situated on the windowsill. Her antennae dropped down, equally exhausted. Her wings slowed and stopped. They drooped, similar to how a butterfly's might when they were resting.

"Nora," a male voice said from upstairs. "If you bring up the oil can, we'll be ready for the night."

"Sure," Nora's voice said. "But first, I'd like to know more about this 'dragon'."

Indigo opened her eyes and quickly sat up. Realizing she had fallen asleep at the window, she rose to her feet and turned her attention to the stairs. Wondering what was going on, she headed for the steps leading up.

"Pete says his name is 'Elliott'," Nora's voice said.

"_No_! No, no," the male voice declared. "You and Pete can't bring Elliott up here. Government regulation states that… no dragons shall be allowed… on the premises of the United States' lighthouses."

Indigo found herself looking through the bars of a wooden handrail. There was Nora, sitting at a small desk next to the wall. A tall, slightly large, old man with whitish hair was standing beside her; he was wearing an old-fashioned sailor suit.

"Now," the man said. "Go on down and get the oil so I can mark it up in the log that you did that."

"All right," Nora said. She rose to her feet. She stopped and turned to the man. "Pete said he brought Paul's picture down to 'Elliott'. He said his dragon's going to look for Paul."

She smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

The man seemed surprised. "For what?"

"For making believe about the dragon and going along with it."

Indigo kept her eyes focused on the two. At once a hand grabbed her from behind. She spun around. She relaxed. There was the unmistakably spikey, brown hair that could only belong to Sora. He had a finger to his mouth.

Indigo nodded, returning the same gesture. The two turned to watch the pair in the corridor before them.

"Who's that guy?" Sora asked in a hushed whisper.

"He must be the lighthouse keeper," Indigo answered. "He asked Nora to bring some oil to the lighthouse lamp. Now, they are simply talking about Pete and Elliott."

Sora gave a nod, even though he was completely lost as to what the angel was referring to.

"Making… ?" the man looked surprised.

"It means a lot to Pete," Nora went on. "Sort of a family he made up."

"I'm _not_ making believe," the man declared. "I actually saw it, and I haven't been the same since! Go to the cave. You'd see it too, and your eyes would…. "

He made a popping gesture with his hands, along with a matching sound effect. "Pop right out!"

Nora shook her head. "I was there. I saw nothing! Dad, be realistic."

Her Dad leaned over her shoulder. "Oh, you wanna be realistic. Let's talk about how realistic _you_ are. Here you are, waiting for someone to come back that just ain't gonna come back, Nora. And if waitin' for over a year hasn't told ya nothin', then you're not the one to talk about being realistic, are you?"

Nora looked down and closed her eyes. Her Dad sighed. He gave Nora a heartfelt hug. "Honey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

He turned to leave. "I'm going down to the hardware store."

He walked away. Sora and Indigo watched as the lighthouse keeper strolled down a flight of stairs at the other end of the corridor. They exchanged looks of confusion. When did that staircase go? It did not make sense for it to just lead to nowhere. Then again, the staircase where they were viewing all this was on the opposite end of the house from where it connected to the lighthouse's tower.

Maybe the stairs on the other side led to the inside of the lighthouse itself.

Nora sighed deeply before she rose from her chair. She headed for the other end of the hallway. When she reached the other set of stairs, she headed up.

Sora looked even more puzzled. "I thought he said the oil was downstairs."

Indigo shrugged. She opened her mouth to speak. Her antennae started to point into the direction Nora had gone. Certain this meant something was happening, the angel hopped over the railing and started down the hall.

Seeing his friend seemingly in a trance, Sora rapidly hurried along after her. He waved his hand in her face. "Uh, Indigo?"

Indigo snapped to attention. She turned to Sora, a little irritated. "What?" she questioned.

"You were in a trance," the young man pointed out.

"It was Nora's heart," Indigo stated. "I could sense her Light calling out to another."

"How?" Sora was still unsure what such stuff meant. Now Indigo was talking the way Riku often did. All this stuff about the many ways the heart communicated and… stuff. He was not sure how this universe worked. Whatever the case, he _did_ know there was no way of knowing everything about this world, let alone any world out there.

Everything was always _**too**_complex. He _**really**_ wished the world could be a simple place. Unfortunately, things just did not work out that way.

He would _**never**_ understand anything. School, girls, homework, girls, being ticklish, girls, Kairi. He needed to stop there. All this contemplation was giving him a massive headache.

Indigo headed for the end of the corridor. Sora was hot on her heels. The two stopped when they reached a long, spiral staircase. The steps led both down and up the full length of the tower. They knew this truly _was_ the inside of the lighthouse.

The two glanced at one another and nodded. They had silently agreed to check it out. They hurried up the spiral staircase.

* * *

They reached the top in no time. Sora and Indigo found themselves standing just inside the lighthouse's beacon. The bright lamp behind them illuminated the surrounding seascape as it gradually spun around. Sora had to shield his eyes from one such turn.

"Where's Nora?" he asked.

Indigo opened a nearby glass door. She looked out and pointed to a spot on the outside railing. "Look over there!"

Sora joined Indigo on the metal landing outside the small chamber. There was Nora, standing on the edge of the railing, gazing out across the ocean. The waves gently crashed against the cliffs below.

"What's she doing?" Sora inquired.

Indigo slapped her left hand across the seventeen-year-old Keyblader's mouth. They both listened in silence as Nora spoke out into the distance. It seemed she was singing,

"_I'll be your candle on the water_," she said, a beautiful voice echoing in the wind. "_My love for you will always burn. I know you're lost and drifting, but the clouds are lifting. Don't give up. You have somewhere to turn._"

Sora was awestruck. He looked into the distance. There was no sign of life anywhere in sight. He wondered who the woman was talking about.

"_I'll be your candle on the water_," Nora continued. "_'Till ev'ry wave is warm and bright, my soul is there beside you._"

She reached out her hand. "_Let this candle guide you. Soon you'll see a golden stream of Light. A cold and friendless tide has found you. Don't let the stormy Darkness pull you down._"

She calmly gave herself a hug. "_I'll paint a ray of __**Hope**__ around you, circling in the air… lighted by a prayer._"

It suddenly struck Sora what was happening. Nora's heart was calling out to someone. Who that was, he was not sure. Then again, he remembered Nora talking about a guy named "Paul", who had supposedly been lost at sea.

"_I'll be your candle on the water_," Nora pressed on. "_This flame inside of me will grow. Keep holding on. You'll make it. Here's my hand, so take it. Look for me reaching out to show, as sure as rivers flow, I'll never let you go. I'll never let you go._"

She took a deep breath. "_I'll __**never**__ let you go…._ "

Indigo nodded. "Her heart is calling out to her fiancé," she said, turning to Sora. "She still believes he is still alive."

Sora gave a nod of agreement. He had the feeling Indigo was correct, which was no surprise to him. Violet was the same way.

It was no real astonishment they were both Angels of Light.

* * *

**A/N: THERE YOU HAVE IT! CHAPTER 39 IS COMPLETE!**

**Now, it is time for the announcement!**  
**_COASTAL TOWN_ is based on Disney's "'_PETE'S DRAGON (1977)_'"! That is the Original Movie - NOT the Remake from 2016!**  
**Somewhere else in these stories, I might include the newer one. I enjoy both of those movies. They are both innocent, clean-hearted, and fun in their own ways.**  
**However, it shall NOT be This Story!**

**Let's go over a few things. Shall we?**  
**(1.) Keep your eye on that torn letter! It may very well be at the heart of This Half of This Story!**  
**(2.) Yes, Sora got his hands on a _SUMMON CHARM_ back there! Can you guess what Disney Character it represents? I can give you a hint: it is one of the ones all of you selected in the Poll!**  
**(3.) True, Mayor Howell's actual name in the movie is simply "'The Mayor'". I gave him a new name for This Story. Why? The actor who played that character in the movie was Jim Backus, who also played The Millionaire/Mr. Thurston Howell, III on the classic show, "'_GILLIGAN'S ISLAND_'"! As far as I can tell, he was the only cast member from "'_Gilligan's Island_'" to appear in a Disney movie.**  
**(4.) Please let me know if the lighthouse number is correct. I have yet to double-check that fact, so please let me know if I accidentally made a mistake.**  
**(5.) Does Indigo's eating habits remind you of anyone? I might have done that intentionally... Or maybe it was her decision to include that in the story. After all, I am just The Narrator. The characters are doing what they wish. That is how a story works. Correct?**  
**(6.) I know. Some of you have stated complaints about the "'FISH JOKES'" incorporated into This Story. Yet, keep in mind, Sora is from an island. Such comedy is most-likely quite common there. It would just be natural for such word choices to come to his mind. I mean, COME ON! THIS IS SORA!**  
**(7.) I REALLY wanted to include The "'_Candle On The Water_'" Sequence in there. It IS #4 on my TOP FAVORITE DISNEY SONG(S), after all!**

**SHEESH! That was a LOT of information to squeeze into such a short amount of space! I do not really have anything else to say.**

**Okay, I have ONE last thing to say.**  
**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!" In Addition, "FLY WITH YOU ALL LATER!"**


	40. Ch40 - The Shiny, Golden, Crown Necklace

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: CHAPTER 40 HAS ARRIVED! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HIP-HIP-HOORAY!**

**SORALEGO278: Welcome Back, Everyone! You are just in time for Chapter 40!**

**AMEMI HIKARI: (Clears Throat)**

**SORALEGO278: And we have a special guest today! Sora's sister, Amemi, is here to help present This Chapter!**

**AMEMI HIKARI: Hi! Welcome to Chapter 40 of "'_Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_'"!**

**SORALEGO278 (Whispers): I _had_ to let her on here. Sora pestered me about letting him and his team join in with these introductions from Chapter 30 through 39.**

**AMEMI HIKARI: What?**

**SORALEGO278: It's nothing important. So, Amemi, anything you wish to tell everyone?**

**AMEMI HIKARI: Oh! Yes, I do! If any of you were wondering how to picture my voice in your mind, picture Mae Whitman.**

**SORALEGO278: I always thought you sounded like Tinker Bell from the "'_Disney Fairies_'" Series!**

**AMEMI HIKARI (Shrugs): And Yuffie Kisaragi from "'_Final Fantasy VII_'" and "'_Kingdom Hearts 2_'", Shanti from Disney's "'_The Jungle Book 2__ (2003)_'", Patricia Whitmore in "'_Independence Day__ (1996)_'", and...**

**SORALEGO278: Alright! Okay! I think we all are at least familiar with her acting career in at least one thing or another. There is no need to go over everything she's been in.**

**AMEMI HIKARI: Oops! I didn't mean to do that.**

**SORALEGO278: It's alright. So, Amemi, would you like to share today's TRIVIA segment?**

**AMEMI HIKARI: Sure! DID YOU KNOW?**  
**Disney's "'_Pete's Dragon__ (1977)_'" was one of the Disney movies the "'Legendary'" Don Bluth worked on as an animator. Yes! THE Don Bluth - the one who worked on "'_The Land Before Time__ (1988)_'", "'_An American Tail__ (1986)_'", "'_All Dogs Go To Heaven__ (1989)_'", and "'_Anastasia__ (1997)_'"!**  
**Some of the other Disney movies he worked on were "'_Robin Hood__ (1973)_'", "'_The Rescuers__ (1977)_'", "'_The Fox And The Hound__ (1981)_'", "'_The Sword In The Stone__ (1963)_'", and "'_Sleeping Beauty__ (1959)_'".**

**SORALEGO278: ALL that?! Sheesh! I never imagined he had ever been THAT involved with Disney Animation!**

**AMEMI HIKARI: Actually, he was uncredited with his work on the last three movies I named; ****"'_The Fox And The Hound__ (1981)_'", "'_The Sword In The Stone__ (1963)_'", and "'_Sleeping Beauty__ (1959)_'"****.**

**SORALEGO278: Okay. That does not surprise me, seeing as there have been LOTS of well-known actors, actresses, animators, and other related professions who never got credited with working on movies over the years.**

**AMEMI HIKARI: At least, /I/ received credit for doing this, right?**

**SORALEGO278: Yes, you shall! So, everyone, I believe it is time! PLEASE READ ON TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!**

**AMEMI HIKARI: AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO! (Hi, WordGirl! Please Read If You Are There! I Know You Are!)**

* * *

**CHAPTER 40**  
**The Shiny, Gold, Crown Necklace**

The roar of chatter and laughter filled the otherwise empty space of the tavern. If the smell of old alcohol and wine was not enough to drive somebody away, the lack of available tables was. This was a popular destination for all the dockworkers on their way back from the boathouses and fishing piers. It was also well overcrowded, even for this hour of the night.

Sometimes, the business was going so well, the owner and bartenders kept the lights on so late, it could very likely be two-thirty in the morning before they closed shop.

Despite all the others drinking around them, Doctor Terminus, Hoagy, Mortimer, and Cinnamon Teal were seated at a small, diamond-shaped table in a corner of the room. Just moments ago, they had sold a bottle of potion to a young man with a sore arm from working on the nets all day.

With the money in hand, Mortimer counted each bill extra carefully. He refused to take any chances. Once, he had tricked Chief O'Hara into believing Mickey had broken into his house to steal a baseball. In the end, the police captain had discovered the truth and Mortimer found himself locked in the filthiest cell of Toontown Prison for the next few months.

He had _**hated**_that experience! Not just because of his frame-up of that rival mouse flopping on him. He had been forced to overhear Goofy asking the prison's warden to demonstrate for him how someone was supposed to burst out of there multiple times.

Being a master of swindles, Mortimer always checked to ensure nobody was doing the same to him. The bottle had cost two dollars, and he had counted… two dollars.

"We've had nothing," Terminus grunted. He frowned at the sight of the small stack of one dollar bills. "Nothing but bad luck in this burg."

He turned to Hoagy. "I'm telling you, this is the _worst_ town on our route. I don't intend to heal any of these people. Whatever they've got, they deserve it."

Cinnamon Teal set down the glass of something or other in her hands. Her eyes seemed as displeased as ever. "Nobody is coming over," she observed. "Should I 'bring' them to us?"

"That won't do us any good," Mortimer groaned. He gestured to the money pile. "We've been here almost half the night, and all we've made's fifteen bucks."

He folded his arms and shook his head with his eyes closed. "That's _not_ gonna please Maleficent. Nuh-uh-uh-uh!"

Hoagy put down the cup of light liquor in his hands. The glass tipped when it reached the table. Half of the drink had been left, and now it was spilling quickly across the surface. It landed onto the money, soaking the bills on the bottom of the stack.

Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal quickly grabbed as much of the cash as they could. "_Hey_!" Mortimer scowled.

"Ooh," Teal scowled in turn. She clenched her fists, almost ready to punch Terminus's assistant in the face.

"I'm sorry," Hoagy whimpered. He was shaking quite violently.

Terminus sighed deeply. "You see what I _mean_, hmm?"

"Doc, I'm sorry."

"I didn't mean it, Hoagy," The group whirled around. An older man was wobbling his way over to the table. One look at the man and Terminus had to shake his head. It was only Lampie, the local lighthouse keeper.

"Can I buy everybody a round?" Lampie asked, a bit disoriented.

Cinnamon Teal waved her hand in front of her face. "You smell awful," she complained.

"Huh?" Lampie appeared confused and in a total daze. "Well…. Hey," he turned to Terminus. "'cause, Doc, I gotta talk to you. Okay?"

Terminus glanced at Hoagy. They both shrugged. "Sit down," the doctor gestured at a small stool between himself and Mortimer.

"May I? Thank you."

Lampie plopped down on the stool. He was directly across the table from Cinnamon Teal. The duck-woman held her nose, similar to someone using a clothespin to do the same task.

"Hey," Lampie continued. "You're a ma… You're a man of science, ain't you?"

Terminus gave a slight nod. "A man of science, yes. Yes, I am. With degrees from the Royal Medical College, London."

"Huh?"

"The Gleinen Einen Peitzen in Vienna."

"Oh!"

"And the Moulin Rouge in Paris."

"Oh. You know anything about dragons?"

Terminus seemed to grin. "Of course I do. I see them in all the big cities going down the streets, with that funny little walk, wearing bright colors, fluttering around…. "

Cinnamon Teal rolled her eyes. "Of course he would think of Chinese dragons."

Lampie shook his head. "No, no, no. I'm talkin' about a _**real**_ dragon. _Real_ dragon. With fire… fire coming out of his mouth. And he's got _real_ wings."

"Uh," Terminus paused in thought for a moment or three. "You need a veterinarian. Hmm?"

Hoagy seemed curious to know what was going on here. "Why do you ask?"

"I _saw_ one," Lampie said a little louder than expected.

"Where is it?" Mortimer asked. He grinned, determined to play along with this whole thing. "Sitting at the next table?"

He burst out laughing. "Ha cha cha!"

Lampie was shaking a little more than before. "I tell ya, I saw a _real_ dragon the other afternoon," he stated. "He's owned… owned by a young boy… by the name of Pete."

Terminus eyed the lighthouse keeper closely. "You are trying to tell me that there is a dragon _here_… in Passamacracka?"

"'Quoddy'," Hoagy swiftly corrected.

"Yeah," Terminus acknowledged his assistant's rectification.

Lampie gave a nod. "Yes."

Terminus sniffed the air a little, almost as though snorting. "I told you this was a rotten town," he told Mortimer, Cinnamon Teal, and Hoagy.

He turned back to Lampie. "Well, in my educated opinion, sir, I think you've been up in your lighthouse too long."

"Huh?" Lampie shook his head more hastily than before. "Wait. Wait, listen. What if what I just told you was true?"

"In my scientific opinion," Terminus started to say. "The existence of a dragon… would have an impact of gigantic proportions. Mythology and legend would become history and science. One could _really_ make a quick buck with it."

Lampie gave a nod of understanding, even though Mortimer wondered how much of it the older man _did_ comprehend. "Well, I can prove it. I can _prove_ it! H-His name is Elliott. H-He's downstairs. You could go and see him right now."

Terminus shook his head. "Unfortunately, I cannot make it right now. I… I have an appointment with a young lady who's interested in a nursing career."

Lampie stared at him. He gave another slight nod. "Oh. Oh."

Hoagy smiled. "I wanna see it."

Lampie turned to him. "You wanna see it? Well, see it you shall!"

"Okay."

The two left the table together. As they strolled out of the tavern, Mortimer rolled his eyes. "Dragons," he groaned. "Fairy tale stuff!"

* * *

Several minutes later, Lampie and Hoagy reached a secluded cave in the cliffside below the lighthouse. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore roared in the backdrop.

Lampie held onto the brass lantern in his hand as tightly as he could. He pointed into the darkness of the cavern. "I tell you that he's in there."

Hoagy gazed into the dark. He could hear some deep breathing echoing from somewhere inside. What seemed to be lips smacking accompanied it.

"Are you convinced?" Lampie inquired.

"Absolutely," Hoagy affirmed.

"Well, let's get outta here," Lampie turned to leave.

Hoagy grabbed the lighthouse keeper's arm. "Wait a minute. I-I want to pet him."

Lampie had to take a double-take, just to ensure his eyes and ears were working properly. "Huh? You wa… you want to _pet_ him?! Are you crazy? I know you ain't drunk."

Hoagy gave a nod. "I want to pet him," he repeated.

Lampie gave a deep sigh. "No matter what you see in here, don't get scared."

The older man held the lantern steady as he led the way into the cave. Hoagy held onto his shoulder as they stepped through. Their footsteps seemed to echo all around. The cavern was even gloomier on the inside than it had seemed on the outside.

"Hey," Lampie said. "I might as well tell you straight off, you're gonna see a hideous monster."

Hoagy started to shake a little. "Oh, no."

"Oh, yes," Lampie gestured around with his free hand as he continued to speak. "And it's big. Fifty feet of terror! Claws! Claws so sharp they could tear a man to shreds."

A soft, yet still audible, gulp filled the cavern. Although he had not felt his throat give way, he presumed it had.

"Eyes," Lampie went on. "Evil eyes… that can see right through ya. And a tail that's so powerful, it could destroy the hull of a frigate! It can wipe out an entire crew… with one swish of his tail."

Hoagy started to feel more tense. All these vivid descriptions were plenty to make him wish he had stayed back at the tavern.

"Face… Face so terrible, it could turn a man to stone, a hero into a coward. A flame so hot, it could roast a turkey! And a mouth so terrible, it could devour a man and," Lampie made a spitting sound. "Spit him leagues."

Hoagy felt someone put their hand on his shoulder. He glanced at it for a brief second. "Stay close," he told the stranger.

His mind stopped. Who had he just spoken to? As far as he knew, he and Lampie were the only ones here. Them, and the….

He swung his eyesight back to the hand. The greenish scales made it seem more like a claw than a hand. It could mean only _one_ thing. "It's g-g-g-got m-me," he sputtered out the words.

Lampie and Hoagy spun around. The instant they saw the shape of something giant, green, and with arms, feet, and claws, they screamed at the top of their lungs. The shape whirled around. The instant it saw its own shadow, the creature yelled in alarm.

"Look at it!" Lampie declared, amazed by the sight.

Directly before the two men was a dragon. A _green_ dragon. Its face was similar to that of a camel with messy, purplish hair. Its stomach bugled out slightly. Its tail was lined with purplish horns leading all the way down from its upper back.

The dragon saw the two were looking its way. Realizing everything Lampie had said referred to itself, the creature's frightened expression vanished.

"Them eyes are lookin' right through us," Hoagy whimpered.

"Look," Lampie stated. "Don't ever let a dragon know you're… you're afraid of him."

Hoagy gave a hint of a nod. It was difficult to tell, however, due to his intense shaking.

Lampie threw his free hand onto the red-haired man's shoulder. "Stop-Stop shaking, and-and smile."

"Can't stop shaking," Hoagy replied, trying to smile as much as he could. "And I am smiling."

The dragon eyed the pair closely.

"Hello, Elliott," Lampie said.

Elliott seemed to give a hint of a smile. He waved at the older man. Lampie grinned a tad. "Aah! Hey, see how smart he is?" he told Hoagy. "He said hello to me. Yeah! He likes me!"

He pushed Hoagy forwards. "Y-You do somethin' so he'll like you."

"L-Like me?" Hoagy gulped.

"Yeah. Do somethin' to make him like you."

"Huh?" Elliott cocked his head in perplexity.

Hoagy held out his container of alcohol. It was not filled up all the way, yet he hoped this would make-up for a form of peace offering to the dragon. "Elliott, would you… world you like a little b-belt, huh?"

Elliott bent down and sniffed the container. He paused for moment, taking a stronger whiff of the contents. He opened his mouth. Hoagy calmly poured what was left into the dragon's open mouth. The liquid flowed onto Elliott's tongue like a waterfall. Once it was all gone, Hoagy stepped back. Elliott rose to his full height. At once, a gurgling noise came from the dragon's stomach.

Hoagy and Lampie exchanged the same look between each other. What could be happening?

Elliott started hissing. Then roaring. A burst of flames shot out of his mouth. The two men screamed in alarm. They raced for the cave's entrance. The flames continued to lurch out of the dragon's mouth and bounced across the cavern floor. In the midst of the confusion, Lampie threw his lantern aside, shattering glass all over the place.

Once they were in the clear, Lampie headed for his lighthouse up the cliff. Hoagy hurried along the beach to the town. Neither one of them looked back. Not even to see the dragon gasping for air. Not even to see the shadowy creatures rising up from the sand.

* * *

"Is it… Is it two part fish oil and three parts seawater… and six parts potato squeezings, or is it only two parts seawater?"

Doctor Terminus turned to Mortimer. "Hmm?"

Mortimer shrugged. He leaned back against the wooden crate behind him, a newspaper in his hands. He was glad to be out that tavern. After Hoagy had left, Terminus had decided to return to his wagon. He was now hard at work, mixing potions to sell to the townspeople he had made deals with already. Cinnamon Teal was outside, keeping watch in case somebody tried to disturb them.

All of a sudden, Hoagy came barging into the space. He was quivering like someone who had seen a demon in the real world. He held up both his hands, desperately trying to seize the doctor's attention.

It seemed to work. Terminus gazed at him. "_Ten_ parts seawater, hmm? That much?" he chuckled as he continued the procedure. "No wonder they love it."

Cinnamon Teal came marching in. Her hands on her hips and she was scowling. "This fool came storming in here, saying he 'saw it'."

Mortimer lowered the newspaper. "Saw what?"

"S-s-s-s-s-s… Saw it," Hoagy murmured. "El-El-El… Dra-Dra-Dra…. "

Terminus paused, a little puzzled about why his assistant did not make any sense. "What is an 'el-el-el dra-dra-dra', hmm?"

"Dr-Dr-Dragon. I-I saw the dragon. L-Lampie wasn't lying. It's real. It belched flame at me."

"'Belched'?" Cinnamon Teal quizzed.

"You saw a belching dragon?" Terminus added along. "You sure you weren't belching yourself in front of the mirror?"

Hoagy was _still_ shaking something terrible. "N-Never saw anything so horrible in my life. Th-Thought I was a goner. There was no need for him to do that. I only offered him a sociable drink."

Dr. Terminus slammed down the glass beaker in his hand. "Hoagy, I can't stand you when you're drunk."

Hoagy held out his arms. "Doc, look at me. I'm not drunk. What I saw tonight sobered me in a second. I swear… I swear to you, all of you, there's a big, _horrible_ dragon… up in that cave, I swear."

Terminus turned to face his assistant. "I just realized, I can't stand you when you're sober!" he pointed to the door, which was not much of a "door"; just an opening in the canvas. "Now, get out of here. Get yourself a good, stiff drink. Out!"

"I swear. A vicious dragon."

Terminus raised his voice. "Out!"

Hoagy hurried out of the wagon in a flash. Terminus shook his head as he returned to his work.

"'Dragon'," Cinnamon Teal muttered. She leaned back against the canvas-covered boxes behind her. She placed her hands behind her neck and closed her eyes. All the while, she was shaking her head at a snail's pace.

"I wonder what this world's coming to," Dr. Terminus murmured out loud. "Dragons are supposed to be mythical creatures here. There can't be any _real_ ones."

Mortimer rolled his eyes and returned to his newspaper. Deep, deep down, he was not as easily unconvinced. After all, Maleficent had the power to turn into a dragon. He remembered once hearing about a world where, according to legend, the landscape had been created by dragons.

Even if dragons did not actually exist in _this_ world, they certainly did elsewhere.

* * *

The scent of sea salt was in the air. The not-too-distant crashing of the waves against the shoreline made Sora feel right at home. Such sounds were quite comforting. After all, he _was_ from a tropical island! He enjoyed swimming in the shallows, snorkeling on the reefs, and taking long naps in the sand while leaning against palm trees.

He recalled the time his uncle and aunt (on his Dad's side) had taken him and Amemi to the great reef near a smaller, volcanic seamount. The island that had once been surrounded by that reef was said to have collapsed in a massive eruption centuries ago.

He smiled as he remembered snorkeling along the coral and millions of tropical fish. A turtle or two had passed the two siblings by. At one point, he heard a song starting to play, mostly clam-like sounds. That was when everything had gotten bizarre. The congo-line he had seen his sister joining. The fish playing sea-made instruments. It all had… now that he thought about it, it had all resembled that undersea musical from _**Atlantica**_.

No one had believed him about _that_! Well, except for Amemi. Apparently, it was one of those things where you had to actually _be_ there to know it was truthful.

His focus returned to him. Amemi was not with him now. Just Donald and Goofy were by his sides. His sister had gone for a stroll on the beach with Launchpad and Indigo. Since there was no sign of Heartless in this world, he had decided now would most-likely be the best time for such a walk.

At the moment, Goofy, Donald, and he were accompanying Nora and Pete through the town. Pete was all dressed up nicely, with a tannish suit and shiny, black shoes. He also had a checked dress cap plopped on his head. A case of schoolbooks was nestled under his arm.

"Do I have to go to school?" he asked Nora for what could have been the hundredth time.

"Well, unless you want to grow up stupid like the Gogans," Nora said for what might _have_ been the hundredth time.

This led to another few seconds of silence. Sora yawned, glad _**he**_ was not the one going to school this time! That incident back in _**Middleton**_ was still fresh on his mind. To him, there was nothing worse than being trapped in a classroom when there was trouble afoot not too far away.

At least, _this_ time, he would not be the one in the town's schoolhouse.

As the group strolled down the street, the docks came into view. Several old fishing boats were tied to the piers. Men milled about. Some were mending large nets. Others were preparing their sails. A few were scrubbing the algae off the sides of their boats' hulls. Sora noticed a pair of middle-aged fishermen working beside their boats. Somehow, he could overhear every word they said.

"I ain't got hardly nothin' to sell," one of them complained.

The other shrugged. "So?"

"I pulled my nets in," the first one explained. "And there weren't a fish in 'em."

A third fisherman stepped over. "I just docked," he told them. "There ain't nothin' out in that ocean but water. It's real strange, I'm tellin' ya. It's like every fish sorta _disappeared_. Just suddenly up and _disappeared_."

He pointed into the direction of Sora, Donald, Goofy, Nora, and Pete. "There's the cause of it. That kid, Pete."

"From the day he come to town," the second fisherman groaned. "The fishing turned sour."

The third fisherman frowned at the second. "Don't be ridiculous. It's the crazy dragon talk of his. That kid's been nothin' but bad luck wherever he goes."

The first fisherman gave a nod. He pointed to Sora and his companions. "And that young man's friends are not from around here. They all seem to bring bad luck wherever they go."

Sora had heard more than enough. It was one thing to blame others for one's problems. Yet, when _he_ _**and**__ his friends_ became the blamed, that was going well across the line.

He slid to a stop in his tracks and turned to the three fishermen. He scowled. "We didn't do anything!" he argued. "Fish swim around. So _what_?! We've got nothing to do with it!"

Donald, Goofy, Nora, and Pete all stopped when they heard the young man's words. They spun around to see Sora standing at the entrance to the pier. He had clenched fists and a heated scowl evident on his face. To top it off, he seemed ready to summon his Keyblade and drive the weapon's blade clear through one or more of the fishermen.

Fearing the worst, Donald and Goofy sped over to their friend. Goofy held out his shield and landed in front of the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder. The sight of the knight standing before him startled Sora.

Donald grabbed his right hand and tugged on it. "C'mon! Let's hurry away from here!"

Sora leaned against the duck's pulling. "What's wrong with you guys?! They just said _**we**_ were to blame for their bad luck!"

Donald stopped pulling. His astonished expression rapidly became one of anger. He turned to the three fishermen and waved his fist at them. "_**What's the big idea**_?!" he yelled.

Goofy shook his head and looked down sadly. "Aw shucks…. Not you, too, Donald."

Nora scowled at the fishermen. "You're a bunch of superstitious ding-dongs," she stated, sounding tougher than Sora had expected. "You know that fishing grounds shift from time to time."

Pete's eyes lit up and he grinned. "Elliott'll make the fish come back."

The third fisherman rolled his eyes and groaned from irritation. "There he goes, talkin' dragons again."

"Hey, kids!" the second fisherman stated. He pointed at Pete. "There ain't no room in this town for a dragon," he then pointed directly at Sora, Donald, and Goofy. "And there ain't no room in this town for _jinxes_ like you, neither!"

"_**WHAT**_?!" Donald glared with such intensity, his head became a fiery red color. "_**I'LL SHOW YOU**_!"

It took everything Goofy had to hold the magician back before he did something he would regret for some time to come.

"Well," Nora scoffed. "If there's enough room for a chowderhead like you, then there's _more_ than enough room for a dragon."

Sora crossed his arms and nodded. "Yeah!" He knew the lighthouse keeper's daughter had a valid point. Of _course_, there was _**plenty**_ of room in this world for a dragon!

Nora strode forward and grabbed a rope tied from the pier to the mast of a nearby fishing boat. "_There's room for everyone in this world, if everyone makes some room_," she declared. "_Won't you move over and share this world? Everyone make some room_."

Sora gave another nod. He started to smile a little. "_Even a dragon deserves a place — a wide-open space — with no reins, no chains. He wants to play games, dance with you. Give him a chance. He only wants to be belong._"

Pete beamed, which made Sora want to grin a little more. "_There's room for everyone in this world. Will everyone make some room?_" the boy declared in turn. He gestured around as a group of schoolchildren stopped to watch. "_Spread out while Elliott gets uncurled. Fly on his back and __**Zoom**_!"

Nora and Pete started to chant together. "_Rock him, and ride him, and line up beside him. You'll see how quickly you blend_."

Nora took a step forward. "_A dragon is just one more stranger in search of a friend_."

The chanting started to turn into what seemed to be singing. Donald and Goofy turned to Sora. All the brown-haired young man could do was shrug. All this reminded them of a musical. Yet, how was _that_ possible? Was this world somehow in the middle of a musical?

It almost felt like something straight out of a fourth-wall-style joke from a movie or show. Similar to the types of jokes used on Amemi's favorite animated show. Or the lines Launchpad liked to use here and there.

"_From an ant to a bird to a buffalo herd_," Nora continued. "_Let them walk and fly and roam. Step aside, let them live, it's simple to give. Like us, they just need a home_. _There's room for everyone in this world. Back up and make some room. Let's all move over and share this world. Everyone make some room_."

Nora pointed out to the wide, open sea. Sora noticed some seagulls in the distance. "_Just think how far out the ocean goes, the whirling wind blows shore to shore, door to door. Think of the valleys, the mountaintops, the Earth never stops. So deep so high, with miles of sky, we all have part of the pie_."

Everyone started to move around, like they were choreographed. In fact, the schoolchildren sliding around in a circle in two directions and then climbing all over the wooden towers near the schoolhouse seemed to resemble a musical, too.

The whole scene made Sora want to shake his head. It seemed his previous thought process had just been confirmed.

Nora sat down on a swing-set and started to swing. "_There's room for everyone in this world_," she called out. "_Will everyone make some room? Love given freely can spare this world. Let friendly feelings bloom_!"

"_Just give an inch_," Pete and the other schoolchildren proclaimed. "_Give a yard, never flinch, when the comes to offer a hand_."

Nora hopped off the swing and approached the wooden towers. "_So, let's all make sure we give everyone somewhere to stand._"

The schoolchildren started to clamber down the towers. "_Just the way God planned it_."

Nora gave a nod. "_Just the way God planned_."

_**DING! DING! DING! DING!**_

The large bell outside the schoolhouse started ringing. All of the schoolchildren grabbed their books and hurried to the buildings. The schoolteacher was standing outside, a wooden pointer in her right hand. To Sora, she looked a little _too_ mean to be an instructor. In fact, she resembled a _principal_ instead.

Pete was the last one down the towers. He headed for the schoolhouse. Nora turned to Sora. "I have to talk to the teacher about letting Pete into her class," she informed him.

Sora gave a nod. Since there were no Heartless roaming the streets of the town, he knew they had nothing to worry about. Deep down, he found the very concept of no Heartless in a world rather strange. Typically, those creatures were creating all sorts of mayhem by the time he and his teammates arrived.

However, it seemed the Heartless had not shown up here. Perhaps his Keyblade had made a mistake for once. No Heartless meant a world was at peace. Then again, why _would_ his weapon open a pathway to this world if there was no trouble here? It did not make any sense to him.

As Nora strolled away, Sora turned to Donald and Goofy. "We might as well look around town," he said.

"What about thuh dragon tales?" Goofy mentioned. "Ya sure it ain't one of them Heartless?"

"'Dragon Tales'," Donald muttered aloud. "Wasn't there a show with that name?"

Goofy grinned. "Oh, yeah! A-Hyuck! I _knew_ it sounded awful familiar!"

Donald slapped his hand against his face so hard, it left a small mark on his otherwise white feathers.

Sora wanted to roll his eyes. He turned to leave and signaled for his friends to follow. It was not long before the three were heading down the road towards the town square. People were milling about all over the place. Some were coming in and out of the various stores along the street. Others were carrying lumber to the docks. A few horse-drawn carts rolled by, delivering everything from crates of eggs to fishing nets.

The whole scene made Sora long for home. This was similar to most of the daytime back on the island's docks. The only notable difference was _this_ world had less-sophisticated technology in comparison to the islanders' hi-tech equipment.

They strode past a shop's window. A shiny item caught his eye. He halted in his tracks, resulting in Donald and Goofy ramming into him.

Without a word, the young man doubled-backed to the window. A yellow, crown-shaped necklace sparkled in the sunshine streaming through the glass window.

"What is it?" Donald asked.

Sora stared at the trinket in surprise. "That necklace," he said out loud. "It looks so… familiar."

Donald and Goofy glanced at each other in puzzlement. What was the seventeen-year-old Keyblader talking about? True, the necklace _did_ possess a similar shape to his own. However, it was a different color and looked like something a girl would wear instead. Unless….

Was he planning to give it to Kairi for Christmas? They hoped their friend had not forgotten to do all his shopping _**before**_ this quest started! He would have a _lot_ of last-minute cramming to get through otherwise. Of course, that was so like Sora.

Sora turned to his friends. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his navy-blue wallet. He opened it and watched as the Munny inside transformed into a badly-wrinkled bill and one half of another. He sighed. "Do you guys have any Munny?" he inquired.

Donald and Goofy emptied their pockets. Goofy ended up with a handful of potions and hi-potions. All Donald had was a few pieces of torn cloth, an old naval patch, and some Ethers.

"Sorry," they both said, a bit saddened. They could have helped Sora resolve his shopping dilemma. Unfortunately, it seemed they did not have money.

Sora turned to the necklace. How would he afford that now? He wondered why it seemed so nostalgic to him.

At that moment, several screams filled the air. Sora, Donald, and Goofy whirled their attention to the street. People were backing away from the middle of the road, forming somewhat of a circle around a group of shadow-like creatures with yellowish eyes and antennae and claws.

Mayor Howell was standing before them, waving his cane at them. "I told you to get _out_ of my town!" he declared.

One of the creatures jumped and bumped its way into the man. The Mayor fell backward. "So, _that's_ the way you play?"

The creature raised a sharp claw at the man's chest. Sora's eyes widened. "_**Heartless**_!" he yelled in complete alarm.

In a flash of Light, his Keyblade was in hand. He charged into the horde. In no time, he was surrounded by the hostile monsters. Seeing the Heartless about to slash their claws at the Mayor, Sora gasped. "_**Look**_ _**out**_!"

He reared back and lurched himself forward. His Keyblade went spinning through the air. The weapon travelled clear through the Heartless pinning the Mayor down. The older man clambered to his feet and turned to Sora.

The brown, spikey-haired youth glanced at the Mayor, then he returned his focus to the Heartless. "Take cover!" he instructed.

The Mayor hurried away. Sora glared intensely at the Heartless. He positioned his Keyblade into his fighting stance. That was when he noticed Donald and Goofy were by his side, weapons in hand. He nodded. "_**Try us**_!" he told the Heartless.

The Heartless closed in, forming an attack ring around the three. Sora took another look around. A few Large Body-type Heartless had joined the battle. With a nod, he rushed ahead and slashed his Keyblade directly into the first Shadow Heartless. The creature vaporized into Darkness before his eyes. He then proceeded to attack the next Heartless over.

Donald sent chunks of ice raining down on the Heartless trying to creep over to him. By the time the creatures surfaced from the ground, the ice crushed them flat and out of existence. A Large Body closed in. "_**Thundara**_!" Donald called, raising his wand high.

A few bolts of extra-charged lightning struck down on the Heartless. The creature exploded away into the Darkness.

Goofy charged in a zig-zagged path through the Heartless hordes. Three times a Large Body blocked his way. That was no problem for the Captain of the Royal Knights of _**Disney Castle**_! All he had to do was slide around them and slam his way in from the back. Then, he returned to his already-in-progress attack pattern.

Lots of loud screams and shouts were filling the air all around them.

* * *

From inside the wagon, Dr. Terminus was still busy preparing more of his (fake) remedies. Mortimer was reading a different newspaper. Cinnamon Teal was curled onto a makeshift bed of crates and sheets; her eyes were closed and she was breathing gently as though sleeping soundly. Hoagy was standing beside Doctor Terminus, keeping an eye on what his boss was doing.

When the shouts and screams came from outside, Terminus, Hoagy, and Mortimer all spun their attention to the doorway leading out. Cinnamon Teal opened her eyes, sat up, stretched, and rubbed her eyes. "What is all this noise?" she questioned.

"Must be a commotion," Mortimer grumbled.

Terminus turned to his assistant. "Hoagy, see what's going on."

Hoagy nodded and headed to the canvas-made entrance. He stepped outside for a couple seconds and came back inside. "There's some people fighting monsters in the street," he informed the others. "One looks like a boy with spiked hair. One is a duck, and the third one is a dog."

Mortimer's eyes grew wide. "Don't tell me," he exclaimed. In a hurry, the tall mouse was at the entrance. He stared through the canvas at the view outside. He looked back inside, a scowl on his face. "It's that stupid runt wielding the Keyblade. And Mick's pals are with him."

Cinnamon Teal's hand flew to the side of her face and landed gently on his cheek. "They are here," she realized.

Terminus gave a slight rolling of his eyes. "Those fools could ruin our plans."

That was when Mortimer saw the sneaky look showing in Cinnamon Teal's rather hypnotic eyes. "We should set a trap for them," the duck-woman decided.

Mortimer found himself giving a sinister grin in turn. "Yes," he approved. "They won't know what hit 'em. Ha cha cha!"

"But for now," Terminus spoke up. "Let's keep a _low_ profile. We do not want to rouse suspicion to our plans."

The others all nodded in agreement. There was silence in the wagon for some time.

* * *

The fighting went on for a while. Sora continued to slash, slice, and stab his way through the Heartless as they approached him. One Heartless tried to jump on his shoulders. He quickly spun around and swiped his blade through the attacker.

After a few minutes, all the Heartless had been vanquished. Sora wiped some sweat off his forehead. He looked up into the sky. The Sun's rays were not beating down as much as they did back home. Yet, they were _still_ hitting the ground enough to make any form of workout exhausting after a while.

Mayor Howell approached the three. Sora, Donald, and Goofy put their weapons away and turned to face him. "Well done," the older man grinned. "I think such _brave_ actions deserve a key to the city, but since we're not a city, we don't have one."

As the Mayor laughed, Sora found himself beaming. He felt proud, being recognized for helping protect others from the Heartless. It was rare for somebody to congratulate him. He was still not used to such praise. He would probably _never_ be accustomed to it.

"Yeah," Donald declared with delight. "And it's because we're heroes!"

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy leaned in close to the duck's eyes. "Ya mean '_Honorary_ Heroes', Donald."

The Royal Court Magician frowned at the knight's correction. Sora knew this statement. Donald had repeatedly made such claims before on their last _major_ quest to save all the worlds. The one where they had to bring down the original Organization XIII. He even recalled how Megara had questioned Donald's claim on one such occasion.

"Well, well," the Mayor said. "I believe you still deserve a reward. How's _this_ suit you?"

He held out a wad of dollar bills. Sora stared at it in surprise. He held up his hands. "No thanks," he said. Through the corner of his eye, he saw Donald and Goofy falling forward in disappointment.

The Mayor continued to hold out the money. "I insist," he said. "This came out of our 'heroic fund'."

Sora had to shrug. "Okay," he said, accepting the money. Maybe now he could buy that necklace. And he knew just who needed such a piece of jewelry….

The sound of a bell ringing filled the air. Everyone nearly jumped at the noise. "That's the school's bell," Goofy mentioned.

Several shouts and screams echoed into their ears. Sora nodded. "Let's check it out!"

The three hurried down the street. In took less than two minutes to reach the schoolhouse. Even with so many people gathering around the building to see what was going on.

By the time they reached the schoolhouse, Sora, Donald, and Goofy had to practically push their way through the last few people to reach the building's entrance. They stared at the building in surprise. A large, gaping hole was in the wall on two sides of the structure. Plus, the bell was missing from its post beside what was left of the building.

"_Jehoshaphat_!" a man declared. "Would you look at that!"

"_Whoa_!" Sora marveled at the sight. The cut-out resembled a giant creature. He wondered if the Heartless had attacked the schoolhouse while the ones in the street had just been a diversion.

"What happened?" Sora asked.

"Pete's dragon wrecked the school!" someone shouted in reply.

Sora's eyes lit up in a hurry. So, the "dragon" Pete had been talking about was _**real**_?! Maybe it _was_ a Heartless after all! Now, he just needed to know why the creature had attacked the schoolhouse of all places.

The teacher was seated on the front steps. She looked as spooked as the last time Donald and Goofy had seen Jack Skellington's pet ghost, Zero. "And a dragon came in through one wall," she was telling a reporter. "And went out the other wall."

Sora was beyond startled. He _needed_ to get down to the bottom of this — _**now**_! As a wielder of the Keyblade, his duty was to protect and serve those the Darkness threatened. That also included his sister, his friends, and everyone in this town.

His sister. _**Yikes**_! What if this monster was heading for the shoreline?! From the looks of things, it seemed the creature had headed off into the direction of the lighthouse. Would Indigo, Launchpad, and Amemi be able to hold off a dragon Heartless? He could not allow them to face it alone.

The last dragon Heartless he had fought had proved quite the challenge. And it had been a dangerous battle besides.

He turned to Donald and Goofy. "C'mon! We've _gotta_ return to the lighthouse! The dragon might be headed that way!"

"Ya think it's dangerous?" Goofy inquired.

"Who knows?" Donald shrugged. "But the Heartless might be there already."

Sora gave a nod. He hurried down the street. Donald and Goofy were directly behind him. True, they did not have any solid proof that the dragon Pete had called "Elliott" actually _was_ responsible for the Heartless' presence.

However, Sora was not one to take chances — _especially_ on this particular quest! Not with so many things having gone wrong in the last handful of worlds.

* * *

The wagon seemed rather noiseless for a change. Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal knelt before a large crate. On the surface of the box was a piece of scrap paper. A bunch of doodles and other markings dotted it.

"Let's see," Mortimer thought aloud. "What kinda size trap do we need?"

"Maybe one big enough to swallow a ship," Cinnamon Teal suggested.

Mortimer grabbed a pencil and started adding to the drawings. He grinned. "Now, all we need is bait."

The sound of a bell ringing entered the wagon. Doctor Terminus groaned. "Why do I hear a bell ringing?" he muttered.

Hoagy grinned. "School must be out."

"It's too early, stupid."

Hoagy peeked out through the canvas entrance. He turned his face back inside. "See," he pointed to the opening. "I told you. School is out."

Shouts and screams entered the interior of the wagon. Cinnamon Teal scowled in irritation. "What is all this noise?"

"Wait!" Terminus paused, almost like he sensed something amiss. He turned to Mortimer. "Go see what's happening."

Mortimer rolled his eyes and rose to his feet. He headed for the exit and stepped outside. He was a bit astounded. People were milling about near the schoolhouse. "What's going on out here?" he asked the nearest member of the crowd.

The older man turned to face the tall, long-snouted mouse. "Something crashed right through the school," he told Mortimer.

Mortimer headed down to the street. "Get serious!" he stated.

The man pointed to the schoolhouse. "Look at it, I'm telling you. It's a big hole in the side of the wall."

Mortimer marched for the school. He shoved his way through the crowd of spectators. "Move outta the way!" he said over and over to the annoyed bystanders.

When he reached the building, Mortimer got a better look at what the older man had meant. The side of the schoolhouse had a large cutout about the size of a giant Heartless. However, it did not look like any Heartless _he'd_ seen before. And he had seen _**lots**_ of types of Heartless!

The sight of the creature's shape made Mortimer show a sinister grin. An idea crossed his mind. Perhaps they did not need to sell a bunch of fake remedies to get rich, rich, rich and fund whatever Maleficent was up to for her next scheme.

Deep down, he was still wondering why the evil fairy wanted anything financial-related in the first place. It seemed a little out-of-character for her. Then again, he had also learned never to ask questions when it came to Maleficent's plans, whatever they were.

He about-faced and headed back to the wagon. This time, everybody made space for him to pass. Once he reached the canvas opening, the tall mouse strode inside. "I have an idea," he declared, still giving a sinister grin.

Doctor Terminus, Hoagy, and Cinnamon Teal all whirled around to face him. "Why don't we buy this 'dragon'?" Mortimer suggested. "Remember what that crazy lighthouse keeper said? He's owned by a boy named 'Pete'."

Dr. Terminus looked a little puzzled. "You think this kid, Pete, would sell it?"

Hoagy gave a nod for Mortimer. "Money talks."

Terminus rolled his eyes. "First there's a dragon. Now he tells me money talks. Will miracles _never_ cease?"

Cinnamon Teal walked over to a nearby pedestal where a large book was kept. She started flipping through the pages, a look of curiosity in her eyes. "Dragons… dragons… dragons," she stopped on a specific page. She pointed to the page. "Here. Dragons."

Terminus set down the items in his hands and stepped to the tome. He scanned his finger along the page. "'_List of useful parts_'," he read. "'_Claws, ears, tongue_'…. "

He turned to the others like he had just seen a human fly effortlessly for the first time. "Hey, this could be a very profitable business. There are so many cures from bits of dragon."

Mortimer was unconvinced. He crossed his arms. "Like what?"

Terminus turned back to the book and started to flip through the pages. "'_Dragon whiskers_'," he read aloud. "'_Dragon toes… A dragon tooth… And a dragon nose…._'"

He grinned. "_Every little piece… every little piece…. We could make a million by slicing him, dicing him_."

He turned to his assistant. "_Hoagy, we could sell every little shell. There's enough of him to go around_," he fumbled his fingers like holding cash. "_Money, money, money by the pound_."

He grabbed a pair of scissors. "_I can take a scissor and clip him up, rip him up. Every little part is a work of art. Think of what a dragon heart would bring wrapped up in a ribbon and a string_?"

Hoagy seemed to smile brightly. He headed for the book and started reading. "'_Dragon liver can cure a cold… Dragon powder grows hair_'," he gasped. "'_With dragon blood, you'll never grow old_'."

Terminus held out his hands with glee. "_Every item is covered with __**gold**__! Dragon, you're my wagon to destiny! You're the key! Every little shred moving me ahead! Every dream of mine will be fulfilled! Oh, what a dragon business we can build!_"

Mortimer thought he heard some noise from outside. He peeked through the canvas entrance. His eyes widened. Large Body Heartless were appeared from the ground. He had never ever seen such a thing before. Such types of Heartless tended to simple appear from thin-air. This was the _**first**_ time he had seen them rise up from the ground.

He turned his head back inside to see Terminus and Hoagy both gathered by the book. "'_Dragon cartilage keeps you thin… Dragon fat is for burns_'," they gasped. "'_A dragon tear will clear up your skin_'."

Doctor Terminus raised his hands back up in delight. "_Watch the profits come rolling __**in**_! _Oh, lead me to the dragon! I'll __**buy**__ him up, __**tie**__ him up, __**drag**__ him from the cave! Show him that I'm brave_!"

He gave a laugh. "_I'll __**bind**__ him up! __**Grind**__ him up! __**Lop**__ him up! __**Chop**__ him up!_"

He turned to his red-haired assistant. "_Can't you hear that jingle-jangle sound_?"

Hoagy smiled. "Oh, yeah!"

Together, they proclaimed, "_It's money, money, money by the pound_!"

The sight made Mortimer realize the truth. Terminus's greed was drawing the Heartless into this world. If what that silly, old book stated was accurate, maybe they _could_ use the parts of the dragon everyone was talking about to make actual remedies.

So much for their con-job!

"Let's go pay Pete a visit," Dr. Terminus decided.

"Not me," Mortimer shook his head. "Not if Sora and his pals are there. If they're here, they'll recognize me."

Cinnamon Teal yawned and stretched. "And I need more sleep. Hypnosis is a tiring job," she strolled over to the makeshift bed and climbed in to sleep.

Terminus shook his head in turn. "Hoagy, you're coming with me."

Hoagy gave a nod. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

Sora's fears proved to be true. The whole way back to the lighthouse was lined with Heartless. It seemed the hostile creatures were awaiting the group's arrival. Not to mention, these ones seemed more of a challenge than the ones they had fought in the town. In fact, many of them were of the Large Body variety.

For all they knew, Amemi, Indigo, and Launchpad might be in trouble. After all, the three had gone for a stroll along the beach that morning. What if the Heartless had _already_ gotten to them?

Sora could not bear the thought of his _only_ sister being at the hands… err… claws of these Heartless. He _**had**_ to save her!

"_It's __**over**_!" he yelled as he sliced his Keyblade directly into the last Large Body blocking the road. The remaining Shadow Heartless scattered away. Donald used his magic to eliminate several of them. Goofy hurled his shield into the air. The spinning motion of the weapon eradicated the rest.

They continued on their way up to the lighthouse. Sora was nearly out-of-breath by the time they reached the old structure. He barely had enough breath to shout, "_**Amy**_!"

"I'm over here!" came a reply.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy swung their attention to the entrance doors of the lighthouse. There was Amemi, standing beside the building with Nora and Pete. Indigo was standing near the edge of the cliff, gazing out at the ocean. Launchpad was slouched against the lighthouse's foundation, his arms tucked behind his back and his legs crossed. He seemed to be dozing.

Not a single Heartless was in sight.

Sora gave a deep sigh of relief. He had been all worried for nothing. He calmly put his Keyblade away and strolled over to where the sandy-haired teenager was waving him over. Donald headed into the direction of where Launchpad was lounging. Goofy looked both ways and shrugged, unsure what to do.

"I'm glad you're okay," Sora told his sister as he approached the front of the lighthouse.

Amemi looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"The Heartless were in town. I thought they'd attacked here, too."

Amemi shook her head. "We haven't seen any Heartless here," she dipped a large paintbrush into a can of white paint. "Besides, Elliott's down in the cave. He'll scare them away."

Sora sighed. How could he explain to his sister how Elliott be actually _be_ the reason why the Heartless were in this world? Did she believe he was there to protect them?

All he _did_ know was the Heartless had suddenly shown up. When he and his team had first arrived, the monsters had not been around. Now they were. Just like when Donald, Goofy, and him had first crash-landed into the _**Deep Jungle**_. It was not until after Clayton had tried to shoot Terk that the Heartless had suddenly shown up and abducted both the young gorilla and Jane alike.

At least Amemi, Indigo, and Launchpad _seemed_ alright.

"_**Wake up**_!" Donald hollered at the top of his lungs. Launchpad literally jumped awake and banged his head against the side of the lighthouse. The impact was enough to leave a small crack in the foundation.

"Yeesh!" the pilot groaned as he rubbed his head. "Talk about a rude awakening!"

Sora had to shake his head and smile. He had not seen such a sight for a while. He had not realized (until now) he had started to miss the silly interactions between his teammates. When he had started out on this quest, all that squabbling had annoyed him up to the point he sometimes had been forced to demand they stop.

However, that felt like a lifetime ago now. So much had happened, and still the quest was not over.

He turned back to his sister. "Hey, what're you doing?"

"We're painting the lighthouse," Amemi explained. She took the paintbrush out of the can and started to slide it up and down the side of the building. "Nora and Pete could use some help, right?"

Sora shrugged. Although he was never one to do chores around the house, he did not mind lending others a hand every once in a great while. Besides, wasn't that what he already did while defending the worlds with the Keyblade?

He was not just a simple peacekeeper. He was more like a servant of the worlds. And they expected so much out of him.

"Why not?" he finally said.

Amemi stared at her brother. She smiled. "I didn't expect you to say that. Sora, I feel like you're finally growing up."

Sora placed his hands behind his head. "Who says I'm growing up? I'm still the same. I just want to help. That's all."

Amemi shook her head. "Yeah, you'll never change."

"Yeah!"

The two started to laugh.

* * *

From the nearby cliffside, Indigo spun her head back to see the brown-haired young man and sandy-headed girl laughing. The angel had to shake her head and smile. "Those two seem to be created from the same slice of peachy pie," she remarked.

She turned back to the sea. In the distance, a flock of seagulls caught her eyes. They seemed to be soaring away into the distance. Her left hand reached for her heart. Her antennae started to move. "Now, if only I could make out what this heart is telling me. All I can tell is… something about fading Light…. "

* * *

Sora carefully applied some brushstrokes using his paintbrush. It was a good thing Nora had several. Donald had dragged Launchpad over and the two of them were also helping, although the duck-pilot was getting paint all over himself.

Sora's thoughts went back to the necklace in the shop. He wondered where he had seen it before. It did look awfully familiar for some reason. Maybe his sister knew where he had seen it last?

He turned to Amemi. "Hey, Amy, have you ever seen a yellow necklace with a crown on it?"

Amemi's eyes remained focused on her work. "I remember having one like that until about two or three years ago," she shrugged. "I guess I lost it back home."

Sora was unconvinced. If his sister _had_ lost it, could it have ended up in the ocean and gotten washed out to sea? He recalled what Riku used to say about the worlds being connected to one another. In fact, the silver-haired youth had claimed the oceans were all connected to one another, allowing access between worlds via boats or rafts.

Maybe the necklace had been transported to this world from the islands? Unless…. Two to three years ago was about the time the _**Destiny Islands**_ had been lost to the Darkness. Could the Heartless had brought it here? That seemed to make sense to him. After all, he had found his favorite book lying in _**Hollow Bastion**_'s library while going through that whole "maze" thing. It even had his name scribbled in it. That had indicated it was the _same_ book. Not to mention, the book was missing from his room when he finally returned home after defeating Xemnas with Riku.

Could the Heartless have transported his sister's necklace here? It seemed likely. Now he _really_ needed to get that trinket from that shop!

A series of footsteps approaching caused Sora to turn his head to the side. Two men were coming to the lighthouse. Neither one of them looked familiar. One was a tall man with black, curly hair, a handlebar mustache and goatee, and blue eyes, and dressed entirely in black clothing, a matching cape, and a top hat. The other was a short, slender man with red hair and wearing a nice, gray suit complete with a bowler hat.

"Hey!" Sora said. He tapped on his sister's shoulder and pointed the pair out to her. This led to a chain reaction of grabbing everyone's attention. First, Amemi pointed them out to Nora. Then Nora to Pete. Pete to Launchpad. Launchpad to Goofy. Goofy to Donald.

Donald scowled at them; "I was _trying_ to paint!" he snapped.

Nora frowned when she the men approaching. "Well, if it isn't the infamous Doctor Terminus," she muttered.

Sora felt confused. "Who?"

"A troublemaker. He sells phony remedies everywhere he goes. Just to make a quick buck."

The taller man with the black cape grinned as the men reached the group. "Good morning, Miss Nora," he bowed politely. He gestured to the lighthouse. "So, this is where you live, eh? At last we've seen the light."

The man was only one chuckling. Well… except for Goofy and Launchpad. Then again, those two laughed at just about _anything_! It did not matter what it was. As long as it sounded funny to them.

"I tell you," the man went on. "You've got to have a sense of humor these days."

He eyed Pete rather closely. "And you must be Pete."

Pete gave a nod. "Yes, sir!"

The man gestured to himself. "I'm Doctor Terminus," he gestured to the red-haired man beside him. "And this is Hoagy, who's doing his internship with me."

Hoagy waved at everyone. Donald scowled, clearly not trusting the two men. Goofy waved back. "A-Hyuck! Hi!"

"I heard about the incident at the school," Terminus continued.

"I'd rather not discuss it," Nora said, crossing her arms. She turned back to the lighthouse.

"I realize you must be disturbed by it, and, uh, up to _here_ in dragons," Terminus quickly added. He gestured to his neck-level. "You know, Pete, I have always loved dragons. They're such _wonderful_ creatures — when they're not busy destroying things, of course."

Nora turned back. "What's your point?"

"I've had a dream since I was your age," Terminus pointed to Pete. "That one day… I would have my very own dragon. I would consider my life to be fulfilled… and would be most grateful if you would sell me your dragon."

Now Amemi looked perplexed. "You wanna _buy_ Elliott?"

"Sight unseen. As is."

Hoagy politely removed his hat. "We'll give him a good home. Bless him."

Pete shook his head. "I couldn't sell him."

"Sure you could!" Terminus countered. "That's what life is all about — buying and selling," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few items. "I'll give ya three dollars."

Hoagy leaned in close to the black-haired man's ear. Terminus seemed to answer whatever the red-haired man had said. Sora could not make out what the two were saying. Whatever it was, he had the feeling it was probably not something good.

The two men turned back to Pete. "Five… dollars," Terminus said.

"I can't sell him," Pete repeated. "I don't own him."

Terminus and Hoagy both looked astonished. "Well, what did ya do, rent him?" Hoagy asked.

"Well, _who_ owns him?" Terminus added, equally bewildered.

Pete shrugged. "Well, nobody, I guess. He just came to me. He only goes to those who need him."

"_I_ need him," Dr. Terminus emphasized.

Amemi stepped forward. "Look," she said. "I don't know exactly what you're up to, but forget it. Elliott's not for sale."

Terminus turned to the young woman. "Go paint your lighthouse."

Amemi scowled. She stormed to the doorway. It seemed she was going to head inside. Rather, she sat down and crossed her arms in irritation. Sora knew that look. It was the one his sister only gave whenever she wanted to be left alone.

Dr. Terminus turned his focus back to Pete. "Pete, my boy," he started to say. "You're conversant with Elliott. Now, talk to him. Tell him how much I need him. Deliver Elliott to me and the fiver is yours, and that's better than a dragon, hmm?"

Pete appeared to be hesitating in his response. Sora stepped forward. "Well," he said. "Maybe should talk to 'Elliott' yourself."

"Mm-hmm," Nora nodded.

Terminus glanced around. "Wh-Where is he? Does he speak English?"

Pete pointed to the shoreline. "Down the beach."

Terminus and Hoagy both whirled their attention in said direction. "Where?" the former asked.

"Right there," Pete instructed. "By the water."

"Right. I still don't see…. "

Pete smiled. "That's because he's invisible today."

"Oh, yeah!" Goofy laughed. "A-Hyuck!"

"I may not see him," Launchpad chuckled. "But at least I know he's not there," he paused. "Wait a minute. Did I say that right?"

Nora, Pete, and Donald all burst out laughing. Even Sora had to laugh. It now seemed Elliott was just a figment of Pete's imagination. Of course, that did not explain the damage to the schoolhouse. Maybe the shape had been a complete coincidence. In reality, there was no dragon.

Just the Heartless showing up in this world. This made him wonder how far and wide the Heartless had spread on this venture.

Doctor Terminus and Hoagy started off away from the lighthouse. They neared the enormous foghorn. Sora returned to his painting.

"Sora, can I ask you something?"

Sora spun around. He jumped back a few inches. There was Indigo standing directly behind him. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Why… How did you sneak up on me like that?"

Indigo smiled. "I flew down to you. I was in the air and saw the whole scene."

She pointed to Terminus. "We must keep an eye on Doctor Terminus. I can sense a strong Darkness inside his heart."

Sora nodded. He had the feeling the angel was correct. He had not liked Dr. Terminus from the moment the man had arrived at the lighthouse. Maybe it was his dark clothing. Then again, the spikey, brown-haired youth had seen magicians who wore similar outfits back on the islands. In fact, he recalled Amemi forcing him to watch an episode of "_**WordGirl**_" in which the main character and her family went to a magician's convention.

Still, Sora had the feeling Dr. Terminus was nothing like those fictional magicians from the shows and movies. He wanted to know what they were _really_ up to. Once he found that out, perhaps he and his friends could determine where all this talk about a "dragon" started.

Then, and only then, might they be able to get focused on figuring out where the Heartless had originated from here.

* * *

Doctor Terminus and Hoagy both waved goodbye with enormous smiles on their faces. Deep down, the former was only pretending to smile. In reality, he was furious. Why would Pete and Miss Nora mock him like this? All he did was ask to buy Elliott. Apparently, the dragon was no one's property. Therefore, it was his for the taking. He was sure of that.

He gestured for Hoagy to follow him behind the huge foghorn on the edge of the cliffs overlooking the sea. A small flock of seagulls flew away as the men ducked behind the contraption. Terminus turned to his assistant, a serious look on his face. "They know they're sitting on a gold mine," he told Hoagy. "Well, they've had their chance to make a few dollars."

Hoagy seemed puzzled. "Then, what is the plan?"

"You heard Pete," Terminus continued. "That dragon doesn't belong to anybody. He's fair game, and he's gonna be ours!"

He took out a pair of dull scissors from his cape. "_We'll __**bind**__ him up, __**grind**__ him up, __**lock**__ him up, __**chop**__ him up_," he gestured into the wind with his hand like listening. "_Can't you hear that jingle-jangle sound_?"

Hoagy gave a grin. "_Oh yeah_! _It's money, money, money by the pound_!"

No sooner had the words left the red-haired man did a deafening blast roar into their ears. Doctor Terminus held onto his top hat to keep it from blowing away. Hoagy's bowler hat went flying. He lunged at it and tumbled over the cliff. Terminus charged after him. The two men lost their footings and descended down to the sandy beach below.

Terminus landed face-first into the sand. He sat up and spat out a mouthful of sand. Hoagy was more fortunate. He had landed on his back and was just in a slight daze from the fall.

"Curse that boy with the Keyblade," Terminus grumbled. "Maleficent was right. I need to find reinforcements."

"What about those 'Heartless' monsters you, Mortimer, and Cinnamon Toast brought along?" Hoagy offered.

Terminus paused in thought. A sly grin appeared on his face. Maybe his assistant had a valid point, like he did every now and again.

* * *

Sora wanted to jump high into the sky. He might have ended up on the lighthouse's beacon had he actually done it. The sound of the foghorn going off was plenty to startle him. He whirled his attention to the entrance of the lighthouse.

There was Goofy, stepping outside. Launchpad was directly behind him. "Looks like we got rid of them birds," Goofy chuckled. "A-Hyuck!"

Sora had to laugh. No wonder the foghorn had gone off. It was just a prank of Goofy and Launchpad's design. Amemi, Nora, Pete, and Indigo all found themselves laughing along with the seventeen-year-old Keyblader. No one laughed harder than Goofy and Launchpad (of course!).

Only Donald was not amused. "That was _**not**_ funny!" he scolded, stomping his feet in anger. "There's no fog out here!"

The door to the lighthouse banged open. Out came Lampie. The older man was filled with alarm and rushing around in a heated frenzy. "_**Fog**_! _**Fog**_!" he hollered. He looked this way and that way. "_Where's_ the fog?!"

"There's not much fog," Nora explained.

"Gawrsh!" Goofy added in. "We was only gettin' rid of a few buzzards."

Lampie stared at the knight and his daughter at the same time. "Few buzzards," he frowned at the latter. "Nora, how many times must I…. "

His words trailed off. Sora shrugged and continued on with his painting. He laughed. "I was wondering if this was going to be fun," he commented. "I always thought work was boring. But, doing it here, it feels more fun."

Donald and Goofy exchanged looks of surprise. "Do you think Sora's feelin' okay?" Goofy whispered.

Donald shrugged. "I don't know," he whispered back. "But he's been acting weird all day."

"Oh, yeah! Ya mean thuh necklace?"

Donald gave another nod. "Yeah!"

"This _is_ fun," Amemi approved her brother's statement. "I never imagined I'd hear Sora say such a thing."

Sora stopped painting long enough to give his famous grin. "What did you expect?"

Indigo shook her head and smiled. "I had the feeling anyone as laidback as Sora was a hard worker inside."

Lampie gave a friendly grin. "If it's so much fun, I'm gonna leave it to you all to finish up," he yawned and headed for the door. "While I go in and take a nice, little nap."

Nora grabbed her father by the shoulders and held him back.

Pete was smiling brighter than Sora had seen him smile before. "This is the best time I've ever had in my whole life," he admitted.

"It is?" a surprised Lampie said.

"Yeah."

The lighthouse keeper turned to his daughter. "Tell him, Nora."

Nora turned to face Pete. Indigo, Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all turned their attention to her. "Pete," she said. "Lampie and I have talked it over. We feel the time has come for you to stop running."

"Yes, it's true," Lampie confirmed with a grin. "If it's all right with you, we'd like you to live here with us."

Pete opened his mouth in complete surprise. Through it, Sora could make out a smile full of delight. "Oh, Nora, Lampie, do you mean _this_ could be my real home?"

"It certainly does," Nora approved.

"And Elliot too?"

Nora seemed a little hesitant. "Well, I…. "

"Sure, and Elliott too," Lampie said for his daughter. "But Elliott has to live in the cave."

Pete beamed with the sensation one gets from being overjoyed. "All right, he will."

Everyone returned to their painting. Nora continued to smile as she said, "You know what?"

The others turned to face her. Nora opened her mouth to speak. What sounded like a song came leaping out. "_It's a brazzle dazzle day, so throw off the past and everything in it. That's the brazzle dazzle way, enjoying your time from minute to minute. Running through the sand without your shoes on_."

"_Shoes on_," Pete added along.

Nora gave a nod. "_Making sure that you don't keep your blues on_."

"_Finding a boat we can cruise on_."

Amemi smiled brilliantly in the sunshine. "_It's a brazzle dazzle day_," she sang aloud (or so it sounded to Sora). "_When you think of love and never of sorrow. That's the brazzle dazzle way_.

She winked at Sora. "_To do your work now and take off tomorrow_."

"_Flying through the air_," Lampie chimed in. "_You don't need wings on_."

"_Wings on_," Pete added.

Lampie gave a nod. "_Climb right up and feel the thrill it brings on. Rock with the wind as it sings on_."

Nora reached a little higher than the others. "_Ride higher and higher, and glide above the clouds. Free, no one to catch us or slow us. Even the birds are below us_."

"Hey!" Donald scowled, clearly offended.

Nora did not pay the duck mage any mind. "_It's a brazzle dazzle day. A lifetime of joy in just a few hours. All our brazzle dazzle years have just begun._"

"_We shall follow the Sun_," Indigo chimed in turn. "_And replay this brazzle dazzle day_!"

Soon, the entire group was chanting away as they worked. Sora had to smile. Pete was thrilled. He knew, without the shadow of a doubt, the boy finally had a place to call home.

Deep, deep, deep, deep down, he was wondering about the necklace from the shop….

* * *

**A/N: THAT'S THE END - OF CHAPTER 40!**

**SORALEGO278: SHEESH! I spent a LOT of time putting this one together!**

**AMEMI HIKARI: You did?**

**SORALEGO278: Yes. It was not easy including all those "'Musical Segments'" either. "**_There's Room For Everyone_**" and "**_Brazzle Dazzle Day_**" are two of my favorite songs from the movie, in addition to "**_Candle On The Water_**" (of course!) and "**_Bop Bop Bopbop Bop (I Love You, Too)_**".**

**AMEMI HIKARI: I like those ones, too, but I've never seen the movie.**

**SORALEGO278: Then, how DO you know the last song? It hasn't appeared in there!**

**AMEMI HIKARI: It's a S-E-C-R-E-T!**

**SORALEGO278: Alright, let's leave it at that. So, I would like to go over some things before I sign out for today.**  
**(1.) That opening villain scene was originally supposed to appear at the end of Chapter 39. Yet, since that "**_Candle On The Water_**" scene turned out so well, I decided to end it there.**  
**(2.) You might want to take note of Sora's attention to the necklace for the shop. It might have a role in the story to come!**

**AMEMI HIKARI: What role?**

**SORALEGO278: TBR (TO BE REVEALED)!**  
**(3.) Now, as for the sequence with the Heartless, I had a little trouble trying to visualize that whole part in my mind as a I wrote it.**

**AMEMI HIKARI: You might want to stop listening to WordGirl music while you're working.**

**SORALEGO278: Actually, I think I was listening to a playlist with _Disney_, _Ever After High_, _Monster High_, and _LEGO_ songs throughout it. Either way, I need to continue.**  
**(4.) I know, Indigo and Launchpad did not have much when it comes to roles in This Chapter. Still, I DID include some foreshadowing with one of them.**

**AMEMI HIKARI: You DID?!**

**SORALEGO278: Yes, I did! As a matter of fact, I have been doing such throughout This Story. Keep an eye out as This Story continues on for at least 30 More Chapters. I will not tell you when or what I was referring to. Same with "'_Kingdom Hearts - World Unto Dreams_'"!**

**AMEMI HIKARI: Does this mean Chapter 40 is done?**

**SORALEGO278: Yes, it does. So, Amemi, thank you for coming today!**

**AMEMI HIKARI (Curtseying): Sure! I'm going to let Sora know how wonderful this experience was.**

**SORALEGO278: So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!"**


	41. Ch41 - The Coming Darkness Storm

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: Well, I have returned - with Chapter 41! Hip-Hip-Hooray!**

**Okay, I know I do not seem as excited about releasing This Chapter. That is mainly due to 2 reasons.**  
**(A.) The number of Views on This Story have dropped significantly. Ever since Chapter 40 was posted not too long ago. I have not told Amemi about this, yet I have the feeling she and Sora are NOT pleased! I Hope neither or them decide to quit due to this sudden lack of Views/Reviews alike. If this happens, the story shall have to be either postponed or it may end up being cancelled altogether.**  
**In fact, at the rate Reviews have been posted, there is no way the Review Goal shall be reached by the time Chapter 69 is posted. Should this happen, I am either going to just complete This Story and its sequel and cancel all the other KH Stories I have planned (including the Prequel I started last year), or I might just skip the sequel and all the other stories with it, making "'_Kingdom Hearts - Season OF Light_'" my last KH Story on here.**  
**(B.) I have been dealing with a LOT of problems in my daily life as of late. I cannot and will not discuss any of it with anybody. The details are strictly confidential! All you need to know is that it has caused me to not be as enthusiastic about posting Chapter 41.**

**As it is, I was under the impression you were alright with "'Musical Segments'"; Chapter 40 had at last 3 such segments. Since that chapter did not do so well, I have the feeling nobody truly enjoys those parts. Therefore, this may very likely be the Last Disney-Based World in all my KH Stories to feature "'Musical Segments'".**

**So, with all that aside, I... I decided to postpone the Trivia I originally had planned for This Chapter for Chapter 42.**

**In other words, GO AHEAD! READ TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! AND PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO REVIEW, TOO!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 41  
The Coming Darkness Storm**

_The wind blew gently through the treetops. She smiled brightly at the dragon sitting beside her. His messy, purple hair seemed to stand out against his green, scaly skin._

"I look in your eyes and you whisper sweetly_," she sang to him. The dragon chanted along, "_**Bop Bopbopbopbop! Bopbop Bop! Bopbop Bop! Bopbop Bop!**_"_

"We don't match in size, but we fit so nicely_."_

"**Bop Bopbopbopbop! Bopbop Bop! Bopbop Bop! Bopbop Bop!**_"_

"It's nice waking up when you're close beside me, humming in my ear_."_

_The dragon muttered something into her ear. She hugged the creature. "Remember the night when you first confided? Things went so right that we both decided."_

_She let go and turned to gaze into the distance. A long, dirt road led down towards a large coastline. A town could be seen down below with a lighthouse on the cliffs on the other side._

"_Now we're together and life is perfect," she said, turning back to the dragon. "I'm glad I don't have to be alone."_

_The dragon started singing aloud. She smiled all the more. "Your voice is the sound of an angel singing, music I wait to hear. I love you, too, Elliott."_

* * *

The inside of the wagon was the busiest it had been all day. Ever since the Heartless had shown up in town, the local population had started to panic and rushed to Doctor Terminus for help in defending themselves and their property against the vicious monsters. People were lined outside, eager to receive remedies for their injuries and anything to help keep the creatures from striking again.

Terminus and Hoagy had to work extra hard to keep up with everyone. Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal had decided to wander around the town in the meantime. After all, with everybody waiting in line, the local shops, hotels, and other public places were practically empty. Surely nobody would complain about seeing a tall mouse with a long snort and a duck-woman with black hair and hypnotic eyes strolling about.

As he strode down the street, Mortimer tucked his gloved hands into his pockets and leaned back. He started to whistle. Seconds after, Cinnamon Teal slapped her hand over his mouth.

"You are tone-deaf," she stated in irritation.

Mortimer groaned in annoyance himself. "Whatever, toots! Let's look for that '_Tome of Prophecies_' Maleficent wants."

The two approached the nearest shop. Through the window, Mortimer noticed a shiny necklace. It seemed to be made of gold and was shaped like a crown. He scratched his head. Why did this piece of costume jewelry look familiar to him?

The sound of a rickety wheel stole his focus. He looked to the left and tapped Cinnamon Teal on the shoulder. He pointed down the road. A wooden wagon was making its way along, pulled by a donkey. Four people were crowded in the vehicle. The sight of them made Mortimer want to hold his nose. They were old, all had long hair, and were wearing dirty clothes expected from someone who lived in the poor side of town during the days of the pioneers.

At least, as far as the anthropomorphic mouse was concerned. One of them was a rather large woman. She sat up in front next to an older man, who was driving with the reins. Two young men were in the back; one had an oily-looking hat.

The group approached Dr. Terminus's wagon. Hoagy was outside, gesturing to the next person in line to enter.

"Say," the older man in front said. "Have you seen anything of a mean, fresh kid?" he gestured with his hands to indicate someone's height. "'bout yea big? Answers to the name of 'Pete'."

"Half of the kids in this town answer to the name of 'Pete'," Hoagy answered with a smile. "Other half don't answer."

The young man with the hat clenched his fists. "Let me break his bones, Pa!" he demanded.

The older man held up his hand. "Just a minute!"

"This particular 'Pete'," the large woman said. "He's always talkin'… to his big, hokey-pokey, uh," she snapped her fingers, struggling to remember. "Uh, whatchamacallit, uh…. "

"_Dragon_," the other three said for her.

"Dragon," she repeated, completing her sentence.

Hoagy seemed a bit astonished. Mortimer sighed, knowing the red-haired man had somehow given away they knew about the dragon that had attacked the schoolhouse not long ago.

The woman turned to the older man. "Merle, this here's the place," she told her husband.

"Right ya are, Lena," Merle acknowledged her. He glanced at the two young men in the back. "Come on, Willie, Grover."

Willie (the one with the hat) and Grover both grunted in comprehension. The wagon continued down the street. Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal watched as it headed into the direction of the lighthouse. As it rolled along, the two also saw a swarm of Heartless rising from the street and giving chase.

Mortimer knew what this meant. That family of what appeared to be hillbillies had dark intentions. He wondered if there was a way to use this to his, Cinnamon Teal, Terminus, and Maleficent's advantage.

He headed for the wagon and pushed his way to the entrance. Several people shoved back, yet the taller mouse prevailed. When he got to the front, he found Terminus working with a middle-aged man. The latter was seated on a type of contraption that seemed like something straight out a book about torture chambers. A clasp was attached to the man's jaw and connected to a heavy weight on the other end of the gizmo.

Mortimer had to grimace at the display. This was a sickening sight, even for some of the things he had watched Maleficent do here and there. He knocked onto the side of the wagon. Terminus glanced at him and looked away. "It would be _unethical_ of me to leave my patient at a time like this," he stated.

"This's important," Mortimer declared. "It's about that dragon."

Terminus's eyes lit up. He turned to his patient and helped place the man's feet onto a pedal on the machine. "Put your foot on there," he instructed. "Now, _don't_ move, _stay_ tense, or that weight will fall, that clamp will break your jaw, tear your gums apart, and go through your cheek."

He followed Mortimer outside the wagon. The latter pointed to the wagon heading for the lighthouse. "See that wagon?" he indicated. "They were asking about the kid and his dragon."

Terminus frowned. "I _knew_ there'd be competition."

* * *

Sora grabbed a piece of cloth and wiped his forehead down. He looked up at the lighthouse. The building's paint job was finished. In fact, the place appeared a lot nicer than it had two hours and forty-seven minutes ago when they had started working. The white color seemed to glow in the mid-afternoon Sun's rays.

He looked around. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were largely covered in paint. As Goofy stepped away from the structure, his foot landed into Donald's bucket of paint. The knight stumbled over and his own bucket went flying. Sora stared in surprise as the bucket soared through the air and headed straight for Indigo.

"Indigo!" he called. "_Watch_ _out_!"

The angel turned in time to see the paint bucket tipping her way. With a rather shrill-ish scream, she ducked with her arms over her head. The bucket splashed down on her head, sending white paint spilling all over her.

Sora raced over and helped to remove the bucket from her head. Through his peripheral vision, he noticed Nora, Pete, and Amemi doing the same for Goofy, only under Donald's orders.

He sighed, knowing they had quite the mess to clean up. Messes always seemed to follow him wherever he went. Even his own bedroom was a nightmare to his Mom. At least Amemi knew had to keep things tidy.

Same with Kairi. Sora had visited her home a few times with Riku. If the fact she lived in the Mayor's Mansion was not enough to make him marvel, the size of her bedroom was plenty. He recalled how lavish it had looked, all the spotless carpeting, the tiled flooring in her own bathroom, the high ceiling, even the velvet curtains. The sight had always made him wonder if that was the way luxury liners had once been back in the early 1900s.

"_One_, _two_, _three_," he yanked onto the bucket with all his might. The container popped off Indigo's head. Sora's eyes grew and the bucket slipped from his hands. It bounced and rolled away after hitting the ground.

There was Indigo, covered in white paint. Her torso and arms were largely drenched in the sticky substance that seemed to stand out against her indigo color. Her hair was soaked in the paint and her antennae were drooping over her face. Even her wings had been hit, causing them to droop.

"_**Yucky**_!" she grimaced, shaking the still-wet paint off her hands. She frowned at Sora. "Thank you for warning me, yet I do not know if this paint shall be removed from my clothing."

Sora shrugged. "Can't you get another dress?"

Indigo's frown became a scowl. "This dress was made by my Mom. It cannot be replaced."

Sora felt a little stupid. Why hadn't he considered where the angel had gotten what she had? Then again, he never pondered over such stuff — until now. An idea lit up his mind. "How about you wash it off?"

Indigo stared at him. "How shall I do that?"

Sora paused, unsure how to answer. He glanced over at Nora and the others. His smile returned. "Ask Nora. She should know what to do."

Indigo shrugged. "I suppose."

She strolled away from the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder. She stopped and looked back. "If this does not work, you shall owe me a new dress."

She continued on her way. Sora remained where he was. As Indigo spoke with Nora and went inside the lighthouse, the spikey-headed young man stepped to the edge of the cliff and sat down. He looked out across the ocean. The waves far below seemed far off, yet still close by. He could see some seagulls flying through the air, too. And a girl on a broomstick with a black cat. _**[2.9]**_

He shook his head rapidly and looked again. The girl was gone. He scratched his head. Where had that girl come from? Was it all in his imagination? Whatever the case, he was glad to be at this spot. The sound of the waves. The squawking of the competition of the seagulls. The smell of the salt spraying high into the sky.

It all reminded him of his home back on the _**Destiny Islands**_. He closed his eyes, trying to picture the seashore. The Sun shining down. The fish in the sea. The waves washing all around him.

He _**really**_ wished he could be home in time for Christmas. This was the Holiday Season, and here he was busy fighting the Heartless, dealing with villains and villainesses aligned with Maleficent, and ultimately trying to save the worlds from the Heartless once more. If only he could finish all this up in time.

If only he could….

In the meantime, at least he was spending more time with his friends. Donald and Goofy had always stuck by his side despite any problems between them. He knew he could always count on them. Launchpad might not be the smartest one around, yet he seemed to help keep their spirits up with a laugh here and there.

As for Amemi, she was showing a side of her personality Sora had never really noticed before. Her adventurous style had caught him completely unprepared. Of course, her desire to explore unknown places had sometimes gotten her into danger. Thankfully, he had been able to rescue her regardless of what happened. Even if it meant facing a fearsome foe to do so.

Then there was Indigo. Other than her strong Light and self-determination to help, Sora was not sure how helpful she had been so far. Then again, she was the newest member of their team. He probably just needed to pay more attention to her actions in the numerous situations they ended up in.

Overall, he was glad to have his friends by his side. Maybe he would end up celebrating Christmas Day with them for a change! That was one of the things he had longed for since bringing down Organization XIII almost a year ago. Being able to spend time with his pals over the yearly holidays. It seemed his wish had been granted. Now, he just needed to get this quest over with so there would not be too much to worry about during such an important occasion as Christmas.

"Sora," a voice said. Sora opened his eyes. Someone was looking down at him. Their sandy hair and shiny blue eyes stood out. Sora flipped over in surprise. He turned around. "Give me a break, Amy!"

"Sora," Amemi's arms were crossed and she was shaking her head. She smiled. "What am I going to do with you?"

Sora shook his head and smiled. He pounded the side of his chest with his fist. "What'd you expect?"

The two started to laugh. The sound of it carried all the way to the lighthouse. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all turned to see what was going on. "Sora's done it again," Donald rolled his eyes.

"A-Hyuck! Yeah," Goofy chuckled. "That's our Sora!"

"And his sister's just like him," Launchpad remarked. "Even though she's a 'she' and he's a 'he'."

The noise of a rickety wagon wheel rumbling down the road filled the air of the vicinity of the lighthouse. Donald turned his eyes to the dirt roadway leading up to the top of the cliffs. His light-blue eyes grew in surprise at what was coming.

An old wagon pulled by a horse. Four people were in it. One older man, one older woman, and two young men. All were dressed in filthy clothes and had long hair. All of them gave off such a foul stench, the duck was already holding his nose.

The wagon stopped when it reached the end of the road.

"Well!" the older woman declared with a filthy smile. "If it ain't our own little Petey!"

Pete, Nora, and Lampie all turned their attention to see what was going on. Pete's eyes widened in alarm and he gave an audible gasp. "The Gogans!" he declared.

Moments later, Sora and Amemi had darted over. Sora had his Keyblade in hand and was lowering it to his fighting stance, ready for a fight. He knew that name. Pete had stated the Gogans were his abusive foster family. Not only did they stink from sweat and other filth, he could detect a strong sensation of Darkness coming from them.

Now he wondered if _they_ were the reason why the Heartless had suddenly shown up in the town earlier. Donald stood at the brown-haired young man's left, his wand out and ready for some action. Goofy was on the right, his shield in hand. Amemi held out her slingshot and stood between Donald and her brother. Launchpad stepped to Goofy's right and held up his purplish gas-gun. With the exception of Indigo (whom Sora knew was inside cleaning up after the paint incident), their entire team had formed a wall of defense against the Gogans.

"Well, you look so nice and clean, and those new clothes," Mrs. Lena Gogan commented. "I guess all those good manners I taught you done paid off."

Mr. Merle Gogan grinned when he saw Nora standing behind Sora and beside Pete. Lampie stood off to the side, next to the lighthouse. He gazed at the group, unsure what to say or do. "Who's that pretty lady you're with, little Pete?" he asked.

"Yeah," both Willie and Grover shouted at the same time. "Introduce us."

"I'm Nora," the young woman stated, a stern look on her face. "And Pete is staying with me."

Lena Gogan cackled. "Why, boys, I believe she and those other's tryin' to break up our happy little family."

Pete sighed and turned to Nora. "Elliott went to look for Paul," he informed her. "I wish he were here."

"Don't worry," Nora reassured him. "They won't get you."

"Yeah," Sora nodded. He held his weapon firmly. "Not as long as we're here protecting you."

"I guess we're gonna take him back now, miss," Lena Gogan added. She extended her hand. "To his own home, sweet home."

Nora gently moved Pete behind her. "You won't be taking him anywhere!"

Lena Gogan frowned. Sora sensed something dark coming from her heart. He knew that feeling. Darkness. _Strong_ Darkness. His feelings of dread were true. The Gogans were up to no good. They very likely could have brought the Heartless to town with them. If so, it would not surprise him. The Heartless tended to follow anyone with strong Darkness in their heart.

He had already seen multiple hearts succumb to it — several on this quest alone! Rourke had tried to manipulate the Heartless into helping him steal the Atlantean heart, which had nearly caused that world to be lost to the Darkness. Judge Frollo's heart had proven _**very**_ susceptible to such power and had fallen to the Darkness itself after falling from the cathedral of Notré Dame. Forté's heart had also given in sometime before Sora's team and the Beast had been forced to bring him down before he destroyed the castle. Even that infamous poacher, McLeach, had thrown in his lot with Maleficent and the Heartless, and the result was his doom at the base of that waterfall in _**The Outback**_.

Now, it seemed the Gogans might be the next ones to lose their hearts to the Darkness. Either way, Sora knew he could not allow them to leave with Pete.

"You're _**not**_ taking him!" Amemi stated.

"Okay," Mrs. Gogan scowled. "We're gonna take him whether you like it or not. That boy is ours!"

The Gogans hopped out of their wagon and approached the line of defenders. Goofy raised his shield, just in case someone threw something at him. Amemi aimed her slingshot, just in case.

Lena Gogan held up a piece of blue paper. The writing on it was difficult to make out. Nevertheless, Sora thought he saw the words "_BILL OF SALE_" inscribed across the top. "We got a bill of sale right here," she stated. "That says he belongs to _us_!"

"We bought him fair and square last year," Willie and Grover grumbled. "And we own the little _cuss_!"

Merle Gogan pointed to the paper's text. "Look here. Read the writin', that gives us a legal claim!"

"We got a bill of sale right here," Mrs. Gogan stated again. "With dear little Petey's name!"

Nora shook her head. "I _**don't**_ believe it!" he snapped defiantly.

"Lady, if ya don't budge," Willie and Grover seethed. "We'll pick ya up right where ya stand and bring ya before the judge!"

The two young men marched forward. Sora glared at them and swung his Keyblade. The blade smacked against the pair and sent them rolling to the edge of the cliff. They came to a stop near the foghorn, both lying on the ground. They struggled to get back up on their feet.

"You _can't_ have him," Nora stated. "You _don't_ love him. All you've done up to now is break his heart. You'll abuse him and just use him. _Watch out_, or I'll take you apart!"

"We'd like to see you try it," Mr. Gogan barked. "We got a bill of sale right here that says he belongs to us!"

Willie and Grover came marching back over from the direction of the foghorn. "Fight all ya want. Won't do no good to holler and fume and fuss!"

"Leave town," Nora ordered. "Keep on goin' before I can count to five!"

The Gogans approached Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi's line of defense. The five prepared to fight. At the same time, Sora's eye caught sight of something crawling on the ground beside the Gogans's wagon. A shadowy creature. He knew what it was in the blink of an eye.

A Heartless. There was the evidence he needed to prove the Gogans _had_ brought the Heartless with them. It now seemed the so-called "dragon", Elliott, had nothing to do with the creatures being in town after all. Clearly, he now owed Pete an apology.

A loud booming sound filled the air. It took Sora a few seconds to realize it was the foghorn blasting for a second time.

The Gogans were so startled, they lost their balance and bumped into one another. They turned to flee, only to keep pushing into on another and run in the wrong direction. They missed their wagon and instead tumbled over the cliff to the sandy beach below. The horse took off, pulling the wagon back down the road to the town.

Sora had to smile at the sight. At least those troublesome people were gone. The foghorn stopped. He wondered how the machine had started up again. Who had hit the switch this time?

All eyes spun to the lighthouse. The door opened. Out stepped Indigo. Her whole body was dripping wet with water. Her wings sagged behind her and her antennae drooped low on her head, although not as low as Sora had seen Violet's fall.

"Indigo?" Sora said in surprise. "_You_ turned that thing on?"

"I saw those people outside," Indigo explained. "When I sensed their Darkness, I knew they would be trouble, so I did what I needed to do."

"Good move," Nora smiled.

Pete ran up and gave the angel a hug. "Thanks, Miss Indigo," he said.

Indigo seemed a little out-of-place for a moment. She then smiled and hugged the young boy back. Sora was astonished at the display. So, did this mean Indigo was alright with receiving hugs? He knew from repeated scolding that Violet hated being embraced.

Now he was _**really**_ confused at what made someone an angel!

His mind started to wander. That was normal, considering he often had his head beyond the clouds and drifting in outer space much of the time. This was especially true when he was stuck in school all day. He was looking forward to the day when he could finally take online classes like Riku did.

Something shiny entered his mind. That golden, crown-shaped necklace from the shop in town. He suddenly remembered what he had been wanting to do once the paint job was finished.

Amemi put away her slingshot and headed over to Indigo. "Let's get you dried off," she suggested.

Indigo beamed as she and Pete separated. "Alright."

Sora knew his sister would be busy for a while. At home, there were times where she would spend long periods of time locked in the bathroom getting ready for the day. Who knows what she was doing in there all that time? One thing was for sure, she would be preoccupied with Indigo for the next several minutes or so.

He turned to Donald and Goofy. "Hey, wanna go back into town?" he questioned.

The mage and knight looked at one another. They shrugged and turned back with smiles. "Sure," Goofy nodded.

"Yeah," Donald grinned.

"Great!" Sora jogged towards the road into town. "Let's go!"

The three started down the road. "Sora!" a voice called, causing them to stop and look back. Amemi and Launchpad were standing at the top of the road's incline near the lighthouse. "Where are you going?" the sandy-haired teenager inquired.

"We're going into town," Sora replied. "There might be more Heartless around."

"Let me come with you!"

Sora shook his head. "Sorry, but," he swung his head rapidly back-and-forth between Donald and Goofy. He threw his arms around them and yanked them in close. "It's just for us boys!"

Amemi crossed her arms and started tapping her foot. Sora knew that look, too. It was similar to the one his Mom made whenever she was getting suspicious of his behavior. Just like when he, Riku, and Kairi had worked to construct that raft nearly two years ago.

Then again, it might _**have**_ been two years ago! Sheesh! Time sure flew by — even without wings!

"Then, what am I _supposed_ to do?" Amemi stated.

"Look after Violet!" Sora returned.

"And Launchpad!" Donald speedily added.

The duck-pilot shrugged. "Why can't _I_ come along? I'm a boy, too!" he paused as he strode down the slope. "I think. Come to think of it, I don't know _what_ I am. Having webbed feet, a beak, and feathers and wearing clothes. I feel like a _**duck**_-_man_!"

Donald smacked himself in the face. "Aw phooey!"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy turned and headed down the road towards the town. Launchpad started to run after them. By the time the duck-pilot had caught up, the group was well down the hill and started to step into the town's main street.

* * *

The town square seemed rather deserted for a change. Fishing boats were secured to the piers in a forest of masts. It was easy to look down one end of the street to the other and not see anybody about.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad shifted their field-of-visions this way and that as they strolled through the square. Lots of noise was coming from the local tavern. Same with a few other public buildings.

Sora was a little surprised. No one about. This was the exact opposite way this place had looked when they had first arrived in this world. He recollected how many people had gathered around him and his teammates to accuse them of causing mischief. Now, the town seemed to be turning into a ghost town.

"This is weird," he muttered.

Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all turned their focus to him. "What is?" the former questioned.

"This place was so lively earlier," the spikey-haired seventeen-year-old explained. "Now, it's quiet."

"_Too_ quiet," Goofy agreed.

Launchpad licked his finger and held it up in the air. "And I feel wind coming from the sea. Maybe a storm's on the way."

Either Sora did not hear the pilot's statement, or his mind was preoccupied with what he was doing. Whatever the case, he headed into the shop where he had first noticed that necklace on display. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad stepped up to the window and peered through.

There was Sora, speaking to the cashier. He pointed to the necklace in the window. Donald did not have to see more. He turned and stepped away. Goofy and Launchpad swung their attention to see the duck marching off.

"Where ya goin', Donald?" the knight inquired.

Donald did not answer. Deep down inside, he wanted to find something like that necklace for Daisy. At this rate, it seemed his cousin, Gladstone, would have a better present for her instead. And it was all because of this _stupid_, dragging-on quest!

He scowled at a piece of driftwood. With a fit of anger, he kicked the wood away. It flew through the air and landed beside the wagon parked on the other side of the square. The one with all those bizarre posters covering it. And that sail. Why would a wagon even _need_ a sail? It looked just plain _**ridiculous**_!

A figure standing outside entered his view. Donald's mind froze. It was a female duck sporting short, black hair containing periwinkle-colored patches along with a pink flower. Her long-sleeved, dark-magenta, kimono-shaped dress felt familiar. So did her black, high-heeled shoes.

When he saw her light-blue eyes with their half-closed, purplish eyelids, Donald gulped and tugged at his collar. Drops of sweat began to form on his face. He knew this duck, for she had hypnotized him long ago, back when he was in the navy.

Goofy and Launchpad came walking over. Goofy saw Donald's shocked reaction and turned his head into the same direction. One look at the duck woman and the knight stared in marvel. "Gawrsh!" he muttered aloud. "Ain't that there lady the one thuh King banished for doin' thuh 'eye thing' to Queen Minnie?"

Donald nodded. "Yeah," he gulped again. "And she _hypnotized_ me into stealing something from Uncle Scrooge's experimental submarine!"

Launchpad squinted, trying to make out who the "stranger" was. "Heh, she ain't Maryland Quackroe," he commented. "But she's the loveliest thing I've seen now."

Donald wanted to grab the duck-pilot's beak and yank him down to eye level to scold him for such a comment.

The door to the shop opened. Sora came strolling out, a plastic bag in his hand. He looked around and found his companions standing in the middle of the street. He stepped over. "Hey, what's up?"

Donald pointed at the duck-woman. Sora shifted his focus into said direction. One look at the figure and he tilted his head. Why were they staring at this… duck? For some reason, he thought she resembled a taller version of Donald Duck, only as a girl. He did not know how else to describe what he was looking at.

He turned to Launchpad. "Is she… your girlfriend?"

Launchpad waved his arms in front of his face and shook his head. "No way! I may be dumb, but I'm _not_ stupid!"

"Say!" Goofy spoke up. "_Now_ I remember! That there's Cinnamon Teal!"

"Yeah!" Donald approved.

Launchpad's large hand landed on his flight-cap-covered head. "Yeesh! And she never smelled like anything sweet."

Sora was perplexed. "Who?"

"She was a sorceress who was banished," Donald explained, slurring nearly every word in his line.

"And then she tried to hip-no-times Queen Minnie," Goofy added.

"'_Hypnotize_'," Donald corrected.

Goofy chuckled. "A-Hyuck!"

"And she was banished."

Sora's eyes widened. The last time he had heard of somebody being banished from _**Disney Castle**_ was when Donald, Goofy, and him had first encountered Pete at Master Yen Sid's tower. Goofy had revealed Pete's banishment by stating the large cat-man had been causing trouble for ages. Now, it seemed this duck-woman, Cinnamon Teal, had also been banished for doing something terrible to Queen Minnie Mouse.

No wonder she had been exiled!

Of course, this also led Sora to wonder if Cinnamon Teal was also aligned with Maleficent, similar to what had happened to Pete. He wondered how many others had been forced out of Donald, Goofy, King Mickey, and Launchpad's world for wrongdoing.

"Has anyone else been banished?" he decided to ask.

Donald held up his hand, showing three fingers and his thumb. He held up one finger on his other hand. "Five."

"Yup," Goofy gave a nod of confirmation. "King Mickey and Queen Minnie have expelled five others from our castle," he started to count on his fingers. "Pete… Cinnamon Teal… Mortimer Mouse… Thuh Beagle Boys… Thuh Phantom Blot…. "

Donald waved his hands around. "No! No! The Phantom Blot was not banished! He left on his own!"

Sora was lost now. Perhaps now was not the time to ponder over such stuff. Besides, they had more _important_ things to do. Such as… he looked into the bag. The golden, crown necklace seemed to shine despite the fact the Sun was frequently being swallowed by the clouds above.

…Getting this trinket to who he believed was its rightful owner. Sora gestured for his friends to follow. Goofy and Launchpad took off rather quickly. Donald remained where he was for a few more moments before he, too, also followed.

* * *

Heartless after Heartless crossed their path on the way back up to the top of the cliffs. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad had to clear a path through the hordes. Sora was careful not to let anything happen to the bag in his left hand. He recalled the time he had accidentally battled some Heartless while still holding the bouquet Goofy had just purchased for a Moogle's Shop. Flower petals had been sent flying through the air every time he had swung the Keyblade.

At least, _this_ time, he did not have to be concerned about spreading parts of plants every-which-way. Rather, the bag swung about. At one point, a Heartless's claw swiped towards it. Sora had to spin around and slice his weapon clear into the enemy to keep them from getting it.

At long last, the four reached the lighthouse. It seemed rather quiet outside the building. Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad approached the front. They stopped in their tracks.

There was Amemi, outside the lighthouse. She was hopping up and down at a regular, steady rhythm. It took Sora a couple moments to realize she was using a jump-rope. Up and down she went, over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

The sight was plenty to make Sora feel a little dizzy. It did not help when Goofy rushed over to join the sandy-haired girl. Launchpad was next in line. Before long, Goofy and Launchpad were each holding an end of the jump-rope and swinging in while Amemi hopped in the middle.

"_Cinderella_," Amemi chanted. "_Dressed in yellow, went upstairs to kiss a fellow! By mistake, she kissed a snake! How many doctors did it take?_"

As his sister started counting with each leap, Sora found himself watching the display. It had been a long time since he had last seen her so happy. Just playing around and having fun. Lately, she had been busy with other things. At home, she spent much of her free time on the internet or talking to someone or other on the telephone. It often felt like she had lost her childlike-wonder state.

Only now, it seemed it had not been lost. Just locked away until something came along to release it once more.

He and Donald continued to watch for a minute or two. Something crossed his mind. Where had Amemi gotten ahold of a jump-rope in this world? He stepped closer. "Amy, where'd you get that jump-rope?"

Amemi turned her eyes to him, although she was still leaping in time. "Nora gave it to me a long time ago," she answered.

Sora's eyes lit up. His left hand opened. The bag fell to the ground and clinked when it landed. He knew the necklace would be alright. It was one, tough piece of jewelry. He crossed his arms. "I get it now," he said. "You've been to this world before."

As the words left the brown, spikey-headed youth's mouth, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all stared at him. Goofy and Launchpad lost track of what they had been doing and dropped the jump-rope. Amemi fell to the ground, her feet tangled in the rope.

Sora looked down at her. "Why didn't you say so when we first came here?"

Amemi started untangling the rope from her feet. "There are some things better off left unsaid," she stated. "It wasn't a pleasant experience. You should know why. It was the night the islands were torn apart, remember?"

Sora felt his mind nearly freeze in place. That fateful night. When the Heartless had attacked the islands. The night he had gotten the Keyblade and watched Riku and Kairi disappear.

It was the _**same**_ night!

He recalled how he had been transported to _**Traverse Town**_ during that terrible storm. It was then he had met Leon, Cid, Yuffie, and Aerith. Later, he had helped Donald Duck and Goofy bring down that gigantic Heartless in the purple-stoned plaza and joined forces with them.

Apparently, at the same time, Amemi had been transferred to the world of _**Coastal Town**_ during that very storm. Well, at least she had _**not**_ been home when the _**Destiny Islands**_ had been lost to the Darkness!

Still, there was one thing about this that bothered him. Sora crossed his arms. "It wasn't safe for you to be on your own," he told his sister.

"I _wasn't_ alone," Amemi argued. She freed her feet from the rope and rose to her full height. "A dragon named 'Elliott' helped me find my way here to Passamaquoddy. I met Nora and Lampie, and they looked after me until the islands returned."

"'_Elliott_'?!" Donald and Goofy were equally shocked.

Amemi looked down. A tear or two slid down her face to the ground. "Sora, I know what you're saying," she looked her older brother in the face. It had turned into one of anger and hurt twisted together and smeared. "You _**still**_ don't trust me!"

She raced for the lighthouse, rope in hand. Just as she reached the doorway, it opened. Indigo came stepping outside, all dry and her wings and antennae in their "proper" places. Amemi shoved her way past the angel and into the building. She slammed the door behind her.

Indigo looked as startled as Sora now did. She turned and leapt into the air. Her wings guided her (a little unsteadily) over to where Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were standing around. "What?" she could hardly find the words to say. "What took place?"

Indigo landed onto the ground with such grace, Launchpad had to rub his eyes to believe it was real.

Sora gave a deep sigh. He turned to look at the plastic bag beside him. He bent down and grabbed it from the top. He returned to his full height and sighed again. "I just don't want anything to happen to her," he reached into the bag and took out the necklace. He held it up into the air. The item shimmered a little in the now-starting-to-set Sun.

Indigo stared at the necklace in awe. "Spectacular!" she remarked. "I have never seen a piece of jewelry sparkle so much!"

He clutched it tightly, similar to how he had seen Milo Thatch hold the crystal the late King of Atlantis had given him. He nodded and took a deep breath. "I made a promise to my mom — I'm going to keep it."

Although Indigo and Launchpad were showing signs of mystification, Donald and Goofy both knew what the young man meant. He had promised to protect the things that matter.

And that included his sister, Amemi Hikari.

In the distance, out over the ocean, clouds began filling the sky at a slow, yet still faster-than-normal, rate….

* * *

Cinnamon Teal gazed into the sky. The expanse was gradually filling with clouds. The Sun was frequently being blotted out by the passing puffy, sometimes wispy, clouds. The wind picked up a little. A flag atop the town hall flapped about. The boats tied to the piers started to move slightly as the water began rippling a little.

She knew these signs, having observed such long ago. That had been back when she was still studying the weather as an adolescent duckling.

A storm might be on the way. Unless it changed course, the waves were going to get higher and possibly crash against the coast in spectacular fashion. She could make out some large Shadow Heartless wandering about the town's streets. This sure did _not_ seem like an ordinary storm. No wonder everyone had abandoned the line when the atmospheric conditions had changed!

The canvas opening on the wagon behind her opened. Cinnamon Teal glanced back to see Doctor Terminus, Hoagy, and Mortimer were stepping out. Terminus had an enthusiastic grin on his face. Mortimer's grin looked sneaky. Hoagy's smile looked a tad hesitant.

Mortimer signaled for her to join along. Cinnamon Teal did not have to nod. She calmly followed suit. The four headed for the nearby tavern. Lots of voices, some shouting or singing terribly, could be heard from just outside.

Hoagy was the first one to the door, so he opened it for the others. The group marched inside. They all stopped just on the other side of the doorway. Terminus swept his eyes across the space. To Cinnamon Teal, the place looked particularly busy. Nearly every table was taken by someone or a group of people.

In one corner near the back, a group of four people were gathered around a large table. All of them were shivering and one was sneezing a little here and there. They seemed like they had fallen into the sea and gotten soaked to the bone.

One look at them and Cinnamon Teal knew exactly who they were. For some reason, she had detected their identities after they had stopped by the wagon earlier, looking for a boy named "Pete". They were the Gogans — Merle, Lena, Willie, and Grover.

"It's downright dangerous, getting all wet like this," Merle grumbled.

"We done had our bath in May!" Willie complained.

Mrs. Lena Gogan sneezed. "Bless you, Ma," Willie and Grover said together.

Terminus grinned some more when he saw the family. He calmly strode over to the table without a second thought. He sat down in a chair across from the Gogans and continued to grin. "Excuse me, folks," he started to say. "I witnessed what happened today, and I'm completely sympathetic with you. I'm Doc Terminus. Like to talk to you."

Cinnamon Teal found herself walking over to the table with Hoagy and Mortimer. The three of them stood behind Terminus, their eyes trained into the Gogans.

"Oh, Doc," Mrs. Gogan cried. "I got this here 'poomonia'!"

Merle Gogan grunted as he tried to sit back up. "I got this _terrible_ ache in my back!"

"Good," Terminus declared, knowing he had the family's attention. "What's rightfully yours is rightfully yours. Now, you want Pete, right?"

"Right!" the Gogans agreed in unison.

"I want… the dragon."

"The _dragon_?!" The Gogans all started to laugh. Merle Gogan stopped chuckling long enough to say, "You _really_ want the dragon?"

Dr. Terminus nodded. "Very much. Mm-hmm."

"Well, then, what are you willing to give for it?"

"The help you need getting Pete. I'll need the same kind of help getting the dragon."

The Gogans burst out laughing once more. Terminus stared, no longer grinning. For a moment, Cinnamon Teal thought the villain appeared to have been insulted. When Hoagy started to laugh along, all it took was one stern look from Terminus to make him stop.

"Have we got a deal?" Mortimer inquired, stepping forward.

"Sure," Merle Gogan approved. "We scratch your back, you scratch ours."

Cinnamon Teal knew it was her turn to speak. "The boathouse at sunset," she stated. "Do not be late."

Terminus rose from his seat and turned to leave. "Uh, Doc," Mrs. Gogan spoke up. "What you gonna do with a dragon?"

Doctor Terminus turned back. "Oh, maybe put him on a ranch, breed him. Hmm?"

He turned to leave and headed for the door. Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal were not too far behind. Hoagy turned to the Gogans as he left. "Big stud fees," he told them.

Just outside the tavern, the group came across some fishermen near the piers. They were a mixture of ages and busy working on some old nets.

Terminus did not hesitate to approach the men. "How would you like to make the fishing good again, hmm?"

One of the fishermen crossed his arms. "How do we do that?" he asked in a rather deep voice.

"_Catch_ that dragon! Set a trap for him, throw a net over him, and drag him away. Good-bye, Elliott, hello, fish. Sunset, the boathouse. Spread the word, hmm?"

Cinnamon Teal opened her eyes wider. "Look into my eyes," she told the men. They turned their focus to her. "You will help us catch the dragon."

The fishermen murmured in agreement. She gave a smile, knowing she had these men under her control.

* * *

As the Sun vanished below the horizon, Sora continued to gaze out the window. The clouds were getting thicker and thicker, darker and darker. The wind had picked up, causing waves to begin piling against the cliffs. As the water rose, he felt more and more concerned.

The last time he had seen such a sight was that night of fate, the evening when the _**Destiny Islands**_ had crumbled apart and disappeared into the Darkness. He certainly _**hoped**_ that was not was he was seeing here now!

A handful of worlds had nearly fallen to the Darkness during this quest alone. _**Ancient Empire**_'s Light had started to fade when Rourke and the Heartless had taken the Crystal away from the city. When it had seemed war was going to break out in _**Jamestowne**_, the world had become quite shaken, indicating the Darkness had been spreading and gaining power. It had become quite evident of how much danger _**La Ville de Sonner Les Cloches**_ had been in when the sky had become filled with the smoke of the city's fires. Once Drakken's robotic giants had been launched with the Heartless throughout _**Middleton**_, it became clear that world was about to be lost, too.

Four worlds had almost collapsed and vanished from the _Realm of Sleep_ — never to be seen again. If Sora and his team had not gotten involved, who knows what might have happened?

Having lost his home world to the Heartless once before, the brown, spikey-headed young man knew he could _**not**_ allow another world to be consumed by the Darkness! If it did happen again, there might not be a way to restore it like there was before. No Sleeping Worlds. No _Door To Darkness_ to seal. No way back.

No way would he allow such a fate to befall _**Coastal Town**_!

"There's a storm comin'," Goofy remarked as he gazed out the window himself. "Gawrsh."

"And it's gonna be a _bad_ one," Donald pinpointed.

Indigo's antennae were vibrating at a steady pace. "I sense a Darkness Storm," she announced.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all swung their attention to the angel. "Huh?" they said together.

"A Darkness Storm is not your typical storm," Indigo explained. "When the Light and the Darkness inside a world's heart becomes unbalanced, such an event could take place."

She turned her eyes to the window. "I watched several worlds get swallowed by the Darkness during Darkness Storms. Trust me — this is a _very_ serious situation."

Sora knew she was not kidding around. His own world had been lost. It might _have_ been a Darkness Storm, too. The thought of watching another world fall to Darkness made him want to race out and strike down every Heartless in sight.

Pete came marching into the room. Everyone turned their eyes to him. "Do you know where Nora's at?" he asked.

"I think she's up in thuh light-room," Goofy answered, pointing to the stairs.

Pete nodded and headed upstairs. Curious what was going on, Sora hurried after the boy. Donald, Goofy, and Indigo stayed downstairs, watching the apparent storm get closer and closer.

* * *

At the top of the lighthouse was a (somewhat) circular room. Eight, long windows formed the walls, making an octagon-like shape. In the middle of the space was a large, oil lantern with a pair of glass mirrors that could rotate.

When Sora reached the top of the stairs, he found Pete had just gotten there. Nora and Lampie were there, preparing the lantern in anticipation of the coming storm. Amemi was also in the room, her back turned to Sora. He had the feeling his sister was purposely disregarding his presence.

"_Nora_! _Nora_! _Good_ _news_!" Pete declared with excitement. "Elliott found Paul, and he's on his way home!"

Nora and Lampie seemed to stare at him. "Pete," Nora sighed.

Lampie frowned. "I wouldn't say anything like that if I were you."

Sora's ears had perked up at the mention of the name "Paul". He recalled Nora revealing that was the name of her true love. According to her story, word had gotten out that his ship had been lost at sea about a year before. No one was known to have survived. Now he understood why Nora and Lampie did not want to hear such a name mentioned.

"But it's true," Pete stated. "Elliott said."

Nora turned to him. "Please. There's been enough talk about Paul, and Elliott, too," she sighed. "Both of us have to be… realistic. Paul's ship went down. He's not coming back. And I have to adjust my life to it."

She placed her hand on Pete's shoulder. "You have to make a big adjustment too. You have us now. You don't have to make believe your only friend is a dragon."

Pete seemed startled. "But I'm not making believe."

Amemi sighed deeply. To Sora, it appeared this was also affecting her. He knew why. Based on what she had said earlier, she also believed Elliott was real.

"That's what I mean by 'realistic'," Nora continued. "There are no dragons."

"Except for Elliott. He's real," Pete argued. He turned to the lighthouse keeper. "Lampie, you've seen him, haven't you?"

Lampie looked as though he was at a loss for words. "Well, I… I thought I saw him."

Pete frowned. "Wait till Paul gets here. _Then_ you'll know how realistic Elliott is."

Lampie paused, which told Sora he was thinking deeply about how to respond. "Okay," he said after several moments had passed. "Until that time, let's try not to talk about it. How about filling the reserve oil can?"

Pete smiled. "Sure."

Amemi handed Nora the cleaning cloth in her hands. "I'll help you," the sandy-haired girl decided.

She and Pete headed past Sora and down the steps. All the while, Amemi did not even acknowledge Sora's presence. She followed Pete down to the first floor of the building.

Once they had left, Nora turned to her father. "Well," she commented. "At least one of us is entitled to have illusions."

It was then Lampie noticed Sora was standing at the top of the stairs. "Something wrong?" he questioned.

Sora shook his head. "No," he replied. "At least, nothing either of you can help with."

He headed back down the stairs. He _**really**_ wished he could make up with his sister. This was not the first time he had had a fight with her. In fact, the two had squabbled numerous times over the years. However, this was the second fight they had endured during this quest. Okay, it was the second _major_ fight they had had. Still, he was not sure what to do about this one.

He had promised his Mom when Amemi was born that he would not allow anything to happen to her. He could not let anything keep him from upholding that promise. Even if it meant he could not trust his only, little sister to take care of herself.

By the time he reached the first floor, he was looking down at his oversized shoes. He heard a loud thunderclap echo from outside. He jerked his head up. Donald, Goofy, and Indigo were still looking out the window.

"Gawrsh," Goofy muttered aloud. "That sure sounded close."

"That's not how you calculate the distance lightning is," Donald stated.

"He is correct," Indigo broke in. "It sounded close by. I also sense a strong Darkness somewhere close by."

Sora came stepping closer. The three turned to him. It did not take long for the seventeen-year-old to catch up his friends on what had happened upstairs. When she heard about Nora trying to be "realistic", Indigo looked down. "Sometimes, you cannot hold Hope any longer," she said. "As the Angel of Hope, I cannot help someone whose Hope has vanished."

Sora sighed deeply. Lost Hope. He was positive there was nothing worse than it. He _**hated**_ giving up. Just the thought of losing made him tense and uncomfortable. Just like a ship lost at sea with no survivors.

The _Edmund Fitzgerald_ was one such ship he knew about where no one had survived. And after being swept up in the worst storm ever to hit that particular region of the Great Lakes. What a _tragedy_! And a song had been composed to honor all twenty-nine of those crewmen who had gone down with their ship, which had once been nicknamed "_The Titanic of the Great Lakes_".

He wanted to bring back that Hope. Yet, if Indigo did not know how to restore Hope once it was gone, he was at a loss. It now seemed this might be the reason why the world was on the verge of being lost to the Darkness….

At least, that was what it appeared.

The front door banged open. All eyes swung around. Launchpad came strolling inside, his scarf blowing against his chin due to the forceful wind outside. "Guys!" he exclaimed. "Something strange's going on in town!"

Donald grew cross. "_Where_ did you hear _**this**_ one?!"

Launchpad gestured to the doorway behind him. "That doctor guy was just here. He said some guy named 'Elliott''s in town, tearing everything apart. Amemi and Pete went with him to see what's going on. And those Heartless guys are outside trying to get in here!"

"Doctor Terminus?" Sora asked. "What was _he_ doing here?"

"I am not sure why he would make such a claim," Indigo said. "Yet, I sensed a strong Darkness growing inside Doctor Terminus when he and his assistant stopped by earlier today."

Goofy looked surprised. "What does it mean?"

"Are you saying there's a connection?" Donald added.

Sora crossed his arms in contemplation. Perhaps there _was_ a connection! He remembered how Dr. Terminus had come around asking about Pete's dragon, Elliott, and had seemed upset when he was turned down. It had been not long after that when Pete's foster family had shown up. Then, Donald and Goofy had pointed out Cinnamon Teal, who had been banished from their world long ago. To top it off, it had seemed the Heartless were starting to run rampant in this world, even though they had been absent when Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo had first arrived here.

By putting everything together like a mixed-up puzzle, Sora suddenly realized what was _really_ going on. These were not all scattered coincidences. They _were_ linked! And he believed he knew how and why.

"Of course!" the seventeen-year-old Keyblader declared. "Maleficent's Council!"

Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo all whirled their focus to the young man. Seeing all their blank looks, Sora knew he needed to elaborate, even though it was not his strongest point. "Dr. Terminus and Cinnamon Teal must be part of Maleficent's Council. Don't you remember? Thistle told us about that group."

"Oh, yeah!" Goofy suddenly recollected.

"And they're trying to use the Heartless to take over this world."

"I'm not surprised," Donald muttered to himself.

"And they're trying to get their hands on Pete and his 'dragon', Elliott."

Indigo gave a nod. "That shall be our cue to chase those evildoers down," she stated.

Sora gave a nod in turn. "Yeah! Let's go!"

The group hurried through the doorway and had to immediately summon and take out their weapons. _Lots_ of Heartless were waiting outside, just as Launchpad had claimed.

After clearing their way through at least thirty or so Heartless or various varieties, Sora turned his eyes toward the town. Flashes of lightning and peals of thunder could be seen and heard. No rain was falling. The wind was starting to get stronger and stronger. The waves were getting higher and higher. The lighthouse's beacon was shining out across the ocean, providing just enough light for one to see where the shoreline was located.

"This is _too_ weird," Donald murmured aloud.

"Yup," Goofy affirmed. He held out his hands and looked up at the clouds high above. "This looks like a storm, but there sure ain't any rain comin'."

"Aw gee," Launchpad complained. He folded up the umbrella in his hands. "I took this out all for nothing…. "

"This is not a typical storm," Indigo announced. She stepped out a few yards away from the lighthouse and looked into the distance at the town. She pointed straight ahead. "This _is_ a Darkness Storm. Look over there!"

Sora gazed into the direction the angel was indicating. His pupils grew to the point it seemed they would flood his eyes and burst them apart. A large ball of Darkness was forming above the town square. It could mean only one thing.

_**Coastal Town**_ was on the verge of being lost to the Darkness.

He gripped his Keyblade tightly in his hands. "Not on _**my**_ watch!" he shouted with determination. "_**C'mon**_! This world's _counting_ on us! We've _got_ to do something!"

He charged down the road to the town. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were directly behind him. Indigo was about to follow when something else seized her attention.

A ship. Drifting in the waves not far from the coast. Its sails were torn into complete tatters. As she watched it, a humungous wave suddenly crashed into the cliffside and rose even higher. The water became high enough to slam straight into the top of the lighthouse. Indigo ducked, fearing the water was going to hit her in turn.

She looked again. She was still dry. The wave had missed her, although the land only inches away was wet. She stared at the lighthouse again. The light was no longer shining. She realized the wave must have doused the flame. Her focus swung back to the ship approaching the shoreline. Without the lamp, the ship would surely crash into the rocks and sink. Who knows what would become of its crew in the midst of this Darkness Storm?

"Sora," Indigo said out loud. "Sora can relight the lamp. I have to tell him — fast!" She flew off in the direction of the town's square as swiftly as her wings allowed her to move against the gusts of wind. She noted how the ball of Darkness was still growing, and now it appeared all the clouds above it were spiraling into the sphere, similar to a tornado's formation.

She knew only time would tell this world's fate. And now, time itself seemed to be running out.

* * *

The study seemed rather quiet. Even though King Mickey and Master Yen Sid were talking to one another behind the latter's desk, Niccole had managed to tune them out. She was gazing out the crescent moon-shaped window, looking at the stars.

One of the distant stars began blinking rapidly. She stared in alarm. This same display had happened a few more times before. Thanks to her Keyblade training, she knew what it meant. She crossed her fingers. "Please don't let it happen," she whispered.

* * *

**A/N: YIKES! THIS DOES NOT LOOK GOOD! IT CANNOT BE GOOD!**  
**IT SEEMS ANOTHER WORLD MIGHT BE ON THE VERGE OF BEING LOST TO THE DARKNESS!**

**Well, the ONLY way anyone is going to determine what shall happen next is if enough Views/Reviews are obtained throughout all 41 Chapters so far! That, and then - ONLY THEN - shall Chapter 42 be posted! AT LEAST FOUR/4 REVIEWS Per Chapter Throughout This Entire Story Shall Ensure The Goal Is Met! If Not, I shall reach the conclusion none of you are very serious about wanting to see the next story come to life, let alone all 10 of the KH Stories I have in mind to tell!**

**Now, can I go over a few more things?**  
**(1.) The song Amemi was singing as she jump-roped was one I have heard lots of people sing as they play.**  
**(2.) The sequence involving Donald remarking about Cinnamon Teal is based on the "'_DuckTales_'" Episode, "'_SPIES IN THEIR EYES_'"!  
(3.) I am not sure what else to say. I actually was surprised by how self-explanatory This Chapter turned out.**  
**Therefore,... I have no clue what else to say now.**

**In that case, I Shalt See-eth You Sometime In The Future! In the meantime, I shall continue writing Chapters on both This Story and My Original One! Yet, I will not be posting the KH Story ones as soon as they are complete, like I tend to do for a majority of the time.**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!**  
**In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!" In Addition, "Fly With You Later!"**

* * *

**_[2.9]_ This is a reference to the Disney-Studio Ghibli movie, "'_Kiki's Delivery Service__ (1989/1998)_'"!**


	42. Ch42 - Not A Heartless Dragon

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: I HAVE RETURNED - WITH CHAPTER 42!  
As you can imagine, this is also The Last Chapter for the world of _COASTAL TOWN_... !  
Therefore, it should be time to celebrate, correct?**

**Well... not just yet. I have a few things to say now.**

**Here is some TRIVIA for all of you who are reading This Chapter!  
DID YOU KNOW? The song,** **"'**_Candle On The Water_**'", is One of Two Disney Songs from 1977 to be nominated for the Academy Award For Best Original Song. The other song was "'**_Somebody's Waiting For You_**'" from Disney's "'_The Rescuers__ (1977)_'".  
Sadly, neither of them won the award. Instead, it was awarded to a song titled, "'**_Love OF Your Life_**'", which was from a movie of the same name. Since I have never seen that movie nor heard the song, I cannot comment specifically on either of them.**

**Yes, I have seen the latest trailer for "'_Kingdom Hearts 3_'"! I noticed how they have shown quite a lot of footage of** _**OLYMPUS COLISEUM**_**, yet the Coliseum itself has still not appeared. And I did enjoy the scene involving Maleficent, Pete, and Hades.  
One thing about the last scene, I noted how Goofy seemed more pugnacious than Donald Duck. For the record, "'_pugnacious_'" means somebody who likes to fight a lot. ****Talk About A Switch!**

**One last thing, I have seen Two Disney Movies in less than a month now!  
On Sunday, May 28TH, 2017, I saw Disney's "'_Pirates OF The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales__ (2017)_'"! It was surprisingly good, considering how the fourth movie [(Disney's "'_Pirates OF The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides__ (2017)_'")] turned out.  
On Sunday, June 19TH, 2017, I saw Disney-Pixar's "'_CARS 3__ (2017)_'"! Yes - That WAS Just Yesterday! I REALLY Enjoyed it! It was nice to see a continuation of the first movie, even with its own twists and turns along the way!  
Overall, I declare that BOTH of those movies were Outstanding!**

**So Then, The Time Has Come!  
YOU MAY READ _AND_ REVIEW ALIKE! PLEASE REVIEW, TOO! I _REALLY_ WANT TO GET TO THE NEXT STORY!  
THERE ARE STILL 110 REVIEWS LEFT TO GO BEFORE THE GOAL OF 240 REVIEWS IS MET! YET, THERE ARE ONLY 28 MORE CHAPTERS TO COME!  
IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE?! I CERTAINLY HOPE SO!**

* * *

(

**CHAPTER 42**  
**Not A Heartless Dragon**

The sky had an ominous dark tone to it by the time Amemi, Pete, and Doctor Terminus reached the town square. The wind was picking up, sending high waves crashing into the shoreline. The boats swayed against the moving ocean, their sails fortunately tied down. If not, the fabric would have been torn apart by the gale-force winds.

Amemi's eyes were focused on the sky at this time. She had seen this view before. Once, a long time ago. Say… at least two years ago? She just could not place the exact date and/or time.

Besides, her mind was fixated on helping Pete find Elliott. According to Dr. Terminus, the dragon had barged into the town and started creating quite the calamity. To be honest, she did not quite believe such a story. After all, Elliott had _**never**_ been a violent creature. Just a playful, innocent one.

Unless the Heartless had anything to do with a possible change in behavior. Whatever the case, she was _**not**_ about to let anything terrible happen to Elliott. Chances were, everyone had cornered the now-terrified dragon in an alley or inside a large warehouse. Maybe even a boathouse.

Terminus pointed to a large boathouse on the edge of the town's square. Like Amemi had expected, the building was old and worn. And it had the stench of millions of fish and the taste of seawater mixed into one. "He's in there!" Terminus declared. "Come on!"

The doctor rushed forward and helped Pete and Amemi open the doorway into the building. "Elliott!" Pete yelled once they were inside.

"_Elliott_!" Amemi added.

The boathouse seemed rather empty. There was no sign of Elliott anywhere in sight. Amemi frowned, suspecting a trick.

Hoagy came forward, a trying-to-hold-back-his-laughter look on his face. "Did I say the primary was really the tertiary?" he asked, gesturing to the ceiling.

Terminus, Amemi, and Pete all shifted their gazes upward. A number of fishermen were dangled from the nets hanging from the ceiling. Many of them were tangled into the netting so much, they were practically failing their arms and legs around.

Terminus frowned. "_Never_!"

"Where's Elliott?" Pete inquired.

"_Nowhere_!" a voice declared in return. Pete screamed, forcing Amemi to spin around. There was Pete, now trapped in the hands of the Gogans. All four of them held him down, covering his mouth the best they could. "Your hokey-pokey dragon's out helping Santa Clause pull his sled!"

Amemi took out her slingshot. "Let him _**go**_!" she glared.

A pair of arms wrapped around her torso. The sandy-haired teenager found herself yanked back into someone's clutches. Her slingshot bounced a few times after it hit the floor. A hand clamped over her mouth. "Ha cha cha!" a voice gave a sinister laugh. "Looks like _I've_ got the catch of today!"

Amemi knew that voice. She had heard it once before, back in _**The Outback**_. That tall, anthropomorphic mouse with the long snout. The one who was aligned with _Maleficent's Council_.

Mortimer Mouse.

The Gogans wrestled around with Pete as the latter struggled to break free. Dr. Terminus saw all this and turned to them. "Okay, okay," he chided. "Tear him to pieces in your own time. Right now, he is the bait for the trap."

He indicated a small space beyond where all the fishermen and dock workers were re-installing a network of nets, clearly intended to catch something large. Amemi knew what they were up to. Everyone was attempting to capture Elliott.

"Take him in there where that thing can see him when he comes through the door," Terminus instructed. "He'll head straight for Pete. We spring the trap. After the tertiary net drops on him," he turned to Cinnamon Teal, who only looked like a duck-woman to Amemi. "I'll give _you_ the signal, and you fire the harpoon right into the middle."

"_No_! _No_!" Pete yelled.

"_Yes_! _Yes_!" Terminus countered. "Got it?"

"Got it!" Hoagy nodded. He paused. "But what I don't got is,… h-h-how you gonna get that monster, that _hideous_ beast, that _nightmare_ sent by the devil, to come here?"

"Easy," Terminus turned to his assistant. "We get someone he knows to bring him here."

"Well, who'd be crazy enough to do that?"

Terminus gave a sinister grin at Hoagy. The latter started shouting in protest and panic. "_**NO**__**! **__**NO**__**!**_" he hollered out loud.

"He knows you. He trusts you."

"He _**scares**_ me! He _**hates**_ me!"

"Hoagy, we are all on this Earth for a purpose, and the time for your purpose is now. I know that inside this pale, frail, pathetic shell of a man there is a Vesuvius ready to erupt," Terminus turned his full, undivided attention to his assistant. "Now, I've know you, man and beast, since… since you were nothing. But now, Hoagy, now… you're still nothing."

Hoagy looked down. Terminus frowned. "But you could _be_ something! You can be a _somebody_. A _legend_, Hoagy — a legend in your own lifetime, not a joke! The moment's here, Hoagy. Grab it!"

Hoagy raced for the exit. As Terminus turned back to Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal, the red-haired man came rushing back in a panic. "_**NO**_!" he whimpered.

Dr. Terminus pointed to the doorway. "_**Get out**_!" he ordered.

Hoagy sped out the open doorway, a lit lantern in hand. Amemi tried again to break free from Mortimer's grip. The tall mouse's grasp was too much for her to handle.

She hoped Sora was already on his way.

* * *

The waves crashed against the shore less than two yards away from the cavern's entrance. Hoagy peered into the darkness of the cave. He could hear the deep snoring of the dragon further inside. His hands trembled, barely keeping the lantern steady.

"E-Elliot," he whimpered. "C-Can you come out here for a second? Please?"

A loud snore echoed about the cavern. Hoagy gasped. C-Could this be Elliott coming after him? He _**hoped**_ not! "Wake up," he called out. "W-W-Wake up!"

A silhouette deep inside the cave stirred and started to snarl. Hoagy had never been so uncomfortable in years! For all he knew, this dragon was about to charge at him and either set him on fire or devour him in a flash. He certainly _**hoped**_ neither would happen!

The large dragon he had seen before came marching into view. He green, scaly skin looked dull in the darkness, and his messy hair was cloaked in shadow.

Hoagy started to whimper and ducked down. "D-D-Don't get n-n-nervous!" he gulped. "I'm a friend."

Elliott scowled and snorted some thick, black smoke out of his nostrils. Hoagy yelped. "_Don't_ roast me!"

Elliott started to snarl. Hoagy trembled in fear. What was the dragon doing? Was he about to strike him down? Was he on the verge of setting the cavern ablaze and roasting him into a crispy marshmallow for his nighttime snack?

"Boo!" Elliott said in a very playful way.

Hoagy ducked down all the way. He barely held onto the lantern in his hands. He looked back. The dragon was laughing. Knowing the creature had not meant him any harm, and was simply playing a prank on him, the red-haired man started to speak. "H-Hon… Honest. I have a m-m-m-message about P-P-Pete!"

Elliott stopped and stared at him, eagerly awaiting the news. "T-The G-G-Gogans," Hoagy stammered in hesitation. "Got P-P-P-Pete!"

Elliott snarled, a dark glare in his eyes. He bellowed so loudly, it echoed about the cave. It quickly became a roar. Hoagy was so started by this, he dropped the lantern. The object crashed onto the floor and went out. Glass shattered all over the place. Elliott stomped over and grabbed Hoagy by the back of his suit jacket. He marched to the exit of the cave and took flight (even though it was only a few inches off the ground).

"_**Follow**_ _**me**_!" Hoagy declared in a panic. He could tell Elliott seemed to already know which direction to head in. He assumed it was something a dragon automatically knew.

Instinct, perhaps?

* * *

A deafening thunderclap filled the air. The sharpness of the explosive sound was enough to make Donald jump into Goofy's arms. The knight stumbled backward and bumped into Launchpad which resulted in all three of them tumbling onto the ground. Sora stopped and turned around. He sighed, knowing the storm was starting to get to him and his friends. He turned back and proceeded down the street ahead.

The lack of daylight had made it difficult to tell exactly where they were in the town. Most of the buildings around them were full of darkness. Either the town's electricity had gone out, or nobody was home. He hoped it was latter.

The group passed the schoolhouse. The walls had been torn down and were in the process of being replaced. No workers were there, however, making the place look spooky. Much of the town looked empty and lifeless. That, and some _very_ large, _**very**_ strong Shadow Heartless were roaming the streets.

He shrugged it all aside and continued to battle the way through. If this Darkness was part of the Darkness Storm like Indigo had claimed, then it as _**not**_ a good sign — not good at all!

At last, the group arrived in the town square. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo looked around. The place seemed completely deserted, with the exception of some rather powerful-looking Heartless. One of the creatures resembled a magician with a black cape and red wand. Its top hat was a silver color.

Sora scowled at the monsters. "First things first," he told the others as he summoned his Keyblade. "We've _gotta_ get rid of these Heartless! Then we can search this area."

Donald had his wand out in no time and was sending ice attacks of the Blizzara level all around. Goofy smashed his way into three dozen Air Soldier Heartless after Launchpad grabbed him and hurled him into the air like a rocket.

Indigo leapt into the air and used her wand to send attack of various magical forms around the square. Heartless after Heartless was obliterated. Sora charged around, striking down each and every Heartless that crossed his path.

Before long, it was the five friends against the Crooked Magician Heartless. The creature removed its top hat and bowed in a rather polite manner for a monster. Sora turned to Indigo. "I thought you were going to use your Keyblade for this."

Indigo's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes! I nearly forgot I have one," she smiled. "I am used to wielding a mystical wand."

She put her wand away and held out her hand. In a flash of Light…. The wand returned. Indigo was startled and shocked alike. "I do not understand. Where is the Keyblade?"

"May-bee it disappeared?" Goofy suggested.

With a sigh of annoyance, Sora readied his weapon. "Never mind! We'll worry about that later."

He glared at the Heartless before them. The creature waved its wand. A chunk of blue ice appeared in the air and descended for them. "_**Look out!"**_ Donald screamed.

The five rushed off in different directions. The ice smashed onto the pavement, shattering into a multitude of pieces. Sora whirled his attention back to the Heartless. The enemy pointed its hat towards him. A ball of Darkness shot out. In one swift movement, Sora rolled out of the way. The sphere crashed down where he had been moments before.

"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked as he blocked another sphere the Heartless shot his way. "I always thought there was bunnies in magic hats."

"Not _this_ guy!" Launchpad declared. He pointed his gas-gun at the Heartless and fired four times. The projectiles seemed to irritate the creature to the point it turned to the pilot. Goofy slid in front of Launchpad and blocked the creature's wand when the latter swung it their way.

Donald raised his wand. "_**Thundara**_!"

A series of decent lightning bolts rained down onto the Heartless. The monster whirled its focus to the duck and shot another dark sphere from its hat. Donald was unable to get out of the way and ended up thrown into the air when the sphere exploded onto the ground. "_**Help**_!" he yelled in alarm.

Indigo was so busy trying to find a vantage point to launch a successful fiery attack, she did not notice Donald falling her way. The duck mage landed in her arms, pulling the angel down to the ground.

Sora raced towards the Heartless again. He raised his Keyblade and, with a yell of "_**It's **__**over**_!", he slashed the blade clear through the enemy's head. The Heartless started to shrivel before it stopped moving and fell to the ground. A gigantic, glowing heart escaped its body and the creature vanished from sight.

Sora wiped some sweat off his forehead. He was relieved the Heartless had been defeated. He turned both left and right, glad to see his teammates were alright. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo headed back over to him.

"Are you alright?" Indigo asked.

"Yeah," Sora swiftly answered. "No worries!"

He looked around the square. Only two buildings had lights on. One of them he could tell was most-likely the town hall. Its formal appearance and neat architecture seemed to possess that vibe. That, and he could make out the distant voices of some people in there, including Mayor Howell.

Nope. That was not the correct way to find Dr. Terminus and Cinnamon Teal. The only other place was an old boathouse that looked run-down. The doorway was closed and seemed to be getting battered by the strong gusts of wind blowing all around.

As Sora neared the structure, Indigo's antennae started to vibrate. She gasped. "There is a powerful Darkness coming from inside this boathouse," she informed the others. She pointed into the sky above the building. "Look up there! The Darkness sphere is floating above it."

Sora's eyes shot straight up. To his shock, there it was. The sphere of Darkness. It was nearly an exact copy of the one he had seen that fateful night. The reddish glow from the inside of the ball looked more ominous than a ghost carrying an orange-tinted candle on Halloween night.

Knowing it was only a matter of time before everything and everyone in this world would be swallowed up in that very sphere, Sora marched up to the doorway and summoned his Keyblade. Behind him, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo all did the same. With a deep breath, Sora pushed the doorway open. "Here we go," he said in confidence.

The doors swung inward. Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo could not believe what they were seeing. The inside of the boathouse seemed to be in an uproar. A number of fishermen and dock workers were trying to use a series of nets, ropes, and canvases to hold down a giant creature. The shape of it reminded Sora of a dinosaur, something like the skeleton of such a creature he had seen at the museum back home.

His mind stopped. Could this shape actually _be_ the dragon Pete and Amemi had been talking about? "Is that… ?" he could barely get the words out of his mouth.

"A _dragon_!" Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all declared at once.

"A _real_ one!" Indigo realized. "It is _not_ something from a fairy tale!"

Sora was still having a difficult time accepting the fact he was looking at a _real_ dragon — right here. Right now. In this very boathouse. _**How**_ was this even possible?!

Then again, he _had_ seen a multitude of impossible things during his adventures. He recalled how nothing in _**Wonderland**_ had made any sense. He had hopped across hippopotami in the _**Deep Jungle**_. He had flown on a magical carpet across the desert sands of _**Agrabah**_. He had flown through the sky in _**Never Land**_. And that was all in his _first_ quest.

What about _this_ one? He had taken part in an expedition in search of the lost continent of Atlantis. He had gone over the edges of at least two waterfalls and not gotten badly hurt or killed. He had ridden on a giant snake back in _**The Outback**_.

In addition to lots of other things, Sora knew he had basically done the impossible on more than one occasion. He just needed to accept it. Even if it seemed it would make even sense to do that.

The seventeen-year-old's mind returned to reality in time see something else. Dr. Terminus was on the other side of the room. His assistant, Hoagy, was beside him, cowering low to the floor. The black-haired man was pointing a harpoon at the shape struggling in the middle of the building.

Sora's eyes lit up in total alarm. He knew what this meant. He rushed forward, Keyblade in hand. "Hey!" he shouted. "What do you think you're _doing_?!"

Before Sora could have counted to two, he was whisked up into the air and rapidly found himself tumbling inside of… a net? He was caught in a large, fisherman's net. And a strong one, too. He tried to slice his way out using the Keyblade. No good. The ropes forming the net had been wound together too tightly.

A second net was yanked into the air. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were in it. Sora looked back down below. Only Indigo was on the floor. Cinnamon Teal was less than five feet away from her and closing in with….

His mind stopped. It was Mortimer Mouse — the _**same**_ tall, anthropomorphic mouse he had believed was lost back in _**The Outback**_, or so it had seemed. And he knew Mortimer was a member of _Maleficent's Council_. There was no denying _that_ fact!

When he saw Amemi down below trapped in the claws of some Heartless, Sora wanted to rush down there and rescue his sister. His promise. He _**had**_ to keep it!

He looked back at Indigo. The angel had her wand out and was holding it in both hands like it was a club. Both evildoers were almost upon her. Knowing he could not allow her to fight alone, the spikey-haired youth pointed his weapon at the net's higher strands. "_**Fira**_!" he declared.

A medium-sized ball of flame shot out from the Keyblade and struck the netting. The ropes immediately went up in flames. The threads snapped apart, causing the net to fall into pieces. Sora jumped through the gap and flipped as he descended to the floor.

He landed, feet-first between Indigo and Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal. He positioned his Keyblade into his fighting stance.

"Sora!" Indigo declared. "I am so glad you are alright."

"Don't worry," Sora told her. "I can handle myself, but it seems you need some help. Right?"

Indigo had to shake her head and smile. "Sora, your heart is nowhere close to the level of Darkness I was sure it was at."

That made Sora beam with delight and determination. He was still no good at handling compliments. He doubted he ever would be any better at it. Even so, he knew he still had to rescue Amemi from these corrupt manipulators of the Heartless.

"Ha cha cha," Mortimer laughed, drawing the Keyblade wielder's attention. "Ya think yer so bad just because you've got yerself a Keyblade. _I_ could've had one too, if I hadn't been rejected by Yen Sid."

Cinnamon Teal glanced at the taller mouse. "You never said you almost had a Keyblade."

"It was a long time ago, toots."

Sora sighed in annoyance. He needed to concentrate on saving his sister, the dragon, and Pete… who he still had not located in this place — yet. He turned his head to Indigo. "Set the others free," he told her. "I'm going after Amy!"

Indigo smiled. "I understand! Let's move out!"

She leapt into the air and was airborne in no time. Mortimer reached into his pockets and pulled out a pair of silver and gold pistols, one in each hand. "Ya won't get to them in time," he stated, pointing the weapons towards the angel.

Sora rushed past Cinnamon Teal so fast, the duck woman was sent spinning in place. She fell onto the floor and held her head with her right hand, a bit dazed. The brown-haired young man did not look back. He swung his Keyblade clear through the Heartless keeping Amemi captive. The teenage girl elbowed the Large Body Heartless behind her, forcing the creature's shield to break off and the whole monster to explode into Darkness.

Amemi rushed away from the enemies and reached her brother in the nick of time. "Thank you, Sora," she said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going. I was…. "

Sora held up his hand. "I know, Amy. You think I don't trust you," he returned his focus back to the Heartless. "But let's worry about that later. We've gotta get rid of these Heartless and save Elliott."

Amemi gave a nod. "Leave it to me!" she declared.

The sandy-haired teen pulled out her slingshot and pointed it directly at the complexes of netting, rope, and canvas pinning Elliott to the floor. She fired two shots at it while Sora rushed forward and slashed the last few Heartless in the room out-of-existence.

The trap collapsed when Amemi's shots hit its two critical points (the pulleys on the ceiling). People were thrown about as Elliott shoved the canvas, nets, and ropes away. As the dragon stood up, Sora turned to him and his mouth dropped open.

There he was, face to face with a real dragon. And a green one, too, with messy, purplish hair. The creature's head _did_ resemble that of a camel, and he had the neck of a crocodile. And he did seem to resemble a half-fish, half-mammal being.

Just as Pete had claimed. Speaking of which, where was the young boy? Sora turned to his sister. "Amy, where's Pete?"

Amemi opened her mouth to speak. Loud gunshots filled the air. The two swerved their attention to the left. There was Mortimer, firing his pistols into the air over and over. Indigo was flying around above, desperately trying to dodge the attacks.

"Ha cha cha!" Mortimer gave a sinister laugh. "Yer more pathetic than that _stupid_, _smelly_ Pete!"

Indigo scowled. "Do _**not**_ compare me to someone on your level!"

When she saw Indigo was fluttering around and around the netting where Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were being held, Amemi began feeling something she had not felt for a long time. The determination to rush in and attack.

She stormed a few feet closer to Mortimer and jumped. Her right foot went forward as she flew through the air. With an audible _**WHAM!**_, her foot slammed into Mortimer's back and knocked the villain onto his stomach. His two weapons went flying across the floor.

Sora gasped in complete surprise. Had his sister _really_ just used a karate-style move? He wondered where she had learned such a thing. After all, she had never taken a martial arts class in her life. Then again, she had also kicked Don Karnage in the face back Bueno Nacho HeadQuarters.

…Perhaps she _was_ capable of looking after herself. Then… what about the promise? How would he keep it now? So many questions, and very few answers.

Elliott marched across the room and approached Amemi. Sora's initial reaction was to jump between the two and tell his sister to take cover. That was when he saw Amemi and Elliott smile at one another. The dragon lowered his head, allowing the young woman to pat him gently on the nose. It became a hug.

"I missed you, too, Elliott!" she said with happy tears.

Sora had to smile. He could tell Elliott was not a Heartless Dragon. He wanted to punch himself in the face for thinking such a thing. Not to mention, he felt guilty for not believing his sister when she had claimed to have known Elliott. He knew she had known Elliott for a long time now.

Ever since the islands had vanished into the Darkness. If it had not been for Elliott, who knows what would have become of the sandy-haired girl? She might have never returned home. In fact, she could have perished in this world or another one. She could have been attacked at one time or another. Maybe she would have been assaulted and killed.

He had a _lot_ to be grateful for, and this dragon was one such individual he needed to thank. Sora calmly stepped forward until he was close enough to touch Elliott. The dragon's eyes opened wide and a look of astonishment filled his eyes.

Sora waved. "Hiya!"

Amemi smiled. "Elliott, this is my brother, Sora."

Elliott panted his tongue like a dog. Sora had to smile all the more. He could tell Elliott was definitely friendly, in every possible way. "Thank you for helping Amy, Elliott," he said.

Elliott seemed to say something playful. Having never heard a dragon speak words to him before, all Sora could make out was gibberish. Instead, he chose to continue smiling.

Amemi folded her arms and shook her head. "Oh, Sora."

Sora knew it was true. Elliott was far from heartless. Not a Heartless Dragon — at all!

* * *

With both Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal toppled onto the floor of the boathouse, Indigo knew now was her chance. She flew over to the net and held out her mystical wand. She pointed it into the air. "_**Flames**_!" she called out.

A series of flaming spheres formed around the netting and attacked the top of it. In a flash, the ropes' fibers were burned apart, sending Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad falling to the floor. Donald landed onto a still-dazed Cinnamon Teal. Goofy plopped onto the mage. Launchpad grabbed a nearby rope and held on as he descent slowed. The rope suddenly snapped, sending the pilot spiraling around through the air. Sora looked up in time to see the large duck crashing down on him.

"_Get_ _**off**_ _me_!" Donald barked.

Realizing he had landed onto the duck, Goofy chuckled. "Sorry, Donald."

Launchpad quickly hopped onto his feet. Amemi rushed over and helped Sora back up off the floor. "Man," the young man muttered. "Now I know what it feels like to be on the bottom of a haystack."

Indigo came in for a landing. "Are you alright?" she asked Sora.

Sora nodded. "Yeah! No worries."

"I think there's _something_ to worry about," Amemi stated. She pointed to the exit. Mortimer had risen from the floor and was standing at the doorway. His scowl had turned into a heated glare. Sora knew such a look; it was the same one he had seen on the faces of various villains and villainesses before he had fought them in a serious battle or three.

"You think yer so tough, why don't ya prove it?" Mortimer stated in a stern voice. It sounded as though he was ready to pull out the big guns and shoot everyone and everything in sight. He turned and raced into the square. Moments later, the sound of a large contraption made Sora gulp.

He knew it was not going to be good.

There was the large wagon from the square. Mortimer was seated in a black, cushioned chair at the front of the vehicle. A wooden panel-like thingy was positioned before him. He grinned as he pushed a button on it. At once, the sides of the wagon opened. Instead of showing the banners and streamers as they did before, they were instead armed with weapons.

The left side had a large, yellow buzz-saw. The right one had a grabbing claw, similar in design to the ones from those arcade machines where you could win a prize by snatching it up. The whole view of such a thing reminded Sora of that monstrous thing Hacker had used back in the _Realm of Sleep_. Fortunately, it seemed there was no fan on this one, so there would be no danger of being sucked into it.

Even so, the sight of seeing Mortimer using such a weapon made the Keyblader certain he _had_ to do something — and _**now**_!

From where he was trying to re-aim the harpoon at Elliott's new position, Dr. Terminus gawked when he saw the changes to his wagon's appearance. "_What_ did you do to my wagon?!" he exclaimed, his voice more than filled with shock.

"While you were off looking for that dragon," Mortimer patted the side of the wagon. "Yours Truly added some tricks to take out Sora and his gang."

Terminus looked more than shocked. "But, my wagon!"

"Save it for Maleficent!" Mortimer pulled a pair of levels around. The grabbing claw reached for Sora. In a heartbeat, the young man jumped and landed beside his sister.

"_Try that_ _**again**_!" Sora snarled. He had a glowering look evident in his azure eyes. His Keyblade was positioned in his fighting stance, ready to be slammed into the modified-wagon.

Cinnamon Teal was off the floor now. She hopped onto the wagon and stood beside Mortimer. Her eyes opened wide and seemed to glow. "Look into my eyes," she instructed, her voice coming out in a very hypnotic tone.

Donald and Goofy gasped. "_**Look away**_!" the knight shouted as loudly as he could.

"She'll _**hypnotize**_ us!" Donald added.

Amemi reached into her green purse and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. These ones were a silver color and seemed to shine whenever the Sun was shining down. Of course, at this time, there was no Sun. Therefore, it was safe to conclude they were not shining at all.

Even so, she placed them over her eyes all the same. One look at the sandy-haired girl's glasses and Cinnamon Teal seemed to scowl intensely at her. "Foolish girl," she stated in anger. "I will have revenge."

She hopped off the wagon and stomped away. Her shoes click-clacked against the floor of the boathouse as she stormed out the door and completely out-of-sight. The sound of a dark portal opening and closing could be heard.

Sora was feeling a little relieved, knowing Cinnamon Teal was no longer a problem in this world. He returned his focus to Mortimer. The tall mouse was non-too-happy about watching the duck-woman leaving. His scowl had turned into a glare. "You may have driven one of us off, but _I_'m stronger than C.T.!"

He pushed one of the controls forward. The buzz-saw raised into the air and swooped low for a slicing attack. Sora told everyone to jump. The group hopped into the air and watched as the weapon swiped its way under them, missing by a matter of one inch. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo joined Sora and Amemi. Goofy held out his shield. "Gawrsh," he muttered. "This sure is gettin' dangerous."

"Be careful," Donald said to Amemi.

"Yeah," Sora nodded. "This is _not_ going to be easy!"

"I know!" Amemi yelled back to her brother. "This isn't the _first_ time I've had to do this!"

Sora was startled by this outburst. Why was his sister acting this way? Was she still sore at him for not trusting her? Not to mention, it seemed the fourteen-year-old had developed somewhat of a short-fuse in just a few hours. That did not seem like her.

He hoped nothing was wrong. If there was… he refused to _think_ about it! Instead, he remained focused on the battle.

Mortimer pulled another lever, causing the front of the wagon to pop off like a piece of dynamite had blown it clean off. A roller came out, similar to the ones used to smooth out asphalt on roadways. Only _this_ one was covered in spikes so sharp, they could rival the teeth of a Great White Shark.

Sora ran up several times to deliver an attack, only to have the mechanical arm reach for him. Each time, he had to double-back. Amemi stepped forward and aimed her slingshot at the control panel. The clawed arm reached down and snatched her from the back of her jacket. The young woman quickly found herself dangling in mid-air from the clutches of the machine.

Donald marched up. "_**Thundara**_!" he declared, raising his wand as high as he could, even though it meant he had to jump a few feet into the air.

A bolt of lightning rained down onto the mechanical arm. The arm endured a strong power surge, yet held onto Amemi nice and tight. Donald could not believe his eyes. His attack had… _**failed**_?! He _hoped_ he was not losing his magic, again! The last time he had used up all his spells was back when the Heartless (under the control of Rourke and Isa) had stolen all their items and drained all his Magic Points (MP).

He _had_ to try again! He held up his wand. "_**Thundara**_!"

No result. He sighed deeply.

"_**Look**_ _**out**_!" Goofy yelled as the arm with the buzz-saw charged for the group.

Launchpad hopped into the air and did a full flip as the saw raced under him. Sora raised his Keyblade when the weapon closed in. The spinning blades clanged against the Keyblade, sending the seventeen-year-old recoiling a few feet. When the weapon came spinning back across the area, Sora swung his Keyblade out of desperation.

_**CLANG! SNAP!**_

The buzz-saw went flying into the air, completely dislodged from its arm. It went slicing into the rooftop of the boathouse and got itself jammed into the metal framework above. Sparks went flying for a couple seconds as it ground to a halt.

Sora wanted to sigh in relief. One weapon down, two to go. And he had to rescue his sister — again. It seemed every time he went up against a major opponent like this, something happened to Amemi. Why? Was she unable to hold out on her own? He was unsure, and he doubted he would ever find out. He shoved the pondering aside and turned back to what was going on now.

Goofy jumped into the air and flipped backwards as the roller charged at him, Donald, and Launchpad. Donald ducked, just barely avoiding the spikes; one of the sharp points seized his hat. "_**Gimme**_ _**that**_!" he demanded, rage filling his red-hot face.

Launchpad shot his gas-gun at the roller. The smoky substance ejected by the weapon appeared to conceal the spikes in a thin mist. When they shot out again, Goofy was prepared. His shield was up and the spikes banged against it with a loud crash. Several of the spikes broke free.

Donald marched up to the spike where his hat had been caught. He grabbed it off the floor and pulled his hat off. Despite the small tear in the top of the garment, he stubbornly put it back on his head. "_I'll show __**you**_!" he snapped at the wagon.

He raised his wand. "_**Thundaga, Level 3**_!"

A strong surge of lightning bolts rained down on the wagon. Mortimer was touching the levers at the time and the electricity rushed throughout his body, showing his skeleton flashing in plain sight, similar to that of an animated movie and/or cartoon. The mechanical arm holding Amemi shook when the enormous amount of energy rushed through it.

Certain this was his chance, Sora hurled his Keyblade at the arm. The weapon spun through the air and struck the claw in a hurry. The "fingers" of the grabber broke off, one-by-one, as the blade crashed through them. The weapon continued to spin around like a boomerang before it returned to Sora. The young man reached out and caught the handle of his Keyblade in the air.

With the claw destroyed, Amemi fell to the ground. Sora raced over and held out his arms. He felt the floor quacking beneath his feet. He looked behind himself. Towering above his head was Elliott. The dragon reached out his small, somewhat short arms. The sandy-haired teenager landed gently into the creature's claws.

When she realized where she was, Amemi turned and smiled at Elliott. "Thank you, Elliott," she said in gratitude.

The dragon grinned with delight. Sora had to smile. He twirled his Keyblade in his hand as though it was a pinwheel before placing it on his shoulder. A victory-sounding piece of music played in the background. He shrugged, still not sure where that melody had originated from.

"Yeah," the brown, spikey-headed youth said to Elliott. "You're not a Heartless dragon, Elliott."

From where he stood, Sora could see a friendly Elliott smiling his way. The dragon bent down and stuck out his large tongue. He slipped it up against the young man's cheek like he was a dog. Sora had to laugh, knowing it was a sign of friendship.

Elliott lowered Amemi down to the ground. She calmly hopped off with glee. She approached her brother and turned away, her arms crossed. Sora tried to reach for her. Then stopped. He sighed, sure she _was_ still upset with him.

A deafening crash occurred behind them. Sora and Amemi spun around. The surge of electricity had been plenty to fry all the gadgets Mortimer had added to the wagon. The entire vehicle had collapsed, pieces of wood and mechanical parts were now scattered all over the place.

"Man," Sora remarked. He had rarely seen such a sight on his quests. He could not even recall the last he had seen such a thing. Then again, so much had happened, he sometimes had a hard time remembering everything exactly. In the heat of battle, he had even less time to reflect on what had taken place.

'_Wait_,' he thought to himself. '_Why am I thinking about this?_' He knew his mind was going off on another tangent.

Mortimer was both astounded and outraged. He glared with such vigor at Sora, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad, it seemed he was going to pull out a machine gun and shoot everyone in a 360-Degree spin. Instead, he pointed an accusing finger at Sora. "I'll get you one of these days, Key-brat!" he sneered.

"That's _**Sora**_!" Sora argued. He pointed his Keyblade straight at the long-snouted mouse. "And _**don't**_ you forget it!"

Mortimer grinded his teeth together. He turned and stormed off in a heated fit. As he marched out into the square, a dark portal opened. He stomped his way inside. The portal sealed up behind.

Sora wiped some sweat off his head. At least he no longer had to worry about either of those two causing trouble here now. He wondered how Maleficent would react when they returned empty-handed. For some reason, he now wished he could see what she had in store for them.

That was when Indigo descended from above. She set down before with unnatural grace. It made Launchpad rub his eyes, even though he had already seen this sight multiple times before. Sora hastily noted how large the angel's eyes were getting, the speed her antennae were moving, and the fact she was slightly shaking.

"Hey, what's up?" Sora inquired.

Indigo grabbed his arm. "We _**must**_ hurry! The Gogans have Pete, and they are trying to leave with him!"

Elliott snarled. Sora gasped. How could he have forgotten about those four?! "_**No**_ _**way**_!"

"They must've been workin' with Doctor what's-his-name," Goofy thought aloud.

"'Doctor _Terminus_'," Donald corrected.

"A-Hyuck! Yeah!"

"Guys, cut it out!" Sora stated. He pointed into the distance. "We've _gotta_ rescue Pete!"

"I saw where they went," Indigo said. She leapt into the air and soared into the direction of the town hall. "Let's hurry, or we shall miss them!"

"Right!" Sora gave a nod. He held his Keyblade tightly in hand and raced after the angel as she soared through the sky. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were not far behind. Elliott followed the group, a stern expression showing on his face.

They proceeded across the square until they reached an old warehouse. The building was boarded up and bore a sign indicating it was going to be demolished; "_**CONDEMNED**_". A number of old barrels were situated outside.

Rolling past the structure was an old wagon pulled by a worn-out donkey. Four people were seated in it. Sora did not have to look twice to know it was Merle Gogan, Lena Gogan, Willie Gogan, and Grover Gogan. A sack was squirming in the front of the wagon, which Sora was sure contained Pete.

"_**Stop**_ _right_ there!" the spikey-headed youth declared. He positioned his Keyblade, anticipating a conflict. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi all held out their weapons. Elliott came marching over.

The Gogans turned around in their seats. Even as the wagon rocked about, the four of them remained as steadfast as stones. "Get outta here, kids!" Merle Gogan waved them off.

"You got no business here!" Willie sneered.

"Git your things an' high-tail it," Grover added.

"_Elliott_, _**save**_ _**me**_!" Pete's voice shouted from the sack. Lena Gogan banged her fists on the bag. "_**Shuddup**_!" she snarled.

The dragon stormed closer and grabbed the back of the wagon with his claws. The vehicle came to such a sudden halt, the four people in it were shaken about. In one swift movement, Indigo descended over the sack, grabbed it with her hands, and lifted it out of Mrs. Gogan's hands. "Hey!" she snapped.

"You have no right to hold onto him," Indigo stated.

"Yeah," Sora seconded.

"You just listen to me! That there boy belongs to _me_," Mrs. Gogan countered. She held up the bluish-tinted paper. "I paid fifty dollars for him, plus legals, and I got a bill of sale right here to prove it."

"That sale's no good," Sora argued. He remembered the last time he had seen such a contract. The time Ursula had tricked Ariel into signing a glowing parchment in exchange for having human legs. He refused to believe there were such things as legally-binding contracts.

Economics…. One of the many classes he had failed this past year. At this rate, he would _**never**_ graduate from High School. He would probably end up dropping out.

Oh well! As long as he got to have all these cool adventures, what more did he need? Maybe one day, he and Kairi would go out on a journey of their own, and they would…. Never mind!

Indigo landed onto the ground and opened the sack. Pete climbed out and hugged the angel. "Thank you, Indigo," he smiled.

Sora could tell Indigo was a little uncomfortable about being hugged by somebody. He knew that look. It was the same one Violet had whenever he had thrown his arms around her. Only less stern and more nervous.

Elliott snarled at the large woman. With a deep breath, he sent a plume of flame out of his mouth. The fire lit the surrounding space for a few moments. It ceased shortly after. The bluish paper in Mrs. Gogan's hands was badly burnt and parts were still in flames. Knowing her bill of sale was useless now, she tossed it to the side and stared at Elliott in appall.

Elliott continued to snarl at her. He leaned in close, making all four of the Gogans fell more and more nervous and frightened. Just as it seemed the dragon was going to devour them, Elliott grinned. "_Boo_!" he said in a playful manner.

Mrs. Gogan screamed. She tumbled off the wagon and landed into a barrel full of something black. And sticky. It did not take Sora long to realize what it was.

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy blurted. "Tar!"

Mrs. Gogan was stuck. She turned to her husband and two sons. "Merle, _help_! _Don't_ just stand there! _Come_ on! _Get_ me _**outta**_ here! _Get_ me _**outta**_ here!"

The other three quickly rushed over and tried to lift the woman out of the barrel. The container toppled onto its side, pouring tar all over the ground. All four of the Gogans were rapidly covered it the substance. As it approached Sora and the others, they stepped back a few feet.

Sora had heard about being tarred and feathered. He knew it was a terrible punishment, especially for someone who had actually committed no crime. At least, this time, the victims were not innocent. That allowed him to put his mind at ease.

Elliott roared with laughter. Donald raised his wand. "Blizzara!" he called softly.

A patch of ice covered the ground beneath the donkey. The animal's hooves started to slip and slide. Away it ran, pulling the wagon behind. Seeing this happening, the Gogans rushed after their vehicle.

"_Wait_!" they shouted. "_Wait_ for us!"

Elliott laughed so hard, he fell to the ground. Sora found himself laughing along with the dragon. Same for Pete, Amemi, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad. Indigo covered her mouth to keep herself from laughing. It was not enough, and she found herself laughing in turn. Her laugh made Sora smile, mainly since it sounded very lively and serene. And it was very high-pitched.

"_**Aaah-hoo-hoo-hoo**_!" A loud crashing sound filled the air. Sora and the others immediately swung their focus towards the boathouse. A gaping hole could be seen in the roof. And a harpoon was sailing through the sky. Attached to the other end of the rope was none other than Dr. Terminus.

"Whoa!" was all Sora could say.

"Gee," Goofy commented.

"Wow!" Amemi marveled.

"Yeesh!" Launchpad muttered. "And I thought only shooting stars could sail across the sky."

Donald could only gawk at the sight. Indigo pointed to a telephone pole near them. "Look at that!" she announced.

The harpoon descended to the square — directly for the pole. It stabbed itself into the wooden side. Terminus was left dangling from the rope, only upside-down since his foot was caught in a loop. "Hoagy, get me down!" he demanded.

As swiftly as a hummingbird flying away, Hoagy raced over. He started to untie his boss. "We've gotta _do_ something!" Terminus stated. "That dragon's gonna get away!"

"I know," Hoagy admitted. He pointed behind them. "He's right there!"

"_Elliott_!" Terminus yelled as he turned to face the dragon. "_Elliott_! Hey, Elliott! I want to make a deal with you!"

Elliott whirled his focus to the black-haired man. To Sora, he seemed curious.

"I want to buy up all your used and spare parts," Terminus continued. "You know, like a hang-nail, or if you shed your skin, or if your hair falls out! I'll play you top-dollar!"

Elliott paused. He pulled down some strands of his hair. For a second, it looked to Sora as though the dragon was considering the conman's offer. Elliott turned back to Terminus and shook his head, waving his arm in front of his face with a friendly grin.

"What's the matter with you?!" Terminus bellowed. "Don't you have any _business_ sense?!"

"Don't you?!" Hoagy whimpered.

Terminus shouted at Elliott, pleading over and over for the latter to give him something to sell. The dragon continued to decline. Sora knew any begging on the knees would be turned down.

Finally, it seemed Terminus had given up trying. He turned to Hoagy and demanded to be taken down. As the two got to work, Sora could only smile. He was glad to have all _that_ taken care of. At least, for now.

A bright flash of lightning lit up the sky. Sora and the others nearly jumped in complete surprise. That was when Sora saw it. The telephone pole a few buildings down had been struck and sparks were flying from it like miniature fireworks.

To make matters worse, the pole was located beside the town hall. And the door to the place was opening. Out stepped mayor Howell, alongside the schoolteacher (Sora had learned from Nora that her name was Miss Taylor) and a few others.

"…In the street," Mayor Howell was saying to his guests. He looked up into the sky. "Quite a storm here."

Miss Taylor headed for the steps down. "Wait a minute," Mayor Howell spoke up. "Watch those stairs."

The sparks of electricity surged from the pole. The wind picked up, causing the whole column to topple. As it fell, the wires split apart, sending sparks all over. Sora had to hold his arms in front of him when a shower of such fireworks landed not too far away from him and his teammates.

"_**Oh no**_!" Sora exclaimed. The instant they saw the telephone pole was headed their way, Mayor Howell and the others gasped. There they stood, frozen in place, unsure how to respond. Elliott bounded away to help. Amemi was directly behind him. Sora reached out his hand. "_**Wait**_!" he yelled, loudly as he could.

The electricity continued to cackle as the pole headed for the Mayor and his associates. "_**Look**_ **out**!" Mayor Howell shouted.

Elliott stopped between the pole and the staircase. He held out his arms — just as the pole landed into his grasp.

Sora gave a sigh of relief. Elliott had somehow managed to catch the sparking wooden column. For about five moments, it had looked like the pole was going to crush the people on that short flight of steps. Either that, or it would have electrocuted all of them.

"Oh, look!" Mayor Howell declared. He gestured at Elliott. "Th-Th-There really _is_ a dragon!"

Amemi stopped a few feet away from the town hall. She beamed. "And he saved you!" she informed the others.

Miss Taylor was so startled, she fainted on the spot. One of the other men on the stairs reached out his arms and caught her.

Pete smiled as Elliott shoved the downed telephone the other way. It landed onto the ground, not harming anyone. "Attaboy, Elliott," he congratulated.

Elliott clicked his tongue in response. Sora had the feeling that was a good thing. Well, at least the Mayor and the others were alright! He knew this was another sign that the dragon was no Heartless.

A distant blast filled the air. Sora's ears perked up the instant he heard it. He knew that noise. The foghorn. Back up at the lighthouse. The one Nora had given permission to sound when Dr. Terminus and Hoagy had started to leave. She had later agreed to sound it when the Gogans refused to leave without taking Pete.

Recalling how the foghorns were used back home on the islands, Sora knew such a sound was _**not**_ a good thing! It meant the lighthouse's light was unable to pierce through the weather to warn ships about where the coastline was. Many ships had been wrecked after running aground due to the sharp rocks at the bases of the shores.

Indigo's eyes lit up. Her antennae seemed to stand on end. "I _completely_ forgot!" she declared. "Just as we left, there was a giant wave, and it put out the lamp!"

Everyone spun around to face her. "_**What**_?!" Donald exclaimed.

"To make matters worse," the angel elaborated. "I saw a ship coming close to the shore. They were sailing for the rocks."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Amemi enquired.

"I forgot," Indigo folded her arms. "So sorry."

Sora had to grit his teeth to keep from scolding the angel. Now it seemed the Darkness Storm had caused more trouble than they had known. He would _never_ understand why Indigo had not told them about such a thing sooner. Clearly, angels _were_ just as human as he himself was.

"C'mon!" the seventeen-year-old Keyblader proclaimed. "We've _gotta_ get to the lighthouse!"

"Let's take Elliott!" Amemi suggested. "He'll get us there in no time!"

"Unless I crash him," Launchpad remarked.

Donald slapped himself in the face. "Aw, phooey! Not again!"

The group clambered aboard Elliott. Pete was in front, followed by Amemi, Sora, Goofy, Launchpad, and Donald. Having wings of her own, Indigo volunteered to fly solo. It was not two minutes before they were airborne and racing off to reach the lighthouse. Sora was sure they would make it in time.

At least, he _**hoped**_ they would!

* * *

The waves were raging higher and higher. Fortunately, none of them were tall enough to break into the top of the lighthouse, again. Not like that one wave. Lampie was busy trying to use a box of matches to relight the lamp. The wick was dry. Yet, for some reason, it refused to light.

He figured it was because of all the water dripping from the mirrors and parts of the ceiling. The dampness of the chamber was plenty to keep the oxygen away from the wick. Therefore, unless he were to dry off everything, it was most-likely going to be impossible to light the wick and warn that ship out there — the one Nora had spotted several minutes ago.

He paused long enough to gaze out the soaked windows. Despite all the dripping water, the view was surprisingly clear. He could see a long way out. He knew it was more-than-likely due to the splashing water effectively cleaning them.

There was the ship. It was still heading towards that shoreline. And there was a large reef of rocks just off the coast. "That ship's headed for the reef!" he told his daughter. "Keep that foghorn sounding!"

Nora was directly beside him, trying to wipe down the lenses from the dripping water-droplets staining them. Due to the storm, she had thrown on a yellow raincoat and matching rainhat. She marched down the steps a short way and straight over to the switch on the wall. She pushed the handle up into place.

The sound of the foghorn roared to life. Nora came back up and headed for the exit doorway to the balcony. She opened the door. "Nora," Lampie spoke up. "Let me have the light so I can see what I'm doing."

A loud rapping happened on the door leading outside downstairs. Lampie turned to see what was going on. To his surprise, the doorway was open. And there was Pete, alongside Sora and… and… Amemi? He had not noticed _she_ was here, too!

When was the last time he had seen her? It seemed so long ago…. He _really_ needed to keep track of time better. And stay away from the tavern more often.

The wind was rushing outside. To Sora, it sounded like a roar. All these gusts had made it difficult for Elliott to reach the lighthouse. Indigo had nearly been blown away by a surge of wind. If the Keyblade wielder had not reached back and grabbed her hand, who knows where she would have ended up.

Now, here he was with Pete and Amemi inside the lighthouse. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Indigo were downstairs, helping Elliott clamber through the doorway and up the steps to the beacon.

Pete turned to the staircase. "Elliott, quick! Quick!"

Sora turned to the stairs. He could see Elliott trying to push his way through the building. The curvature of the steps was making it a challenge to proceed. "C'mon!" he called for the fourth time.

"You can do it, Elliott," Amemi encouraged.

Pete approached Lampie. The lighthouse keeper was busy rubbing a pair of matches together. Sora was puzzled. That was no way to start a fire. Rubbing two _sticks_ was one way, even though it would take practically _**forever**_ to do! Using a bow and spindle was a little bit faster, yet it was also _**very**_ time-consuming!

He still wondered how anybody — even Scouts — could manage such a _**strenuous**_ task.

"What's the matter?" Pete asked the lighthouse keeper.

Lampie turned to the boy. He seemed frantic, the way he was shaking all over the place. "Everything is _wet_ in here, _**that's**_ what's the matter!"

"Is that why it isn't a-lit?" Launchpad asked. "I thought this place had turned into the haunted lighthouse!"

"Don't worry, Lampie," Pete tried to sound assuring. "Elliott came."

Lampie seemed confused. "Elliott? That's all I need is a dragon in here," then he stared in disbelief. There was the dragon's head, sticking up from the staircase. "_Ah_! Get him outta here!"

Elliott stared in bewilderment. Sora frowned at the lighthouse keeper. "At least let him try," he stated.

"Light the wick," Amemi encouraged.

Elliott scrunched up his face, thinking long and hard. He muttered a series of unintelligible gibberish. It reminded Sora of how Donald sometimes sounded, only impossible to make out. The dragon clicked his tongue.

Lampie gave a deep sigh. He removed the glass cylinder from its place over the wick. He looked directly into the dragon's eyes. "All right, Elliott. Go ahead. Light it."

Elliott gazed at Pete. "Now, Elliott! _Now_!" the boy urged.

Elliott took a deep breath and puffed. Only a few clumps of smoke came out of his mouth and nostrils. No flame. No nothing, really.

"All right," Lampie said. "Where's the fire?"

Elliott groaned. He tried to wiggle his way up to the top of the stairs. Sora noticed he was not moving. "What's going on?" he called down below.

"Elliott's stuck in thuh stairs!" Goofy called back. "And Donald's on the wrong side of his tail!"

"I am _**not**_!" Donald hollered in anger.

"Yes, you are," Launchpad said. "I can see you stuck there, and you aren't even covered from head to toe in glue!"

"You _**must**_ hurry!" Indigo shouted as she flew up the last steps and reached the top floor. Her voice lowered as she landed. "That ship out there is getting _**dangerously**_ close to the shoreline!"

Sora groaned in annoyance. How could they get Elliott up here now? He was all squished up in the stairs. What could they do to resolve this problem?

The foghorn continued to blow over and over again. Sora knew that old ship out there was getting closer and closer to running aground. In fact, he could see the vessel through the darkness of the night and the storm's gales. The sails were torn apart beyond repair. The hull was listing every time the ship got tossed about by the waves.

The doorway opened. Into the room stepped Nora, her raincoat and hat still on, although they were soaked completely. She stared at the sight of the dragon in the chamber. "El-_Elliott_?!" she could barely bring out the words. Her eyes immediately switched over to Sora, Amemi, Indigo, and Pete. Then back at Elliott. "He's real. He's really real."

Amemi nodded. "Yes! Elliot is real and here to help!"

"He's gonna light the wick," Pete explained.

"Can he do it?" Nora questioned.

"_Can_ he?" the lighthouse keeper blew a breath of air straight up as though unable to believe what his own daughter had said. "He can throw a flame clear across to Bar Harbor… _if_ he can get his own burner goin'!"

Elliott gasped for air. Indigo hurried to the window. She peered into the darkness and turned back to face Sora. "Sora, use the power of Light!" she declared.

Sora had to take a double-look. "Huh?"

The angel cupped her hands over her mouth to be heard over the roar of the wind outside. "Use your _Keyblade_! _Help_ Elliott light the lamp!"

The spikey, brown-haired youth gave a nod. He knew what to do. His Keyblade appeared in his right hand (even though he was a _little_ ambidextrous). He stepped up to the center of the room and pointed the weapon at the wick.

Elliott continued to gasp for air. "Come on, Elliott!" Pete encouraged. "Go on!"

The dragon whined. "_Blow_, Elliott!" Lampie bellowed.

"You can do it, Elliott!" Nora said.

"Yes!" Amemi urged. "I _know_ you can!"

Drawing a deep breath, Elliott blew out. A small, plume of flame escaped his mouth. Sora's Keyblade shone in the process. Working together, the two watched as the flames and the Light from the Keyblade left a large, brilliant flame situated on the wick.

Elliott panted. "Wow!" he mumbled in awe.

Pete hugged his friend, his arms wrapped around the snout. "Elliott, you _did_ it!"

"Way to go, Elliott!" Sora beamed as he pulled in his fist in triumph. "I knew you could do it!"

Amemi ran up and threw her arms around the dragon's neck. "Thank you, Elliott," she had some tears flooding her eyes. They were tears of joy. "You saved the day!"

Elliott muttered a long line of gibberish mixed with the clicking of his tongue. He looked caringly at the sandy-haired teenager and grinned. Sora could see the Light shining in the dragon's eyes. That Light was the Light of someone whose heart was full of innocence. Not Darkness and Shadow.

Not a Heartless Dragon at all.

Indigo gazed through the window. "The ship is sailing away from the shoreline," she called. "They saw the beacon!"

Nora grinned at the dragon before her. "Elliott, I could give you a great big kiss."

Elliott stared at her, an expression full of shock covered his face. And he shuddered. The sight made Sora burst out laughing. Amemi and Pete started to laugh and giggle. Even Lampie found himself laughing, even if it sounded more like a harsh chuckle. The sounds of Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad all laughing could be heard from the staircase.

From where she stood, Indigo turned around to see Elliott's reaction. Despite trying to hold it back, the angel found herself weak against everyone's laughter. She unleashed a laugh full of warmth, serenity, and joy. Her antennae vibrated up and down repeatedly as her head shook. Her wings fluttered a little, though she remained standing on the floor.

Sora would have laughed longer had a bright Light not suddenly caught his eye. He turned and found himself looking out the nearest window. The lighthouse's lamp's beam was moving in a circular motion all the way across the bay and beyond.

The Light was coming from the middle of the beam. The seventeen-year-old strolled over to the window. He could scarcely make out a shape in the beam. It looked kind of like a keyhole.

Keyhole? His mind jumped ahead. It was the world's Keyhole — located inside this beam of light. He knew what he had to do.

Sora held his Keyblade up with both hands and pointed the end of the blade at the Keyhole. The Keyhole seemed to move with the lamp's beam, so he had to be quick.

A beam of Light emerged at the end of the Keyblade in the form of a sphere. The beam shot out through the window and into the distance. It struck the Keyhole directly. There was a faint lock, which Sora assumed was due to the distance.

The Keyhole vanished. Sora had every right to be delighted then. The world's heart was officially protected from any threat of Darkness. No longer would a Darkness Storm come here. No longer world the Heartless try to steal the heart of this world.

For it had been sealed away, never to be revealed again.

The clouds shifted away and the stars came into view. Millions of them, from the looks of it. The waves calmed and the wind died down. Sora was ecstatic about successfully protecting another world. He spun to his left and threw his arms around the first individual he found. He wrapped them tightly around the figure's torso and started to spin round and round with glee.

"_**Yes**_!" he cheered, knowing this world was safe.

"_**Sora**_!" a voice shouted. "Let me _go_ — _**now**_!"

The young man opened his eyes. He released his arms. Indigo dropped to the floor and swiftly sat up. Knowing he had accidentally hugged another angel, Sora felt a tad embarrassed. Especially when he saw that her wings were slightly bent down the middle. He must have squeezed her a little _too_ much.

Indigo looked up at him. She rose to her feet and wiped her hands over her dress. Then she turned her eyes to him and frowned. "That was _**not**_ silly," she stated in a very stern tone-of-voice. Her arms were folded across her chest now. "Do _**not**_ squeeze me like that ever again!"

"Man," Sora shook his head and smiled. "You sound just like Violet."

Another roar of laughter filled the room. Indigo grabbed the edges of her wings and pulled them around her. The view reminded Sora of how bat would cover itself while sleeping. Only the angel was not sleeping; she was hiding. Plus, her antennae were dropping a small amount.

Sora scratched his cheek with his finger. His eyes veered over to Amemi. His sister was scowling, her arms crossed. He knew that look. She only gave it whenever she was upset with something somebody did to her and/or someone else.

"Sorry, Indigo," he said at last. He watched as the angel opened her wings and peered out at him. "I got caught up in the moment."

Indigo had to shake her head. She smiled sweetly. "I know you did not mean any harm," she said, allowing her wings to return to their proper positions. "Yet, you are so naïve, you let yourself get carried away with just about anything."

Sora placed his hands behind his head and relaxed. "Oh, thanks!"

Everyone burst out laughing at once. Even Sora was laughing. He saw Indigo smiling brightly at him. He could feel the Light coming from her heart. It reminded him of how he felt whenever Kairi was close by. Her strong heart of pure Light was detectable from any direction, even from half a mile away. He had felt her presence coming to his birthday party this year before she had come into view.

Since everyone was laughing, Sora knew it was silly.

* * *

The next morning was a very _lively_ one. The Sun was bearing down brighter than before. There were only clear, puffy clouds in the sky. Seagulls were all the place, holding squawking competitions throughout the length of the shoreline.

And the town was busier than ever. Fishermen were returning from their routine dawn sailings with crates and nets overflowing with fish. The docks were filled with workers taking the fish to the local warehouses. All the while, everyone was chanting away, "_A __**dragon**__, a __**dragon**__! You bet we saw a __**dragon**__! So big and brave, he came to save a village in distress! He kept the ship from crashing when he heard the S.O.S.! He faced a group of villains and he fought them with success_!"

"He's great!" someone called.

"A chum," another added.

"A pal," a third stated.

"A mate," declared a fourth.

"Yeah!" Sora approved. The young man was accompanying his team as they walked through the masses of workers to the piers. Nora, Pete, and Lampie were with them. Just that morning, Nora had received word that somebody was here, waiting to see her.

The group was now gathered near a small pier. They looked around. Nothing stood out to them, other than the hustle and bustle. That was when they heard it. "_Nora_! _Nora_!" a voice shouted above the chanting.

Nora spun around. Her eyes became filled with astonishment and overjoy. "_Paul_!"

Sora, Amemi, Indigo, Launchpad, Goofy, and Donald all swung their attention to the end of the pier. There he was, a tall, muscular man sporting a mustache and decked out in a simple sailor's uniform. It did not take long for Sora recollect the portrait from the lighthouse. It was the _same_ man.

Nora and Paul ran into one another and threw their arms around each other and kissed. The sight made Sora and Amemi smile. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad covered their eyes. Indigo folded her arms, and with a smile, she shook her head. After a few moments, Nora finally asked the question Sora had the feeling she would. "What happened?"

Paul removed his wool hat. "We sank in a storm off Cape Hatteras. I was the only survivor. When I woke up in the hospital, I… I'd lost my memory. Then, the other day, a strange thing happened. My bed suddenly tipped over. I don't know how, but… I bumped my head and everything came back to me."

"It's a miracle," Lampie beamed.

Pete was looking to his left. Sora had the feeling he knew what had _really_ occurred. Elliott had flown off to find Paul. He had located him in that hospital, tipped the bed over, and knocked him onto the floor. All the spikey-haired youth could was smile when he thought about a playful dragon doing such a thing.

At least he knew he did not have to worry about such a thing happening between him and Kairi. Or did he? Would he one day wake up in a hospital somewhere far away? And then have Elliott come along and help him get back to her? What did this mean?

Was he going to end up _**marrying**_ her someday?! The thought of tying the knot with the auburn-haired girl made him feel sick and uncomfortable.

"It's Elliott," Pete declared, taking Sora out of his fantasy.

"Gather around, everyone," Mayor Howell proclaimed from a nearby stage. Well, it was not much of a "stage". Just a short platform located near the town's square. "I'm going to have a few appropriate words to say."

Sora and his team found themselves allowed to the front of the crowd, alongside Pete, Nora, Paul, and Lampie. The Mayor smiled when he saw them. He cleared his throat, holding his cigar in hand. "Ladies… Ladies and gentlemen," he nodded to Pete. "Pete, I want you to thank Elliott the dragon…. "

He gestured to the pair of older men standing behind him followed by everybody else around the "stage". "For the council here and all the townspeople. You do that?"

Pete seemed a tad displeased. "Well, he's right here," he calmly said in a matter-of-factly sounding voice. "He'd appreciate it if you'd thank him yourself."

"Yes," Amemi agreed. Her arms were still crossed. At least she was smiling. Sort of….

Several people gave short bursts of laughter. Mayor Howell grinned and placed the cigar back in his mouth. "You mean I can talk right to him, hmm?" he turned to the other council members and smiled. Then, he looked around. "Go right to the main source. That was my campaign…. "

"No," Amemi spoke up. She pointed to the front of the platform. "He's over here."

"Oh!" Mayor Howell stepped forward. "Oh, over that side. So, uh, on behalf of…. "

His voice trailed off when his cigar scrunched up. Sora knew the Mayor had walked straight into the dragon's side.

"Thank you," The Mayor removed the cigar from his mouth. "I guess I deserve that," he quipped.

The crowd roared with laughter for a short while. Even the Mayor was smiling. He then turned his attention to Sora. "For helping Elliott the dragon save our town from those terrible monsters, and for assisting in the arrests of Doc Terminus and his apprentice, I would like to present to you a small token of our esteemed appreciation."

Sora held up his hand and shook his head. "Not at all!"

Donald and Goofy instantly fell forward. Launchpad groaned. Amemi turned her head away. Indigo shook her head. It was clear that none of them were pleased with Sora's decision-making in these types of situations.

Mayor Howell shoved a piece of folded parchment into his hand. "I insist," he declared. "And I wish you luck on the rest of your adventure."

Sora smiled and nodded. "Alright. Thanks!"

He looked into his open palm. The parchment seemed a little torn on the sides. He unfolded it to see the handwriting inscribed upon it. As he swept his eyes along, the brown-headed Keyblade wielder's eyes grew large.

"_The mayor is questionable, but seems good,_

_She talks about caring for one another._

_I cannot help but sense she's somewhat rude,_

_Maybe because she's annoyed about being a mother?_"

He could not believe his luck. It was another piece of that torn letter. The one Master Yen Sid had requested he locate the missing pieces for. Perhaps he was now one step closer to finding out what this was all about.

Jiminy clambered out of his hoodie. "I'll handle these from now on," the cricket offered. "We wouldn't want to risk losing one."

Sora knew Jiminy had a valid point. He casually handed the parchment to him. The cricket opened his journal and, after folding it back up, carefully stuck it into the book with the others they had already located previously.

Then, Jiminy leaped back to his spot in Sora's hoodie.

That was when Goofy sniffed the air. "A-Hyuck! Fishy!"

Donald scowled. "_**No**_ _**more fish jokes**_!" he snorted.

Sora had to roll his eyes and shake his head.

* * *

The Sun's rays had never looked so pleasant to Sora. The view felt just as warm and comforting as it did back home on the _**Destiny Islands**_. The sounds of the waves in the distance also added to the feeling, making him long to return. He just wanted to complete this quest and be back in time for Christmas.

He strolled along the road back towards the lighthouse. Seagulls were flying all around above his head. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo were less than three feet away, all walking in a straight line. Pete, Nora, Lampie, and Paul were with them. All of them, including Amemi, were smiling.

"_It's a brazzle dazzle day_," Nora chanted.

"_So throw off the past and everything in it_," Pete added.

Elliott could be heard clicking his tongue as he soared through the sky above. Sora looked up to see the big, friendly dragon flapping his tiny wings and circling the lighthouse at the summit of the cliff. Even the dragon seemed thrilled.

"_That's the brazzle dazzle way_," Amemi chimed in. "_Enjoying your time from minute to minute_!"

Elliott swooped low and came in for a landing near some trees. Sora wondered why he had not taken note of the foliage growing so close to the cliffside before. Then again, his mind had been focused on learning more about the local rumors of a dragon back then. Back when he and his companions had first arrived in this world.

Pete and Amemi went running up to Elliott. "Hi!" the dragon seemed to mumble. This made Sora shake his head and smile. Perhaps the dragon _did_ know some legible words after all.

Pete threw his arms around the dragon's chest. "Oh, Elliott, you're the greatest. You've made everybody happy, especially me. I'm very proud of you."

Elliott muttered something as he hugged the boy back. Pete gestured to Nora, Lampie, and Paul. "We've got a real family now and a place to live."

Amemi smiled. She curtseyed. "It was wonderful to see you again, Elliott. I missed you so much… I don't know how to explain to you how I felt when you left."

"When you left"? The words seemed to stick into Sora's mind. What was his sister talking about? He stopped walking and turned to see what was going on.

Elliott cleared his throat. He muttered a list of gibberish that apparently only Pete and Amemi could make out. "You've gotta go?" Pete realized. "When will you be back?"

Amemi's smile faded. Sora had the feeling this was _not_ good news. Elliott gulped and muttered something else. He sniffled, a teardrop sliding out of his eye and splashing against his cheek.

Pete looked shocked. "You… You won't be back?"

Elliott muttered softly. He gave a slight nod. "But why?" Pete gently pleaded. "Did I do something wrong?"

Amemi put her hand onto the boy's shoulder. "He's got someone else to help," she informed him.

Pete's eyes lit up. "There's _another_ kid in trouble?!"

Elliott muttered a little louder, followed by some growling and a soft roar. Sora felt his heart beating faster. This did not sound good. Whatever it was, he was certain it was far from good news. Not to mention, it appeared somebody else out there needed help. And only Elliott could help them.

"Well, if anyone can get him out of it, you can," Pete stated. He paused, a tad hesitant. "I won't see you again, will I? Ever."

Elliott looked down. Amemi sighed deeply. "It can be sad," she said aloud. "I've known Elliot since I was twelve, and I never dreamed I'd see him again. I know how you feel, Pete."

Sora's ears perked up when he heard those words. He knew this meant his sister had once been helped by Elliott at least two years before. Based on what he had learned, it sounded like it was the night the _**Destiny Islands**_ were attacked by the Heartless and shrouded away in the Darkness. Just like him, Riku, and (in a way) Kairi, the sandy-haired girl had been cast out into the sea of worlds, possibly through a dark corridor.

While he had ended up in _**Traverse Town**_, Amemi had apparently been washed ashore here in this world. Not having anywhere to stay or anyone she knew around was what had most-likely drawn Elliott to her. He knew how scary it could be, being lost and alone in an unfamiliar place. Especially if the Heartless were roaming about.

He knew he needed to thank Elliott for saving his sister from anything terrible. He could not even imagine how terrifying it must have been for Amemi when she first realized she had ended up cast away in this world. The town aside, most of this place was seemingly wilderness (at least, as far as _he_ had seen of it). And he knew his sister was not too fond of being lost in the middle of the woods, especially late at night.

He strolled in the direction of Elliott. The dragon was using his tail to wipe away a tear from Pete's cheek. One look at the teardrop and Elliott started to sniffle and whimper. And then sniffle some more.

"What are you sniffling for?" Pete inquired.

Elliott gasped loudly and then sneezed — straight into Pete and Amemi's faces. The two shut their eyes and closed their mouths and a strong gust of air rushed past. They reopened their eyes to see Elliott smiling at them. His tongue was dangling from his open jaw, similar to that of a dog.

The two burst out laughing. Sora had to admit, it was a silly sight to behold. Watching a dragon sneeze, and in such a playful manner, too. "Now, remember," Pete instructed. "Don't scare people."

Elliott nodded in understanding, returning with gibberish in the process. "Good-bye, Elliott," Pete waved as the dragon took flight again. "Good-bye."

"I hope I'll see you again someday," Amemi waved. "Until then, have fun, Elliott!"

Sora waved goodbye as the dragon flew past his head. "Thanks for helping my sister!" he called.

Away Elliott soared, stating gibberish in reply. As he swooped across the sky, Paul pointed at him. "It _is_ a dragon!" he declared.

"It's Elliott!" Pete, Lampie, and Nora proclaimed together.

Elliott started to circle the lighthouse. As he neared the top of the building, Pete and the others ran after him. "And remember," the boy shouted. "You're supposed to be invisible!"

The dragon slowly vanished from plain sight, even though Sora knew he was still there. Just invisible. He waved long and hard, hoping Elliott could see him still.

Elliot flew away into the distance, leaving everyone on the ground waving happily behind. Pete, Lampie, Nora, and Paul were gathered by the lighthouse. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were beside the foghorn. Sora and Amemi were running across the ground, trying to keep up with Elliott.

Indigo was hovering in mid-air, soaring up to where the dragon had last been. She stopped and stayed in place. A tail brushed up against her wings and hair. She laughed. "Stop it, Elliott," she laughed. "That tickles!"

Goofy marveled at the sight. "Indigo is… ticklish? I always thought she was sorta silly."

He leaned backwards, accidentally bumping into the switch on the machine behind. The foghorn roared to life, blasting its noise across the landscape. Donald jumped into the air in alarm. He landed in Launchpad's arms. "Hey!" the duck snapped. "Put _me_ _**down**_!"

"Whatever ya say," Launchpad expanded his arms. Donald tumbled onto the ground. Goofy stood up straight and tall. The foghorn stopped. From all directions, laughter could be heard.

Donald laid on the ground, one hand on his cheek, the other fingering the ground impatiently. He scowled. "Aw _phooey_!"

* * *

Twenty minutes had passed since Elliott's departure. The Sun was now at its highest point in the sky. Seagulls could be seen flying away into the distance. The waves lapped against the beach, giving a comforting sound.

As she leaned against the railing, Amemi gazed out across the ocean. She had not seen this view for nearly two years. Two years too long. Ever since that night when she had washed ashore on the beach here. She still could recall how spooky it had felt.

The sand had felt familiar. Still, when she had looked up, that was when she had realized it was not the same place. For a moment, she had assumed she had been washed ashore on another island nearby. It was not until she had seen the lighthouse high on the cliffs above that she had realized this was a completely unfamiliar area to her.

Now, it felt like a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

A series of footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs to the chamber. She glanced back and then back to view. She sighed and rolled her eyes. She did not need to look twice to know Sora had come up to see her.

"Hey, what's up?" her brother questioned. "Everyone's downstairs eating lunch."

He paused when he saw Amemi's unamused look. "Is there something on your mind?"

"No," Amemi answered. "Nothing."

Sora crossed his arms. He knew his sister was not telling the truth. She was not a very good liar. In fact, she was worse than Riku when it came to such a thing. "Are you sure?" he interrogated.

Amemi sighed deeply. "Actually, there is one thing," she added. "I wish you'd start trusting me, Sora. I can defend myself! I'm self-determined, and very independent."

She turned to him. "Why can't you give me a chance to prove it?"

Sora sighed deeper than before. "It's just… I made a promise to Mom."

"A promise?" Amemi asked. She gave the young man her undivided attention. "What promise was it _this_ time?"

"I made it the day you were born. I promised I would keep you safe," Sora looked away. "But I haven't kept it. Look what's happened. You've been captured by Don Karnage, held hostage by the Heartless, you nearly got hit by Beast…. "

He looked down. "You're right. I can't keep you safe. I'm just getting you into trouble."

"You were only doing the right thing," Amemi indicated. "Besides, some of those incidents _were_ my fault."

Sora swung his head back the other way. "What do you mean?!"

"I removed the glass cover from the rose. I should've known something was going to happen when I did that. It was just so… fascinating. I'd never seen a magical rose that could float."

"So you removed its cover," Sora shook his head and smiled. "No wonder you were on Beast's bad side!"

"And… I should have told you about my meeting of Elliott and Nora and Lampie here," Amemi leaned back on the railing. "And Paul, too. Nora and him had just gotten engaged when I was taken back home. I didn't get to say goodbye to anyone. Not even Elliott."

She sighed. Then smiled. "But now, I did," she turned to her brother. "And it's all thanks to you, Sora."

Sora had to admit, he had not seen his sister smile like this for a long time. "I'm sorry I was so protective. Will you forgive me?"

"Sure," Amemi gave a nod. "As long as I can help you out for the remainder of this quest."

Sora shrugged. "Why not? You can handle yourself."

Amemi's smile grew and she giggled a little. The two shook hands. At once, a bright Light shone down on them. Sora and Amemi turned their attention to the sky. Up in the thin, wispy, Cirrus clouds was a gigantic, glowing Keyhole.

Sora summoned his Keyblade. A ball of Light formed at the end of the weapon and sent out a beam of Light through the air. The Light struck the Keyhole and unlocked it.

The two siblings headed downstairs to have lunch with the others. As they left, a voice seemed to be chanting through the sky, "_A cold and friendless tide has found you… don't let the stormy darkness pull you down… I'll paint a ray of __**Hope**__ around you… circling in the air… lighted by a prayer_!"

It seemed to fill the air with color and life. "_I'll be your candle on the water! This flame inside of me will grow! Keep holding on, you'll make it! Here's my hand, so take it! Look for me, reaching out to show… as sure as rivers flow… I'll never let you go! I'll never let you go! I'll __**never**__ let you go…. _"

To Sora, it seemed the world's Light was calling out to him, thanking him for saving its heart from the Darkness. He smiled, knowing this was the second time such a thing had occurred.

It was not long before Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo had teleported back aboard _Herbie_. They soared away into space, knowing everything well and good in **Coastal Town**.

* * *

The circular chamber inside the fortress of Villain's Vale was in an uproar. Noises of all sorts could be heard echoing as far away as the fissure of crystals on the far side of the Great Maw.

"_**Imbeciles**_!" Maleficent hollered. She spread her arms. A barrage of dark lightning bolts rained down across the room. Mortimer and Cinnamon Teal raced around, trying to avoid them.

"Not only did you _**fail**_ to locate the case, but you _**left**_ Doctor Terminus to be arrested in that town," the sorceress snarled. "And now our Council has one _less_ member to aid us in our search for the Tome of Prophecies!"

"We did find _some_ black and silver cases," Cinnamon Teal revealed. "But they were all empty."

Pete poked his head into the chamber. "Uh, Maleficent, I think we've got trouble," he said.

Maleficent turned her focus to the large cat-man. "Explain," she demanded. Diablo hopped off her shoulder and flew over to the villain. Pete gulped when he saw the raven's eyes piercing into him, almost like the bird could see inside him.

"Thistle's been out dere, lookin' for the book herself," he informed the evil fairy. "If we's don't hurry, she'll get control of all them Heartless and worlds before we can."

"Pete," Maleficent clutched her staff so tightly, it appeared it would snap in half should her grip tighten much more. "Do you believe I am stupid?"

Pete shook his head and waved his arms in denial. "N-N-N-N-No, Maleficent! I was just tellin' youse the latest in that fairy's movement, considerin' yer both fairies and all…. "

Diablo cawed at the large cat-man. "I am _**NOT**_ a 'fairy'!" Maleficent raged. "Do _**not **__**EVER**_ put me on the level of those idiots — _**again**_! If you do, I will see to it that you are turned into a Heartless before you can scream for help."

Pete rushed out the door and down the corridor as fast as he could. He now doubted Maleficent even _had_ a "good side". He continued on his way down to the meeting room downstairs.

He failed to notice the reddish-orange-haired fairy standing in a small cubby in the hallway. He probably missed her due to the immense amount of Darkness present in the area. Or he had simply ignored her presence.

Whatever the case, he did not see the fairy clambering out of her hiding place and fluttering out to the chamber in time to hear Maleficent giving instructions to a few others. Judge Doom, Camille Chameleon, and Sanford Scolex. "You are to search this world for the black-and-silver case. If you find it, you know what to do."

The fairy gave a snicker, certain the sorceress was looking in the wrong place. She opened a dark portal and disappeared in it.

* * *

Riku pushed the enormous door open. The right door was plenty to get through without any problems. He started for the steps leading outside. He looked up into the sky. The stars were twinkling nicely above. He wiped some sweat off his forehead.

At least it now seemed no worlds were in danger now. That was a plus. He had already caught a glimpse of four stars blinking. He knew it meant a world was in serious trouble. Since the stars had stopped blinking and gone back to normal, he figured Sora and the others must have been there and saved the day.

He shook his head. It was so like Sora to be somewhere just in time.

As he started down the steps, his foot knocked into a wooden bucket. The container tumbled down the stairs, splashing water all over the steps and the grass below. A rather angry broomstick marched down and grabbed the bucket before storming along the ground to the nearby well.

Riku could not believe what he was seeing. Either Mickey had brought the broom to life again (under Master Yen Sid's approval this time), or someone else had made the same mistake he had long ago. The thought of the study and tower being flooded yet again made him eager to find the source of this issue.

He marched across the ground and up to the well. He stopped when he got there. "Violet!" he declared, surprised to see the angel at the well.

Violet turned to face the silver-haired youth. "Riku! Is anything incorrect?"

Riku gestured to a few more broomsticks collecting water from the well. "What's all this?"

"I enchanted those broomsticks so they could accumulate the water for me."

Riku jumped back. He shook his head. "Have you forgotten? That's what Mickey did in the dreams, and you know how _that_ turned out."

Violet sighed deeply. "Yes, I recollect," she held out her mystical wand. Riku was a bit surprised. He had not seen the angel's wand for a while. He had almost forgotten how it looked.

Violet waved her wand around in a sideways arc. All the brooms stopped moving and became lifeless, their arms and legs vanishing. The buckets all fell to the ground, pouring and splashing water everywhere.

"Why would you do that?" Riku inquired.

Violet sighed deeply. "I was on the verge of departure, so I had to assign _something_ to complete this task."

"Where were you going?"

Violet shook her head. "I have no clue. Anyplace except this land. You do not require me to be here alongside you, Riku. You already have Niccole… or _had_, I suppose is the correct term."

Riku wanted to slap himself silly. This was not Violet's fault she had wanted to leave. Nor was it Niccole's. Just like Mickey had said, these were _his_ problems. And only _he_ could resolve them. Nonetheless, he had never anticipated Violet wanting to leave like this. What about when Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad came back with Indigo? How would it look, with Violet gone and her own sister here instead?

Riku placed his hand on the angel's shoulder. "You don't have to go," he said. "If anyone leaves, it should be me. All my mistakes _have_ become others' problems."

He marched to the end of the landmass. "Xehanort was right. I succumbed to the Darkness, but I could not control it. And I lost my Keyblade, the Keyblade Sora's using right now," he clenched his fists. "If I had only not let Maleficent talk her way into me. She knew my weakness, and she used it against me. That was how she manipulated me into fighting against Sora."

Violet turned into the direction the silver-haired young man was standing. "That was an _extensive_ time ago, correct? You should not insist on allowing those spiteful memoirs to control your actions nowadays. _That_ is your weakness. If you do not take action to oppose those memoirs, they shall deteriorate your heart. They might very well end up crushing it into dust."

Riku did not look at the violet-haired angel. Yet, Violet was sure her words were not going unnoticed. "You _can_ overcome this, Riku. I am convinced you can succeed. All you have to do is attempt it. That is all the guidance I can provide you. The rest is up to you and your heart."

She turned and walked back to the tower. The doors opened and closed as Violet headed inside. Riku remained where he stood. He looked up into the sky. He could see the three distinct stars shining quite beautifully up there. One green, one blue, and one orangish-brown.

He was stumped. Would his friends forgive him for all this? How could he face them now? If only Sora was here to help….

* * *

Medy was busy tuning up his instrument when he heard footsteps echo down the corridor behind him. "Man," he complained. "When can I be left alone without being interrupted by another blabbermouth?"

"Talk that way to me again, and you'll be subject to clean-up duties for the next month."

Medy spun around. There stood Isa, his long, bluish hair a bit longer than it had been two days before. He was frowning and his arms were crossed. "Xehanort has lost patience with you," he stated. "Have you anything to report on Genesis?"

Medy rolled his eyes and groaned. "If I could _find_ the guy, I wouldn't be here now, would I? Recon is my thing, right?"

Isa snorted. "How pitiful. You call yourself a member of the Organization, but here you are, playing around with your music."

"Hey," Medy pounded his fist hard. "I had to run from a boulder, remember? Gimme a _little_ credit for trying!"

Isa gave a sneaky grin. "I'll consider, on one condition. You must find Genesis and remind him who's in charge of the Organization. And ignore any snakes you might find."

Medy gulped. The thought of running into another snake made his skin slither. After he had escaped that boulder, he had travelled through a dark corridor, only to end up in a strange world full of underground passages, bugs, and swarms of… snakes.

He had high-tailed it out of there, only travel through another dark corridor into a jungle. He had then encountered a long snake who tried to hypnotize him with a soothing voice and the words, "_Trust in me_!". If it had not been for that herd of elephants trampling through the vicinity, who knows what would have become of him.

Medy sighed. "Alright, man. I'll try."

"That's good to hear," Isa turned to leave. As he marched off down the hall, he left one last comment. "If you don't, you'll be better off not coming back at all."

That was the last thing Medy needed to hear. He scooped up his instrument as he stood and opened a dark portal. He proceeded inside, knowing this might be his last chance.

* * *

**A/N: There Is It - The End OF _COASTAL TOWN_! THE WORLD HAS BEEN BOTH SAVED FROM THE HEARTLESS - _AND_ \- THE DARKNESS!  
NOW, It Is Time To CELEBRATE! HIP-HIP-HOORAY! HUZZAH! YIPPEE! YES!**

**So, I have a few things to go over before I can give you the you-know-what-H-I-N-T!  
(1.) I nearly considering using the Crooked Magician Heartless for the final battle of this world! Yet, there is no such creature mentioned in This Story's Storyline Summary. Therefore, I had to include the battle against Mortimer Mouse and Cinnamon Teal. I honestly thought both of them turned out rather well, all things considered!  
(2.) Yes, Miss Taylor is the name of the schoolteacher in the movie!  
(3.) Yes, the shout from when the harpoon shoots through the roof of the boathouse with Doctor Terminus in tow IS Goofy's shout. The same is true for the movie!  
(4.) I HAD to laugh at the part where Sora absent-mindedly squeezes Indigo with glee at sealing the world's Keyhole!  
(5.) Despite what Donald said to Goofy about "'_FISHY JOKES_'", I cannot state either way in regards to whether or not we shall see more "'_FISHY JOKES_'" coming up in This Story, let alone the next one!  
(6.) For those of you who did not notice, Medy accidentally encountered Kaa from Disney's "'_The Jungle Book__ (1967)_'" sometime in-between Chapter 35 and This Chapter!  
(7.) I enjoyed adding the Reprise to the song, "'**_Candle On The Water_**'" in there! For those of you who did not know, that Reprise IS on the movie's soundtrack! I should know so, considering I was listening to it on my iTunes while I wrote This Chapter!**

**Now, it is time for the "'RIDDLE HINT'" for the next, upcoming Disney-based world featured in This Story!  
HINT: "'SOMEPLACE OUT IN DEEP SPACE IS A SMALL PLANET, WITH AN EVEN SMALLER, TROPICAL ARCHIPELAGO! ON A RATHER SMALL ISLAND, SORA AND HIS FRIENDS SHALL ENCOUNTER A FAMILIAR FACE AND A WEALTH OF NEW ONES! THEY MIGHT BE UNAWARE OF SOME EXTRATERRESTRIALS HUNTING ANOTHER, ALONGSIDE THE HEARTLESS BEING ON THE PROWL!****! SORA MAY HAVE TO AVOID THE HULA IF HE HOPES TO HELP HIS OLD FRIEND FIND HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THIS WORLD!'****"  
IF You Believe You Know What World Is Up Next, Please Post Your Answers In The REVIEWS Section For THIS CHAPTER!**

**Well then, I do not have much else to say now.  
So Then, I'll See You Next Time!  
In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!" In Addition, "Fly With You All Later!"**


	43. Ch43 - Another Tropical Island

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT THE PLOT AND MY ORIGINAL CHARACTERS!**

**A/N: ALOHA! AND WELCOME TO CHAPTER 43!**

**Okay, so I admit it. I have never actually been to the Hawaiian Islands, let alone anywhere outside of North America. Yet, I do want to visit every state and territory of The United States of America someday, in addition to Japan and a few other places.**  
**Still, that does not mean I cannot enjoy introducing This Chapter, now does it? Let's pretend we are all on a flight headed for the Pacific Ocean!**

**Before we take off, I would like to point out some "Safety Regulations".**

**To start off, I want to thank all of you who reviewed Chapter 41 and Chapter 42! I had a LOT of fun telling Chapter 42 in particular. Can you tell how?**  
**Even so, I also wanted to mention how at least one Reviewer accidentally posted their reviews on Chapter 1. If you wish to know why I know about this, thank Goofy for pointing it out to me.**

**In any case, here are some things you might have been wondering about the Main Characters' Battle Styles! Why am I telling you this? Why not? Besides, it might make some of the battles easier to follow - especially for anyone who finds the battles a little hard to follow at times. I usually write them with the flow of the story, adding in some special moves here and there to liven it up instead of a simply "block-and-counter" fight.**

**SORA SKY HIKARI \- With his Keyblade in hand, Sora can easily slice and slash his weapon through any enemy, unless his opponent has a defense cutting in the way, or is good at evading attacks. If he moves fast enough through an enemy, he can either immobilize them, or terminate them instantly. This depends on whether or not he is facing a Heartless or a villain/villainess.**  
**Sometimes, he will simply throw his Keyblade at an enemy. The weapon always comes back to him, similar to that of a boomerang.**

**DONALD DUCK \- As _The Royal Court Magician_, Donald's wand is well-equipped with magic. Yet, in This Story, only the basic four Magic Attacks are used - Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, and Cure. A fifth one might come into play, yet that is yet to be seen. These spells are best used against Heartless and Nobodies.**  
**Currently, he can use Fira, Blizzara, Thundara, and Cura. By the end of the story, he might use Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, and Curaga. For the final battles, it is possible we might see him using Firza, Blizza, Thundza, and Curza (The Ultimate of these magic spells!).**

**GOOFY \- As _The Captain of The Royal Knights_, Goofy's shield is armed with defense and attack capabilities. His dislike of weapons allows for him to use his shield to charge straight ahead, spin around, and bang his weapon into enemies. This is his best method for destroying Heartless's defenses. He is also helpful with defending his friends from enemy attacks.**  
**Keep in mind, whenever he charges straight ahead, Goofy's face tends to be in front of his shield.**

**LAUNCHPAD MCQUACK \- Being _The Head of The Disney Royal Air Force_ and Darkwing Duck's (former) sidekick, Launchpad utilizes a gas-gun like his (former) ally/friend/roommates once did. This weapon is capable of shooting various things, in addition to gas. It is particularly useful with dealing Negative Status Effects to the Heartless; for instance, Confusion &amp; Poison &amp; Bind.**  
**Yet, the Negative Status Effects are yet to be seen directly in This Story; they may have been indirectly shown. There is still time for them...**

**AMEMI HIKARI \- Armed with a slingshot, Amemi attacks from a distance. She is especially good at taking out and/or stunning flying enemies. Air Soldiers and Flying Squirrel Heartless are particularly vulnerable to her attacks. Nevertheless, her defense is rather low, making her vulnerable to large enemies on the ground.**  
**Whenever she is being protected by Goofy's shield, Amemi still has the ability to shoot down flying enemies from over the top of the shield.**

**INDIGO ~THE ANGEL OF HOPE~ \- Indigo's weapon of choice has always been her Mystical Wand (it was not really _her_ choice, though). She can use it to summon Spirits in _The Realm of Sleep_, yet that is not shown in This Story. Instead, she tends to use specialized magical attacks. The wand is also useful as a club. Her flying skills are helpful whenever she needs to swoop in for a surprise attack and clobber a Heartless or more into the Darkness.**  
**She has also earned a Keyblade of her own. Yet, for some yet unknown reason, her Keyblade seems to have vanished. She has no clue if she will ever see it again.**

**With all that aside, I believe the time has come to reveal the next Disney-based World in This Story!**  
**Naturally, the actual identity shall not be revealed until the END of This Chapter!**

**It Is Time To Take Flight!**

**Therefore, PLEASE READ ON TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT! AND PLEASE REMEMBER TO REVIEW, TOO!**  
**HERE'S A CHALLENGE: TRY TO REVIEW ALL FOUR CHAPTERS OF THIS WORLD AND ALL FOUR CHAPTERS OF THE NEXT WORLD, TOO! IF 3 TO 4 OF YOU DO THIS, I BELIEVE THERE SHALL BE SOMETHING "'SPECIAL'" AT THE END OF THIS STORY FOR ALL OF YOU!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 43**  
**Another Tropical Island**

_Herbie_ rattled a little as he soared through the emptiness of the Other Sky. Launchpad was slowly licking his beak as he focused on trying to steer the Gummi Ship. The modified racecar continued to fight back. Every time the pilot thought he had finally regained control, the steering wheel jerked the other way.

In the backseats, Donald and Goofy seemed like they were going to start bouncing about, having not strapped in tightly. Amemi did not notice, having used both straps and buckled in. Plus, her attention was on the monitor back there. She had flipped on another episode of Scholastic's "'_**WordGirl**_'" and was focused completely on it.

Since it was a little loud, Donald had placed earmuffs over his ears. Goofy had blindfolded himself and his hands were tucked behind his head. Here and there, he snored a little.

Sora and Indigo were in the front. Indigo had decided to sit in the front for a change, eager to gaze out the windshield. At the moment, she was marveling at the view. Sora sat to her right next to the passenger door. He glanced out the window.

A small shooting star caught his eye. The extraterrestrial object zoomed through space and then, suddenly, it vanished. Not a trace. He figured such an occurrence meant the star had either turned direction and could no longer be seen, or it had burned out when it entered the atmosphere of a distant world.

He turned to Indigo. The angel had a pair of headphones strapped over her head and a small, square-shaped iPod in her right hand. She was adjusted the volume of the tiny, silver gadget. She looked relaxed and was smiling as she looked out the front window of the ship.

Sora began wondering what she was listening to. He tapped her on the shoulder. Indigo turned to him. She paused her iPod and said, "Is there something incorrect, Sora?"

Sora shook his head. "Nah, I was just wondering what you were listening to."

Indigo had to smile. "You want to hear this song? It is from a movie my Mom grew up watching."

Sora shrugged. He was not sure what age Indigo's mother was. Then again, the angel herself could have been anywhere between seventeen and twenty-four. That was what he had presumed, given her rather mature appearance. Violet had seemed to be slightly older, mainly thanks to her so-called "manners" and what his Mom sometimes called, "etiquette".

"Why not?" he said after a moment or four.

Indigo removed her headphones and stuck them onto Sora's head. His spikey hair got pushed down a little when the angel slid them into place over his ears. The form-like cushions of the headphones seemed to tickle his earlobes. He chose not to say anything. After all, the angel had offered this opportunity to him.

"Ready?" he heard a now-muffled Indigo ask.

Sora gave a thumbs-up. The angel smiled some more. She hit the _**RESTART**_ button on the device. A pleasant, peaceful song started to play in the background. It started instrumental. At first, Sora wondered if he had once heard it a long time ago. It felt a tad familiar. He just could not place it.

That was when the lyrics began. "_Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight, someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight!_"

He paused. Hadn't he heard this in an old, animated movie? It sounded like something from that one movie about a mouse. Or was it a rat? If he _had_ seen it before, it would have been too long ago to know for sure.

"_Somewhere out there someone's saying a prayer_," the song continued. "_That we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there!_"

Sora started to doze. The song was so calm and peaceful, it made him want to relax. "_And even though I know how very far apart we are, it helps to think we __**might**__ be wishing on the same bright star! And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby, it helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky!_"

The volume grew. Sora came back to attention. He thought he saw Indigo hiding a laugh through the corner of his eye. "_**Somewhere out there**__ if love can __**see**_ _**us**_ _**through**__, then we'll be __**together**__ somewhere out there… out where dreams come true!_"

The song drifted into a long period of instrumental music. Through it all, Sora could hear the melody being repeatedly faintly in the background. For a moment, he almost felt like a tear was going to slide down his cheek.

Then, one did. The song was starting to get to him. Or, so it seemed. Having never been one to listen to music much in the past, Sora was not sure why this was happening now. Even if the song was about being separated and longing to be reunited. Just like he had come to believe Roxas had felt following their encounter in that dream.

'_**Sora… I wish I could've met you outside of the dreams…. **_**'**

Sora nearly jumped. Not only had the song's volume increased dramatically, but… had he heard his Nobody speaking to him, again? He decided he needed to respond, even if only through his heart.

'_Roxas_,' he thought. '_What is it?_'

'_**I am not 'Roxas'. My name is Ventus, but you can call me 'Ven'. I need you, Sora. **_**We**_** need you.'**_

Sora nearly hit the roof in shock. _**Ventus**_?! Who was that? He had never heard such a name before. Was it someone related to Roxas? Or just somebody else who was connected to him? How would he learn the truth? Whatever the case, Sora decided not to let it trouble him too much more.

"_And even though I know how very far apart we are_," the song continued. "_It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star! And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby, it helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky!_"

Sora stared straight ahead. He was deeply wondering just what was going on here. The song was now starting to end. "_**Somewhere out there**__ if love can see us through! Then we'll be __**together**__ somewhere out there! Out where dreams come true!_"

"Sora?"

Sora turned to his left. Indigo was looking at him, an expression of concern on her face. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Sora carefully removed the headphones and handed them back to the angel. He smiled. "That's a nice song."

Indigo had to shake her head a little. She retained her smile. "Yes, it is. It is called, 'Somewhere Out There'. My Mom told me it is from a movie about a mouse who gets separated from his family when they move to the United States of America from Russia. The song is supposed to be about the mouse wishing to be reunited with his family, and his sister still believes he is still alive, wherever he is."

She sighed. Her gaze returned to the stars shining in the distance. "It is a song about Hope. Listening to it helps me keep believing she is still somewhere out there, someplace in all those twinkling stars."

Indigo's antennae fell and she looked down. Her smile faded. "I am not going to stop Hoping. I am sure Teal is still around, somewhere out there."

Sora had to admit, he could tell how sad Indigo was feeling. All she wanted to do was find and be reunited with her sister. If anything, he had the feeling Teal _was_ _indeed_ around still. Perhaps they just needed to reach the world where she was at.

_Herbie_ suddenly jerked to the side. Donald and Goofy tumbled out of their seats when their straps did not hold enough. The pair banged into Amemi, who braced for the impact. Sora found himself staying in place. Thank goodness Jiminy and Donald had insisted he strap in all the way!

He turned to Indigo. The angel was also strapped in nice and snug. Launchpad was gripping the steering wheel. He turned it very hard to the left. The modified racecar flipped over a few times. Donald and Goofy both bounced around the cabin.

At one point, Goofy's armored shoe nearly clobbered Indigo in the head, so she ducked. Instead, the knight's foot banged into the snack dispenser. It shook for several seconds before a barrage of chocolate-covered peanuts came flying out at Launchpad, Indigo, and Sora.

"_**Waak**_!" Donald screamed.

"_**Hel-p**_!" Goofy yelped.

The Gummi Ship zigzagged for several minutes. The view outside gradually transitioned from the colorful blue, yellow, and green of The Other Sky into the inky blackness of outer space. The stars continued to sky, despite the change in colors.

Sora stared straight ahead. A large thing was coming into view. It was a grayish color with bluish lights illuminating the front. It had a pair of fins on the bottom, similar to a submarine, only with engines on them like a jet airliner.

Sora nearly gawked at the sight. It was a giant spaceship. And it was headed straight for them! "_**Look out**_!" he yelled.

Launchpad yanked back on the control stick. Instead of flying up and then over the other ship, _Herbie_ dived straight down and continued to spin around and around. All the candies from the dispenser clattered about the cabin. Donald and Goofy grabbed their seats and hastily strapped themselves in place.

One of the knight's shoes had fallen off in the chaos and it banged into Donald's head, followed by Sora's shoulder, and then Amemi's side. It continued to bounce around, so everyone ducked as low as they could in each of their seats.

A small, blue planet came into view. Not too far from it was an enormous, yellow star. A warning, red light began flashing on the dashboard. "**_YOU ARE OUT-OF-CONTROL! YOU ARE OUT-OF-CONTROL! YOU ARE OUT-OF-CONTROL! YOU ARE OUT-OF-CONTROL! YOU ARE OUT-OF-CONTROL_****_!_**"

Sora was not sure what was worse. The concept of crashing into the planet up ahead, or the annoying alarm repeating itself on a nonstop cycle. In fact, the voice sounded just like that of Chip and Dale, only merged into one and a thousand times louder. It felt no different than the shrillness of the fire alarm in the school back home.

"Looks like we're in for a _crash_-landing in this ocean," Launchpad declared. He grabbed a red lever. "Hold on to your hats, hair, antennae, shoes, and anything else you have!"

Everyone held on as _Herbie_ nose-dived straight towards the planet below. As they drew closer, a tiny line of something green could be seen. Launchpad chuckled. "Guess there's some islands down there…. "

_Herbie_ continued to descend. The ship spun round and round as it headed for the islands. The nose of the vehicle was now aiming straight for an area full of trees on one of the smaller islands.

"_**Watch out**_!" Amemi yelled.

Launchpad shoved the steering wheel forward. _Herbie_ righted and a large air-bag-like bag inflated underneath the vehicle. The Gummi Ship landed onto the ground and bounced a few times before coming to a stop. The bag deflated and put itself away. The wings, engines, and other features of the spaceship put themselves away as Launchpad flipped the red lever.

"Landing gear down," he grumbled. He threw his face forward and pounded the dashboard with his fist. "Aw gee…. My second chance to crash on purpose, and I blew it _again_."

A peanut shot out of the candy dispenser and banged into the duck-pilot's head. Judging from the honking sounds _Herbie_ was making, Sora had the feeling the modified racecar was laughing.

Sora shook his head and unstrapped and unbuckled himself. He opened the door to his left. "Let's see where we are," he told the others.

He turned and hopped out of the cabin. Indigo was directly behind him. The angel folded her headphones and stuffed them into a side pocket with her iPod. Donald fell out of the vehicle. Goofy struggled to put his shoe back on and tumbled out of _Herbie_, only to land on top of Amemi. The two quickly got onto their feet.

Launchpad carefully closed the driver's door before he looked around. His hands landed on his fists. "Is this supposed to be The Dancing Islands?" he inquired. "Or is it Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang?"

As Donald marched over and scolded the pilot, Sora took a look around. The sky was dark and there were lots of stars shining down. Even a growing, crescent moon could be seen over the treetops. Speaking of the trees, every plant resembled the ones back home on the _**Destiny Islands**_. Palm trees, enormous ferns, even the thick underbrush.

Apparently, they had landed on a tropical island. Maybe this was the island from that classic show. The one about those seven people were got shipwrecked on that deserted island for years and years. Yes — _**Gilligan's Island**_!

"Gawrsh," Goofy remarked. "I sure wonder where we are?"

"I hope we don't run into Gilligan," Donald muttered. "It's back enough having _two_ palookas around!"

Sora wanted to shake his head. Here he had been just thinking about that show. Then, Donald mentions it, too. Talk about an ironic coincidence!

Goofy's stomach growled. He rubbed it and licked his lips. When the taller dog sniffed the air, Sora knew what was going on. "Hey! You guys smell somethin' good?"

Donald looked beyond exasperated. "How can you think of food at a time like _this_?!"

"Well," Launchpad sniffed the air next. "It _does_ smell nice."

Amemi shrugged. "Come to think of it, we haven't eaten something decent for a long time."

Indigo took a second to sweep her eyes around the immediate area. She stopped and pointed straight ahead. "Look over there!"

Sora and the others swung their heads around. A long, paved road led through the jungle and past a manmade structure. The building was made of wooden poles and had leaf-like roofs. Sora took a deep, long sniff. The image of a baked, pumpkin and herring potpie came to his mind.

He had missed being able to eat that for a long time…. Maybe this was a restaurant. Perhaps they _could _get something to eat! His stomach started to growl next. "Let's go check it out," he decided, even though he was letting his stomach do the talking; just like his friend, Winnie-The-Pooh.

He hurried down the road. Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were directly behind him. Donald reached after them. "_Wait_!" he called.

Indigo took off after the others. Donald was all alone beside _Herbie_. The duck slammed his door shut. He plopped his hands into the side pockets on his uniform. "I _**can't**_ believe _this_!" he grumbled with a scowl.

He marched off after everyone else. He continued to mutter long lists of illegible garble as he stomped along.

Sora, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo had reached **Deep Space—Hawaii**.

* * *

Just as Sora and his teammates were at the building, a shadowy creature emerged from the ground. He slid to a stop, resulting in everybody else ramming into the young man from behind. First Goofy. Then Launchpad. Next was Amemi. Indigo leapt into the air to avoid them. Donald marched up and absent-mindedly kicked his foot into Launchpad's leg.

Down they went, crashing into a large pile on the ground. The instant Donald saw the four lying around, he gave a small grin. "Sorry, Sora…. "

Sora sighed. He shook the other three of his back and rose to his feet. Several more Shadows were rising from the ground. Another creature appeared; it was shaped like a snake, only with legs and a spikey tongue and bore red, black, and yellow stripes all the way down the length of its body. One look at the logo on the creature's body and Sora knew what it was.

"_**Heartless**_!" he declared. His Keyblade instantly came to his hand. He charged ahead, ready to deliver a devastating blow. The Shadow Heartless shrank back into the ground. The Striking Cobra Heartless shot out its glowing tongue and clobbered the Keyblader in the chest.

Sora fell backward. His Keyblade landed beside him. Donald raised his wand. "_**Cura**_!" he shouted.

A glowing flower appeared above Sora's head. It caused the young man to give a noticeable, greenish glow for a short minute. Once the flower and glow disappeared, Sora grabbed his Keyblade and was back on his feet.

"Sora, are you okay?" Goofy wondered. He looked worried.

Sora held up a hand. "Yeah!" he turned his focus to the Heartless and scowled. His Keyblade was in his battling position in a flash. "C'mon! Let's get rid of these Heartless!"

He charged again. This time, Donald and Goofy were by his sides. Amemi ran ahead, pausing here and there to shoot at a Heartless or three with her slingshot. Launchpad took out his gas-gun and rushed about, blasting the weapon's attacks at the Heartless. A few of the creatures started to doze off, allowing Sora the chance to slash his way through them.

Indigo took to the air and reached out her hand. Her wand appeared. She sighed, still wondering why her recently-acquired Keyblade had not appeared. She shoved the thought aside and concentrated on the skirmish below her. Every now and then, she swooped in low and slammed her weapon onto a Heartless's head like a club, eliminating the monster in the process.

It took only a few minutes before all the Heartless had been terminated. Sora paused for a few seconds to catch his breath and wipe some sweat off his forehead and cheeks. It had been a while since he had last needed to face Heartless in such a warm climate.

He turned to his friends. Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi were standing in a straight line before him from left to right. Indigo was on the far end, hovering about five inches off the ground. Sora nodded to each of them.

He turned around and faced the wooden structure. "C'mon," he told them. "Let's go inside."

The others followed the brown, spikey-haired youth through the open doorway. Well… it was not much of a doorway. There was no door. Just an opening. A sign above the entrance indicated the place was a "_**Tiki-Luau**_".

Sora and his team looked around once they were inside the building. They saw it was an outdoor place, with lots of tables around and flaming torches to illuminate the area. Each table had a colorful umbrella. People were sitting all around, eating something or other.

The group knew they had come across a restaurant. A waitress passed them. Sora noted her medium-length, wavy black hair, brown eyes, and olive skin. She was wearing a sea-green, Hawaiian outfit which reminded Sora of what someone wore when practicing the hula dance back home.

He knew that dance — somewhat. Amemi had once taken part in a class to learn how to do it. She had done rather well, considering how demanding the class had been at the time.

"Can I help you?" the waitress asked.

"We need a table," Donald said.

"Right," Sora agreed. "Do you have one?"

The waitress nodded. She gestured for the group to follow. Sora and his teammates made eye contact. He shrugged and started after the waitress. His companions were directly behind. As they passed the other tables, Sora heard a voice say, "This is you. This is your badness level. It's unusually high for someone your size. We have to fix that."

Sora turned his head to see where the voice had come from. Two figures were seated at a small table nearby. One of them was a small girl with the same olive skin as the waitress, in addition to long, shiny, black hair and brown eyes. He wondered if there was a connection between the girl and the waitress.

The other was a small, blue creature that resembled a koala. Its eyes were large and turquoise, although they appeared to be black. A tuft of hair was on its head, and it had a short tail. There were indigo-designed spots on both the back and the back of the head. The creature also had two arms and two feet, each with sharp, indigo claws. Its teeth were stubby and white.

When the creature glanced at him, Sora could see the former also sported large, blue, bat-like ears, an indigo nose, a long, pink tongue, and circles around the eyes.

Sora came to a halt. "Huh?" he had the strangest feeling he had seen this creature before. When had that been? He could not it exactly.

Donald and Goofy both stopped and turned to see what had distracted the Keyblade wielder. "Hey, isn't that thuh blue guy who helped us in that there Heartless fight?" the knight asked.

"Yeah," Donald approved.

The waitress stopped when she saw the table. "Ay-yi-yi, Lilo!" she said in a hushed voice. "Your dog cannot sit at the table."

The girl looked up at the waitress. "Stitch is troubled," she said, glancing at the blue creature beside her. "He needs desserts."

"'Stitch'?" Goofy thought aloud. His eyes widened and he grinned. "A-Hyuck!"

The knight nudged Sora in the elbow. "Look," he pointed to the bluish creature. "It's Stitch!"

Sora was puzzled. "Who?"

"Ya know! That there fella who fought beside us in the battle of a thousand Heartless."

Sora's eyes grew larger than ever. He felt like slapping himself in the face. _Why_ had it never occurred to him who this was? It _**was**_ a familiar face! The little alien who had helped them in their showdown against Maleficent's Heartless forces when she had invaded the town of _**Hollow Bastion**_.

Now, he was wondering how "Stitch" had ended up here, in this far-off world. It was a long distance away from the _**Radiant Garden**_. Had he used a Corridor of Darkness to get here? No, that did not sound correct in this situation.

The waitress sighed before she left the table. Sora strode forward to the girl. "Can we join you?" he asked.

The girl nodded. "Sure!" she turned to the bluish creature. "I'm Lilo. This is my dog, Stitch."

Goofy and Launchpad raced around for a couple minutes. They returned with a handful of chairs, enough for Sora, Donald, Amemi, Indigo, and themselves to sit with Lilo and Stitch. At once, a few people fell to the ground, their chairs having been pulled out from underneath them. This sight made Amemi shake her head. It seemed too comical to be considered real.

And yet, it had happened.

Everyone took a seat at the table and the small one next to it. Sora was glad to at least know _someone_ else in this world, given he had never been here before. Then again, that was the case with _most_ of the worlds he had visited on this quest. The only exception was when he and the others had paid the Beast and Belle a visit at the _**Beast's Castle**_.

Even so, he had made _lots_ of new friends along the way. Milo Thatch and Princess — _Queen_ Kida, Pocahontas and John Smith, Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Phoebus, Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, and Rufus, Bernard, Bianca, and Jake (sort of), Nora, Pete, and Lampie. And those were the ones he recalled at the top of his head.

Now, here he was, reunited with Stitch. And he had also met a little girl named Lilo. Who knew who else he would come across on this journey to save the worlds from the Heartless? It was now a little less than a week before Christmas. At least, that was what his cellular phone read. Of course, the device only calculated the date according to the calendar back home on the islands. It never stated what time of year it was in other worlds.

"_**YEAH**_!"

The shout drew his focus away from the table. Same with Indigo, Donald, Goofy, Launchpad, and Amemi. On a stage across the area was a tall, slender man sporting brown eyes, black hair, and tanned skin. He had a simple necklace around his neck and a round tattoo on his left arm. He was yelling in a foreign language as he twirled a pair of flaming torches.

"Wow!" Donald and Goofy awed.

Launchpad yawned. He leaned against the table, his chin leaning against his hand. His eyes were half-closed. "This is too much like the Hawaiian movies Huey, Dewey, and Louie are always watching…. "

"I think it looks fun," Amemi admitted from the next table. She had chosen to sit at the other table with Sora and Indigo. Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad had already filled with the one where Lilo and Stitch were seated.

Indigo leaned back in her chair and calmly placed her feet on the tabletop, much to Sora's surprise. She folded her arms and shook her head. "I do not think it is enjoyable," she stated. "It looks _way_ too dangerous."

The man tossed one torch into the air. He gulped down a drink of water. He held the second torch in his hand and blew a gust of air at it. The flames raged for a few moments. The spectators all around applauded and cheered. Even Donald and Goofy were cheering and clapping.

"_**Yay**_!" Donald cheered.

"_**Yeah**_!" Goofy clapped with his huge hands.

The man took a bow. As he stood up again, the other torch crashed onto the stage behind him. The flames swiftly took hold of the wooden platform, forcing the man to jump over and over as the fire burned.

Sora's smile faded. He turned to Indigo. The angel was shaking her head. "Like I said, it is _way_ too dangerous," she stated. "You shall _never_ see me doing anything like that."

Amemi turned to her. "Are you sure?"

Indigo gave a nod. "I am sure."

"Really?"

Indigo turned to the sandy-haired girl. She sat up and put her feet back on the ground. She pounded her fist on the table. "Yes."

Amemi shook her head. "I'm not convinced."

"Why are you not sure?"

"I'm just not."

"Are _you_ sure?"

Amemi turned around. She did not dignify the angel's query with a response. Indigo frowned and looked away. She leaned back and plopped her feet onto the table. Her indigo shoes' pointed toes were angled at the umbrella above.

This sight made Sora sigh. He had not expected witnessing an argument between his sister and the angel. The two had always appeared to be rather close, all things considered. Yet, they had just had an open disagreement and it seemed to have ended in complete silence for both of them.

The man from the stage strolled by. His entire torso and part of his face was slightly blackened from soot. "David!" Lilo called from the next table. "I got a new dog."

The man, who Sora know knew was "David", turned to Goofy. "_Auwe_!" he winced. "You sure it's a dog? He's looks more like a dog-man."

Donald shoved his way forward, pushing Goofy's face into a bowl of something black and gloopy on the table. He waved over and over to get David's attention. "Not him," he pointed to Stitch. "_Him_!"

David switched his eyes over to Stitch. He winced again. "_Auwe_!"

"He used to be a collie before he got ran over," Lilo explained.

Goofy sat up from the bowl and licked the globs of black substance off his face with his tongue. "A-Hyuck!" he declared with a satisfied smile. "Puddin'!"

The waitress came by again and delivered cups of water for Sora, Amemi, and Indigo. Sora took a large gulp, relieved to finally drink something other than recycled water and warm soda from _Herbie_'s hidden compartment, the one Amemi had accidentally found in the backseat while playing _**UNO**_. Donald had been upset when he had discovered the space was not refrigerated. Sora had sighed deeply when Goofy had mentioned how the cooling system of the machine had been broken for a while and Chip and Dale had been working on fixing it day and night for two weeks straight.

For some reason, Sora was now starting to wonder why he was even thinking about such a thing in the first place.

After giving Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad each some drinks, and delivering two slices of cake for Lilo and Stitch alike, the waitress turned to leave. She stopped when she saw the fire performer standing there. "Howzit, Nani?" he asked.

The waitress was a bit startled. "Did you catch fire again?"

"Nah, just the stage. Listen, I was wondering if you're not doing anything this…. "

Nani sighed, which caught Sora's eye. "David, I told you, I can't. I," she paused and glanced at Lilo. The girl was showing an anger level drawing for Donald, which was filled nearly to the maximum in red crayon. "I got a lot to deal with right now."

David sighed. "I know. I just figured you might need some time…. "

Nani sniffed the air. She winced. "You smell like a lawn mower. Look, I got to go. Maybe some other time, okay?"

Nani walked away. David started to sigh again. "Don't worry," Lilo spoke up. "She likes your butt and fancy hair. I know. I read her diary."

Sora noticed she was busy coloring the rest of Donald's body. The duck magician, on the other hand, was turning red with anger. Still, he was tapping his fingers on the table and had one hand on side of his head and leaned on it.

David grinned. "She thinks it's fancy?"

Stitch wandered away from the table. Sora was about to speak up about it when Amemi nudged him. "You haven't been reading _my_ diary, have you?"

Sora hastily stared at the fourteen-year-old girl. "No way! Why would I do _that_?!"

Amemi crossed her arms. "You can't. I don't have one."

Indigo's antennae jerked upward and she sat up. "You do not have a 'diary'?"

The sandy-haired girl shook her head. "No, I have a journal. And it's locked with a special key," she reached for something in her greenish purse and pulled out a silver chain with a tiny key on the end. "See?"

"A Keyblade could unlock it easily," Indigo remarked. She looked at Sora. "It is no surprise she became a little suspicious of you, Sora."

Sora stared at her. "_What_?"

Indigo cleared her throat and stood up in her chair. The seat began rocking a bit, but it did not topple over. "Temptation is not easy to overcome."

Sora summoned his Keyblade. He banged the blade of the weapon against the chair. It fell onto its side. Indigo crashed onto the ground, landing on her right side. She rose to her knees and scowled at a laughing Sora. She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Cut it _**out**_, Sora!" she stated in a firm voice. "I could have been _hurt_!"

Amemi snatched the brown-haired youth by the ear and dragged him closer to her. "That _**wasn't**_ funny," she scolded. "Didn't you hear what Indigo _just_ said about temptation?!"

Jiminy hopped into view and landed onto the table. She scowled at Sora in turn. "They're right," he reprimanded. "The world is _full_ of temptations. At least Pinocchio's starting to learn _his_ lesson."

Sora fell back in his seat. The chair toppled backward, sending the young man tumbling onto the ground below. Nani was just passing by and nearly tripped over him. "Hey!" she shouted.

Sora quickly sat up. He clambered to his feet and returned to the table without a word. He righted the chair and sat back down. He sighed deeply, especially when he saw the heated looks on the faces of Amemi, Jiminy, and Indigo.

Why wouldn't they let him just be himself? He hoped this had nothing to do with the Darkness Goofy had claimed was rising in his heart. First, there was the battle against those Heartless on the way to the castle at the _**Radiant Garden**_. Next, he had shoved Frollo off the rooftop of Notré Dame. Then, he had attacked Mortimer Mouse full force at Crocodile Falls. Later, he had clashed with Indigo, who had apparently been under the control of the Darkness. Now, he had knocked Indigo onto the ground and everyone was upset with him.

_**Why**_ were all these things happening to him?! Was Goofy's presumption accurate? Was he starting to utilize the Darkness?

"_Aha_!" a deep voice shouted from not too far away. "Look what _I_ find! Get restraints!"

Another shout followed a few seconds after. Sora, Indigo, and Amemi all swung their attention to the table beyond where Lilo, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were seated.

Two individuals were seated at the table. One was quite large and had indigo skin, three hairs on their head, two pairs of eyes, a pink face covered by a fake pair of glasses with a matching nose, and four fingers on each of their hands. The other was a tall, slender… woman? They seemed to have lime-green skin as well as just one eye and an antenna on their head, along with black hair.

Sora wanted to jump back in complete surprise. The two looked more like aliens from a science-fiction movie. Yet, here they were, dressed like everyone else around them.

Furthermore, Stitch was chomping down on the one with the single eye. The latter was screaming as Stitch growled intensely. Nani suddenly raced over and dumped a pitcher of water onto Stitch's face. The bluish creature bit down on his prey's head — _**hard**_! Sora ran over and grabbed Stitch by wrapping his arms around the latter's torso.

"_**Cut it out**_, Stitch!" he demanded. Stitch opened his mouth. Sora found himself thrown back a few steps. Stitch continued to growl. The lime-green figure coughed for several, long seconds.

Goofy came over and slapped Sora against the back. "Way ta go, Sora!" he congratulated.

Sora recoiled at the impact. He turned his head and grinned in his famous way.

"Hey, Nani!" A large man with a stern look on his face came marching over to the group. Sora turned his focus to see him. He stared, unable to respond. The man looked ready to pick a fight, although the nametag on his reddish-orange shirt indicated he was the owner of the establishment.

He put his arms at his sides. "Is that _your_ dog?"

"Uh," Nani hesitated, unsure how to explain to her boss what had happened and why it had taken place.

"All is well," the lime-green figure said. Their single eye winked a few times. "Please, go about your business. I'm okay."

Nani grimaced at the sight. "Oh, your head looks swollen."

"Actually," the larger figure said. "She's just ugly."

All of a sudden, Donald burst out laughing. He laughed so hard, he fell over and grabbed his stomach. His legs flailed about as he continued to laugh. He rolled over and pounded the ground with his fists.

Sora and Goofy shook their heads. They had no clue what was so funny. This looked more serious than silly anyway.

The owner frowned at Nani. "Uh, this is not working out."

Nani seemed startled. "Uh, b-but…. "

The man crossed his arms. Nani scowled. She turned and started to walk away. "Yeah? Well, who wants to work at this stupid… fakey luau anyway."

"A 'luau'?" Launchpad blurted. He rose from his seat. "I thought we were on Pellican's Island!"

Donald was too busy laughing to slap the duck-pilot in the face. Goofy and Amemi helped the mage to his feet and carefully led him away. Stitch started to squirm in Sora's arms, so the seventeen-year-old Keyblade wielder set him free. Jiminy hopped back into his place in Sora's hood. Launchpad and Indigo followed them as Sora led the way to the exit.

Nani was not too far behind. "Come on, Lilo," she said to her little sister. Lilo grabbed her coloring book and her crayons. She followed the others to the exit.

As they strode through the doorway, Launchpad turned to Indigo and loudly whispered, "That blue dog looks more alien than dog to me."

Indigo ignored the pilot and continued on her way after Sora. As Nani was about to step outside, Sora grabbed her arm. "Are you sure it's safe?" he asked. "There're Heartless roaming out there."

"There are _what_?" Nani inquired.

Lilo tilted her head. "What are… 'Heartless'?"

Sora held up his hands and grinned. "Long story, but they'll steal your hearts unless you've got a way to defend yourself."

Donald continued to laugh as he marched up to Sora and grabbed the young man by his necklace, pulling him down. He slapped his hand against the latter's face before letting go.

Sora was perplexed. What had gotten into Donald?

He shrugged it aside and turned back to the two girls. "We can escort you home."

"Yes," Amemi approved. "Unless you believe you're going to be safe with Heartless around."

Lilo and Nani looked at one another. They smiled. "_Ih_," stated Stitch.

That was all Sora needed to hear. True, he was not sure what his friend meant. Just that it sounded a little like "Yes".

* * *

The moon was rising over the island by the time Nani parked her car at the top of a gentle rise. A decent-sized house was located in the middle of the lush, tropical rainforest. It was a split-level home on stilts. A wing to the left on the second-floor looked almost exactly like a perfect cube, only with a peaked roof. The outside walls were yellow and the peaked roofs were a clear red color. The windows' frames were blue, which made Sora wonder if the design was intended to resemble the main three primary colors. To the right of the building was a cliff; at the base was a long, gently-moving stream.

Lilo, Stitch, and Sora's team followed her up a series of teal steps to the front door. Sora felt so exhausted, he was struggling to clamber up the wooden stairs. He stopped at one point and clung to the handrails. He looked back. Donald and Goofy were also dragging their feet, the latter doing it in the literal form of the word. Launchpad was slowly moving along the stairs, probably worn out from his constant fights with _Herbie_ over who was in control of the vehicle. The pilot's speed made Amemi slow-down, which did not help, considering she was one of the few who were still full of energy. The other was Indigo, who had simply flown up to the front door and was awaiting the others' arrival.

Sora was now wishing he had rode in _Herbie_ with his sister. Launchpad had drove the car away from the restaurant as soon as Nani had driven away in her own car. The only other ones in the car at the time were Amemi and Indigo. Sora, Donald, and Goofy had been forced to chase the speeding cars down the road a long way before they caught up.

Then, there was the Heartless skirmishes. Every other mile, a swarm of Heartless had crossed their paths. If only the brown, spikey-headed youth had not been busy fighting _and_ running to keep up with the others. Just like Donald and Goofy. The three had been forced to do _most_ of the fighting. No wonder they were having such a difficult time scaling these stairs.

Goofy's tongue was dangling as he panted, almost as though he were a dog instead of the Captain of the Royal Knights. Donald was using his hands and wobbly, webbed feet to climbed each step, one-by-one. All around them, crickets chirped. An owl hooted from somewhere in the distance.

"Did you lose your job because of Stitch and me?" Lilo asked her sister.

Nani gave a kind smile. "Nah," she replied. "The manager's a vampire and he wanted me to join his legion of the undead."

Lilo stared straight ahead. "I knew it," she muttered softly to herself.

Sora was puzzled. "Gawrsh," he heard Goofy say. "Now there's vamp-pliers?"

"Who knows?" Donald answered. "And it's 'vamp_ires_'!"

Sora had to shake his head when he heard this. Once again, Goofy had mispronounced a word. And it seemed _this_ one was a little goofier than the last time. Come to think of it, he could not recall the last time. It had been too long ago.

Too much had happened since then… whenever "_then_" was.

Nani unlocked the front door. As she opened it and flipped on the light, the illumination from inside the house made Sora, Donald, and Goofy have to shield their eyes for a couple seconds. Sora had never imagined he would see such a bright light so suddenly like this.

After all, he was used to seeing rather dim lights at night. Back home on the islands, the towns' energy levels always seemed to drop when the Sun started to set. True, it was partly due to the shift from the solar panels to the storage batteries for the night.

Even so, those lights were never _this_ bright during the nighttime hours! He felt a hand grab his arm and pull him into the hours. He felt himself plopping down on a cushioned surface. Once his eyes adjusted, Sora looked again.

He was seated on a large futon with greenish cushions and matching pillows. Indigo was seated beside him. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

Sora rubbed his eyes. He swept his eyes around the room. A bookshelf beside the front door caught his eye. There was an older television located in the far corner of the room, complete with antennae. A record player was situated in the middle of the floor, along with a handful of record discs.

Stitch crawled into room as Lilo and Nani stepped in through the door. "This is a great home," Lilo said to the bluish creature. "You'll like it a lot."

Stitch hissed in reply. Goofy and Launchpad strolled in through the front door. As if on cue, the two headed into a side room to the left of the doorway. The scent of something sweeter than sweet could be detected from it. Sora figured that was the kitchen.

Donald came inside and wobbled his way to a sea-green chair. When he arrived, he clambered onto the seat and sat down. He suddenly drifted off into a deep, sound sleep. Amemi was the last into the house. She looked around, taking in a 360-degree view of the living room.

"Sora," she said with excitement. "This is just like a home away from home!"

Sora had to smile at his sister's statement. True, some of the house's outer detail and its light-blue walls resembled their own home. Yet, their living room's ceiling was flat, not peaked. Plus, the technology was a little more upgraded in comparison to this one. Either this world was set in a different time-period, or the technology on this island just was not as hi-tech in comparison.

Lilo walked up to the futon and pulled off a pillow. She held it up for Stitch to get a better look. "See? Comfy."

"Uh, Lilo," Nani tried to say.

Stitch growled and grunted. He seized the pillow and charged for the chair where Donald was. He slammed the pillow hard against the duck's head, knocking the latter onto the floor and startling him awake. Donald was so heated about being pushed away, he got back on his feet and waved his fists in anger. "_**I'll show **_**you**!" he snarled, rolling his sleeves.

Before Sora, Lilo, or anyone else could count to two, Stitch raced around the room, the pillow in his mouth. Donald gave chase. The two ran circles around the room. In the process, Stitch hurled the pillow. The piece of cushioning stuck Amemi in the face, knocking her onto the chair. The chair fell back with a loud _**CRASH**_. Goofy came marching into the room. In his hands was a bowl of batter. He was stirring it at a speedy rate. "Gee, what's goin' on?" he wondered aloud.

Launchpad was directly behind him. He gawked when he saw the sight of Donald and Stitch chasing one another around and around. "I've heard of running in circles, but never did I think it was taken so literal!" he remarked.

Stitch hurried past the knight and duck-pilot. He bumped into the former, sending the bowl of batter flying through the air. It landed on Donald's head, upside-down. The batter splashed all over the place. "Muh Christmas cookies!" Goofy yelped in alarm.

Stitch neared the wall and started climbing it like a spider fleeing from someone's flyswatter. Now covered in cookie batter, Donald's face turned redder than ever. He yelled in complete anger and raced after the bluish creature with all his might. He tried to run up the wall, only to slide back down and land onto the bookshelf. The shelf toppled over, knocking several books all over the floor. One of them bonked onto Lilo's head. "Hey!" she grumbled, rubbing the spot where the tome had made its impact.

"Ha, ha!" Stitch chuckled. He hopped down from the large ceiling fan on the ceiling and landed onto the wooden table in the middle of the room. He hopped off it and shoved Goofy and Launchpad aside before reaching the wall. With sharp claws, Stitch scraped them against the bluish wallpaper. Several areas were torn up, along with some of the dry wall underneath.

"_**Hey**_!" Sora shouted. He leapt to his feet and charged to where Stitch was chuckling loudly. He could not believe all this chaos. True, Donald was most-likely seeking revenge for Stitch causing trouble in Ansem's computer room. Yet, still….

Nani ran over to where Stitch was continuing to claw up the wall. "Hey! What is the matter with you?!" she stated.

The two did not see each other until after they had collided, bumping heads. "Ow," was all Nani said.

"Ouch," Sora muttered.

Nani and Sora both grabbed Stitch at the same time. "Be _careful_ of the little angel!" Lilo insisted.

Indigo hopped off the futon. "He is _**not**_ an angel!" she scolded.

"And don't think he's a dog, either," Sora stated.

"We just have to take him back," Nani struck back. Once she had Stitch in her arms, she headed for the door. She grabbed the doorknob.

Lilo ran after her. "He's just cranky because it's his bedtime."

"_Look_ at him, Lilo," Nani turned the doorknob as she nodded to the bluish creature tucked in her arm. "He's obviously mutated from something else."

Sora's eyes drifted to Amemi. The two made eye contact. They were most-likely thinking the same thing. Mutated? That could explain why Stitch was behaving so violently. Of course, the young man had never seen his friend act like _this_ before. Then again, Stitch had simply been fighting Heartless the last time the two had seen each other. And that had been in the Great Maw of the world once known as "Hollow Bastion" — the _**Radiant Garden**_. He could still picture Stitch shooting the Heartless with his blasters.

Maybe he was still in that same state of mind now?

"He was an orphan and we adopted him!" Lilo argued to her sister. "What about 'O'hana'?"

"He hasn't been here that long," Nani counter-argued. She opened the door.

"Neither have I. Dad said O'hana means family."

Nani stopped the instant she heard the words. Even Sora was shaken when they entered his mind. For some reason, he felt he had heard them someplace else. Where had that been? A television show? An animated movie in the theater? Maybe it had been both of them? How would he ever know for sure?

"Huh?" Stitch questioned, seemingly reading the Keyblader's mind and heart.

"O'hana means family," Lilo continued. "Family means…. "

"Nobody gets left behind," Nani nodded in comprehension.

Lilo crossed her arms. "Or?"

"Or forgotten," Nani sighed and closed the door. "I know. I know. I _hate_ it when you use O'hana against me."

The two sisters stuck their tongues out at one another. To Sora, it resembled the type of behavior he expected between Donald and Amemi. Or maybe Amemi and himself. Or perhaps himself and Donald. Were there any other combinations?

Nani lowered Stitch to the floor and released her grip on him. The bluish creature crawled away with haste. He trailed Lilo down a short hallway and up a flight of steps. "Don't worry," the little girl told Stitch. "You can sleep right next to me."

The two headed through a doorway at the top of the stairs and out of view. Nani turned to Sora and the others. "I, I'm sorry you had to see all that," she apologized.

"It's no big deal," Sora replied. He glanced at his sister. Amemi had risen from the floor behind the chair and was in the process of righting it. "Amy and I've had our own share of fights."

Nani wanted to laugh. "I've been wanting to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

"How do you know Stitch? Lilo and I just adopted him from the animal shelter this morning."

Sora felt a tad uneasy. How could he explain to Nani the truth without revealing he was from another world? Of course, he _could_ outright spill the cookies. But then he might have to endure the wrath of Donald. And, chances were, it was going to be a _**lot**_ worse than anything the duck had tried to do to Stitch. Perhaps being pressed to death, beheaded by a wooden guillotine, or some other form of tortured death sentence.

"It's a long story," he said at last. He yawned and stretched. "Man, I'm beat. Do you know if there's any hotels around?"

"'_Hotels_'?!" Donald popped his head out of the pile of fallen books. He clambered out of the mess, a scowl evident on his face. "Hey! What do you mean by that?"

"You don't need to go to any hotels tonight," Nani said with a kind smile. "You can stay here. I'll get some blankets and pillows, and you can sleep right here in the living room."

"Really?" Amemi asked. She came out of the kitchen with Goofy. A cold ice pack was strapped to the side of her head. Sora knew this meant his sister had banged her head into the wall after the chair had fallen over. "You won't mind?"

Nani waved her hand. "Nah! You can stay."

Indigo smiled and curtseyed, clutching the edges of her skirt as she did so. "Thank you so very much!" she said.

A few crashing sounds came from upstairs. It was immediately followed by a few shouts. It all ceased after a few minutes. "I'll pretend I didn't hear any of that," Nani muttered.

She headed down the hall to a closet. She returned a couple moments later with her arms full of seven, thin blankets and six, fluffy pillows. As she rounded the corner, two of the pillows landed on the floor. Launchpad and Goofy hurried over to help her. Goofy scooped up a pillow and then (absent-mindedly) stepped on another pillow and slid across the floor. He smacked, face-first, into the wall. The pillow in his arms exploded, sending feathers flying all over the room.

"Aye-yi-yi!" Nani exclaimed, shocked at the sight of the flying feathers.

Sora had to grin and give a small laugh. Even though he knew the Heartless were still on the loose, it was nice to see silly, comical stuff like this. And the slapstick had started shortly after they had first entered this house. First, it was Donald chasing Stitch around and around this very room. Now, Goofy had burst a pillow after slipping on another one. At least there wasn't anything sticky lying around. Being tarred and feathered was not something he wanted to witness first-hand.

Now _that_ would have been torture!

"A-Hyuck! Ticklish _and_ feathery!" Goofy chuckled aloud. This made Donald faint and fall back onto the pile of books.

Nani sighed and left to get another pillow or three. While she was away, Sora turned to his teammates. Goofy and Launchpad were seated on the couch, their eyes focused on the television. The device had been turned on. At this time, a rather dark, black-and-white movie was playing. Screams could be heard as a giant tarantula was attacking a large town in the older horror film.

"There sure were a lot of Heartless here," the spikey, brown-headed young man stated. "We need to find out where they're coming from."

Donald shook a book off his left foot. "What about the strange man and woman from the restaurant?"

Amemi gave a nod. "That's a good point. I thought one of them only had one eye. We should interrogate them."

"Yes," Indigo approved. She pounded her left fist into her open, right hand. "My antennae sensed some Darkness coming from the table Stitch attacked."

Sora gave a nod. He had the feeling those two, suspicious characters were the ones they needed to investigate if they ever hoped to get to the bottom of whatever was going on in this world. Could they be some of Maleficent's gang? Were they actually Heartless in disguise? He would not be surprised if the Heartless attempted to make themselves appear as humans or some other individual to fool others around them.

A series of yawns escaped through his lips. Sora found himself getting dizzier and wobblier as each yawn got out. "We should worry about this tomorrow," he decided.

As if on cue, Goofy and Launchpad slumped on the couch, closed their eyes, and folded their hands. Snores were not far behind. "Some more '"Hi Dad!" Soup', please?" Goofy grinned in the midst of his slumber.

"Okay," was all Sora could say in reaction. He eyed the spilled bowl of batter on the floor. Amemi sped over to the spot and used some paper towels she had grabbed from the kitchen to clean up the mess.

Donald was at the bookshelf with Indigo. The two were carefully righting the case. Once it was upright, they started inserting books into what they presumed were they proper places. Donald then grabbed a pillow from the table and laid down with it to the left of the couch.

After Amemi was done cleaning, she threw away the used paper towels and grabbed one of the blankets. She clambered onto the floor with a pillow and drifted off to sleep. Indigo turned to Sora. "Where are you going to sleep?" she asked.

Sora shrugged. "I dunno. I usually sleep in my bed back home. But," his eyes landed onto the chair across the room. The _same_ chair Amemi had been thrown into by Stitch. A yawn entered his voice as he spoke. "I think I'm gonna be in that chair."

He grabbed a pillow and two blankets. The young man climbed into the chair, curled up, and quickly fell into a deep slumber. One of the blankets slid off his body and landed onto the floor. Indigo shook her head and marched over. She grabbed the blanket and carefully folded it. The folds were not perfect, being off at several spots.

That did not bother her. She was terrible at folding, no matter how carefully she tried to do it.

She placed the blanket onto the table and headed to the window. She looked out into the distance. The stars were shining down even brighter here than back at the lighthouse. She was not sure why that was the case, unless it was because this was a tropical island and not the coast of the state of Maine. Many of the recognizable constellations from before could be seen. Yet, some of them had changed a little.

She was not sure how to explain _**that**_ phenomenon!

She continued to gaze out the window. She could hear the distant waves faintly from the shoreline, even though this house was clearly a few miles away from the coast. She reached into her pocket and took out her iPod. She unfolded her headphones and placed them over her head. The design of the headphones was a little loose, which was good considering her antennae. She looked down and switched her iPod on.

The last song on it was still selected. She switched to another song and found herself listening to the lyrics as she continued to look out at the stars. "_I am __**not**__ a child now. I can take care of myself. I mustn't let them down now. Mustn't let them see me cry. I'm fine. I'm fine._"

She leaned against the windowsill. The stars seemed to be moving in an extremely gradual spin. "_I'm too tired to listen. I'm too old to believe… all those childish stories. There is no such thing as Faith… and Trust… and Pixie Dust._"

Her eyes started to drift off as her wings slowed. "_I __**try**__, but it's so hard to believe. I __**try**__, but I can't see what you see. I try…. I try…. I try._"

"Teal," Indigo said at last. "Please keep believing. I am sure I shall find you, someday soon."

She was about to doze off when a door opened from upstairs. The angel sat up and turned around. There was Stitch, crawling down the stairs with a book in his mouth. He crawled over to Indigo and stopped. He took the tome out of his mouth and held it up for her to see.

Indigo stared at the item in the creature's claws. It was large, red book with the picture of a yellow duckling on the cover. "It is a picture of a duckling," she told him.

Stitch shook his head. "_Naga_," he said. He opened the book and flipped to a particular page. He turned it around. He pointed to the page on the left. "_Ih_!"

Indigo took several seconds to observe the drawings on the pages. The one on the left showed a small duckling in the middle of what appeared to be a forest. He was crying, tears dripping out his eyes. A speech bubble read, "I'm Lost!". The next page showed an illustration of the same duckling, only he was happy.

A larger duck was holding him up in her arms. A few other ducklings were cheering and flapping their wings about.

"I know this story," the angel realized. She pointed to the left page. Stitch whirled around the book to see what she was referring to. "This is the Ugly Duckling. He is sad because he is all alone and nobody wants him."

"Hmm?" Stitch wondered in sound.

Indigo proceeded to the next page. "Over here, his family has heard him crying and they find him. Afterwards, the Ugly Duckling is happy because he now knows where he belongs."

"Hmm," Stitch eyed the pages closely. "Nah-nah."

Without another word or sound, the bluish creature headed back down the corridor. That was when Nani came strolling into the living room with another pillow and the telephone. The instant she saw Stitch crawl down the hallway, she gasped and dropped both items onto the floor.

"Hello?" a male voice said over the telephone. "Nani?"

Indigo decided to shrug the whole incident aside. She pressed the button on her iPod to resume the song. As it continued, another thought crossed her mind. Maybe there was something significant about that fairy-tale story of "'_**The Ugly Duckling**_'" and Stitch himself.

Yet, that was a question for another time.

* * *

"_**Sora**_! _Hurry up_!"

"_Sora_? You're gonna miss yer breakfast!"

Sora yawned and stretched. He rolled over and felt a little colder suddenly. As he opened his eyes, the young man came to realize he was the only one still in the living room. Or so it seemed. He sat up in the chair and saw his blanket now lying on the floor. He shook his head and hopped onto his feet.

He started across the room. He stopped when he saw someone else was in the immediate space. There was Indigo, lying on the floor, her head against a large pillow. Her wings were tucked around her body, acting like a makeshift blanket. Her eyes were closed and she was smiling. Her antennae also looked relaxed, being curled over as though they were about to fold up themselves. Her glow was still quite bright, illuminating roughly half of the space around her.

This sight made Sora smile in turn. He had never seen the angel sleeping before. Every other time he had seen her, Indigo had been wide awake and full of energy. Even in the middle of the night. Either she had stayed up too late, or this was during that time of day when she needed to get an hour or two of sleep.

Sora yawned again and stretched as he proceeded across the room and into the kitchen. He found Amemi, Donald, and Launchpad seated around a small, blue table with matching chairs. At the stove across the room, Goofy was using a frying pan to make something or other.

"Hey there," Sora said as he strolled into view.

"Well, well, well," Donald said. "Look who's _finally_ awake."

"This is normal," Amemi smiled. "He'll sleep in until two o'clock in the afternoon if we'd let him."

Sora took a seat and leaned back in it. He placed his hands against the back of his head and grinned. "Oh, thanks, Amy! You just spoiled my sleeping reputation!"

The two sibling and Donald burst out laughing. Launchpad shook his head and chuckled a little. "I don't get the big deal about a-reputations. Seems like the only one that matters is how often you crash, not how long you sleep."

"A-Hyuck!" Goofy pointed at the ceiling. "Sticky!"

Sora, Amemi, Donald, and Launchpad all swung their attention to the ceiling. A pancake was stuck to the paint. It started to peel off as Indigo came into the room. "Good morning," she said, feeling rather wide awake. "It is time to rise and shine!"

Sora knew that line. He had once heard Violet using it. Of course, that had been way back in the Sleeping World of _**Corona**_. The angel had seemingly been trying to awaken him and Riku. He still was not sure why, considering she was the Angel of Dreams. Unless… could it be an "Angel Thing"?

As the angel approached the stove, she paused. Her antennae pointed straight at the ceiling. She looked up. There was the pancake, now slipping free. "Yikes," she murmured.

_**SPLAT!**_ The pancake landed onto the angel's head. Indigo used both hands to yank the piece of…. "_**Rubber**_?!" she declared in astonishment. "This pancake is made of rubber!"

Goofy spun around. "Huh?"

The knight had spun around so fast, he had forgotten all about the stack of pancakes still on the plate in his hand. The circular pieces of food went flying into the air. Sora and the others ducked as pancakes rained down onto the table. _**SPLAT! SPLAT! SP-SPLAT! SPLAT-LAT! SPLAT! SPLAT!**_

In just a matter of three seconds, the table was covered in rubber pancakes. Two of them had smacked Sora's shoulder. Another had bounced off Amemi's face. A third had banged into Launchpad's bill. And three of them had splattered onto Donald.

And I mean _**splattered**_! Pieces of food covered the duck's clothing. Either Goofy had not cooked those ones as long, or… maybe they had been _actual_ pancakes. To make matters worse, some of the batter had splashed onto Amemi and Launchpad. Amemi stood up, her jacket partly covered in pancake batter. "I _**hope**_ this comes out!" she groaned, gesturing to the mess.

Donald clutched the sides of his blue clothing. "This is _**very**_ _**exasperating**_!" he scowled.

The sight of seeing Donald and Amemi covered in pancakes made Sora want to laugh. As much as he tried to hold it back, it was impossible. The Keyblade wielder exploded into laughter.

Amemi frowned and crossed her arms. "What's so funny?"

Sora pointed at his younger sister. "Your face!"

Donald jumped onto the table and rolled up his sleeve. He turned his hand into a fist and aimed it at the young man. "Oh, yeah?"

"Well," Goofy spoke up, seizing everyone's attention. "We still got thuh hard-boiled eggs."

Donald hopped off the table and over to the stove. He took one sniff at the cooking pot and held his nose. "Eww," he grumbled. "Those eggs are rotten."

Indigo grabbed her antennae with one hand and held her nose with the other. "Yucky," she remarked. "It smells like sulfur."

At that moment, Lilo and Stitch came stepping into the room. Lilo had her record player in tow. "Hey," she said, looking around. "What happened in here?"

"Goofy's makin' breakfast," Launchpad blurted.

"But I ain't that much of a cook," Goofy sighed in admittance. He smiled a moment later. "A-Hyuck! I ain't got muh Goof family recipe book! _That_'s why I can't do no cookin'!"

Sora could not believe his own ears. If what the knight had just claimed was true, then all this trouble was the result of Goofy's lack of having his family's cookbook with him. Those burned cookies and ruined ovens back at _**The**_ _**Beast's Castle**_. The ruined pancakes and spoiled eggs here in this house.

Yup! Goofy was just being goofy alright!

"Hey, what's up?" Sora finally asked Lilo.

Lilo opened her record player's case and turned it on. "Look," she said. She placed Stitch's claw onto the spinning record and opened his mouth.

"_We can't go on together_," came the song's lyrics out of the bluish creature's mouth. "_With Suspicious minds_!"

Knowing Stitch's mouth could be used as a speaker for the record player, Amemi found herself giggling. Sora laughed in turn. Why had they been upset before when Goofy had messed up their breakfast? Everyone made mistakes.

Just let bygones be bygones, correct?

There was a loud pounding on the door. Nani raced over to answer it. Sora and Donald rushed over in turn. Lilo's older sister was the first one there. She flung it open and gasped. Sora and Donald could not believe their own eyes.

Standing in the middle of the open doorway was a large, bald man in a black tuxedo and sunglasses. He was very muscular, almost like he had once been a member of a top-secret organization; Sora's mind immediately thought of Maxwell Smart from that classic show, "'_**Get Smart**_'", only not as silly. And one of his ears was pierced.

"Heard you lost your job," the man told Nani.

Nani hesitated in her response. "Well, uh, actually, I just quit that job because, you know, the hours are just not conductive to the challenges of raising a child…. "

"Who are you?" Sora inquired. He failed to notice Goofy, Launchpad, Amemi, and Indigo stepping into the room, wondering what was taking place.

"That's Cobra Bubbles," Lilo said as she and Stitch came into the room. "He's a social worker."

"'_Social_ worker'?" Donald repeated.

"Gawrsh," Goofy observed. "He sure don't look like a social worker, no sir!"

"I'm a special classification," Cobra said. He did not smile, which made Amemi feel a little uncomfortable.

"Did you ever kill someone?" the sandy-haired girl questioned, feeling a little tense. Her hands were grabbing her elbows and her legs were leaning towards each other, causing her knees to touch. To Sora, this pose looked as uncomfortable as it probably felt.

Cobra frowned even more. "We're getting off the subject. Who are you?"

Before anyone else could speak, Stitch grabbed a small, blue book and threw it at the man. The tome bounced off Cobra's face, knocking his sunglasses aside. "_Hey_!" the man grunted.

Nani gasped. "I am so sorry about that."

Cobra scowled at Stitch. "What _is_ that thing?"

Lilo smiled. "That's my puppy."

"And we're his friends," Sora quickly added. Out the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Donald slapping his hand against his face in disbelief. Well… at least he had not lied. True, they _were_ from other worlds. Yet, their goal was specifically to help anyone who needed it — _especially_ if the Heartless were involved.

"Really?" Cobra looked as hard to convince as a politician on a good day. Okay, so government was _**not**_ Sora's best subject. He still could not understand the political party concept, let alone the idea of what a "government" was. All he did understand was Keyblade, Heartless, Nobody, and Friendship. Most other things were a complete mystery to him.

Cobra cracked his neck about, trying to adjust to having the book hit him in the face. He reached onto the wooden porch out front and scooped up his glasses. "This far," he told Nani. "You have been adrift in the sheltered harbor of my patience, but I cannot ignore you being jobless. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," Nani replied.

Cobra turned to Lilo next. "And next time I see this dog, I expect it to be a model citizen. Capisce?"

"Uh," Lilo paused for a second. "Yes?"

Cobra gestured to the two sisters. "New job. Model citizen," he then turned to Sora. "Behave yourselves."

Sora tugged at his collar. "Uh, sure."

Cobra placed his sunglasses on his face. The right lens popped out of its socket and clattered onto the porch. "Good day."

He turned and headed for a rather, nice, black car in the driveway. As he drove away, Sora turned to Nani. "If you're looking for a job, my friends and I can help."

"We can?" Amemi shook her head. "Sora…. "

"Okay," Nani agreed. "Thanks for helping."

Sora pounded his chest with delight. "Not at all! 'Helping others' is my middle name!"

Amemi had to smile. "No, Sora. It's 'Sky'."

Sora whirled around. "_Hey_! C'mon, Amy!"

By this point in time, Donald, Goofy, and Launchpad were roaring with laughter. Even Stitch was lying around, laughing. Sora covered his face with his hands. He felt like his face was going to start turning red. It had been a while since this had last taken place.

From the middle of the living room, Indigo was shaking her head. She smiled, knowing Sora's middle name actually made sense. His name _was_ supposedly the Japanese word for "_Sky_". Maybe his parents had done that intentionally?

Same for his sister. Indigo's Japanese was a little rusty now, yet she recalled how "_Ame_" meant "_Rain_" and "_Mi_" was "_Beautiful_". Therefore, Amemi's name apparently meant "_Beautiful Rain_". It would be far from astounding to her if that was true. After all, it meant both siblings' names had something to do with the sky.

Just like how her name and Violet's name were colors of the rainbow. This made Indigo wonder what other patterns existed in names. Donald and Goofy did not seem to have anything in common in terms of names. Neither did Goofy and Launchpad. Nor Launchpad and Donald.

She continued to contemplate over this as she joined Sora and the others inside _Herbie_ and the former racecar followed Nani, Lilo, and Stitch's car down the road and into the town beyond.

* * *

**A/N: SHEESH! A LOT JUST TOOK PLACE IN THERE! And it seems we are about to land on the island of Kaua'i now.**  
**Oh, yeah! I need to reveal the world at this point, now don't I?**

**The world of _DEEP SPACE—HAWAII_ is based on Disney's "'_LILO AND STITCH__ (2002)_'"!**  
**Yes, I know a LOT of KH Fans out there REALLY want to see that movie included in "'_KINGDOM HEARTS 3_'"! I could take or leave it for that game, personally. Yet, I felt it worked well with what I have in mind for This Story.**  
**Yes, I know the world's name is not as original as some of the other world names I came up with before. Yet, considering the world's name was "_DEEP SPACE_" in "'_Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep_'" and the movie's main setting was never shown, I decided to expand on that. After all, Kaua'i, Hawaii IS the main setting from the movie!**  
**SO, _DEEP SPACE__—HAWAII_ IT IS!**

**Before we start our descent, I have a few more "'Safety Regulations'" to remind you about.**  
**(1.) The song Indigo let Sora listen to on her iPod was "'**_Somewhere Out There_**'". For** **those of you who either did not know or forgot, that is one of the songs from the animated Universal movie, "'_An American Tail__ (1986)_'". In this case, it was the end credits version.  
(2.) It was a little tricky describing everything going on at the restaurant. My first attempts sounded a little too complex to use or a little too Un-Disney-Like. I ended up with what you see now. I HOPE it turned out well enough for you!  
(3.) Yes, Dr. Jumba Jookiba and Pleakley did make a small appearance in there, just like they do in that scene of the movie. This for those of you who were wondering or a little confused why Sora has not really noticed them. He has not met them yet, now has he?  
(4.) I honestly am wondering if Stitch's character was partially inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson fairy-tale story, "'_The Ugly Duckling_'".  
(5.) The other song Indigo was listening to on her iPod was "'**_I'll Try!_**'" from Disney's "'_Peter Pan 2: Return To Never Land__ (2002)_'".  
(6.) In case anybody forgot, yes. Donald Duck DID get his feathers ruffled by Stitch in "'_Kingdom Hearts 2_'"! No wonder he wants revenge!  
(7.) I had a LOT of fun writing This Chapter! The whole Disney's "'_Lilo And Stitch_'" Series is DEFINITELY Silly, Too! I Hope you liked all that!  
The Slapstick Comedy is my favorite part(s) of This Chapter!**

**Yes, I know there is not too much time left until we land, and the next Disney-based world's announcement for "'_KINGDOM HEARTS 3_'".**

**So Then, I'll See You Next Time!  
In other words, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING! THE FATE OF THIS STORY DEPENDS ON IT!**

**REMEMBER THIS - A MINIMUM OF 214 IS REQUIRED FOR THE SEQUEL! IF 240 ARE POSTED, I WILL INCLUDE A "SNEAK PEEK" FOR THE SEQUEL ITSELF! HOWEVER, THAT/THOSE GOAL(S) MUST BE MET BY THE TIME THE-SECOND-TO-LAST-CHAPTER IS POSTED! THAT WAY, I WILL HAVE TIME TO ANNOUNCE WHETHER OR NOT EITHER GOAL WAS MET!  
ALSO - IF 3 TO 4 REVIEWS ARE POSTED ON THE FOUR CHAPTERS FOR THIS WORLD AND THE FOUR CHAPTERS FOR THE NEXT WORLD, I SHALL INCLUDE SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR ALL OF YOU AT THE END OF THIS STORY!  
**

**This Is SoraLego278 Saying, "See Ya Later, Keybladers!" Plus, "Have A ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH DAY!" In Addition, "Fly With You All Later!"**


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